Leaving England today.
What a wonderful trip it has been, and what a lot we have seen! When we returned to hire car, we had travelled over 2,000 miles in it. I am sure that there will be other trips in the years to come, and there is certainly an awful lot that I haven't seen, but there will be no other trip quite like the first one back.
I think that we have probably been very lucky with the weather, and have seen some parts of England at their best. We had beautiful weather in the Lake District, and some fine days in the Cotswolds. There were really only 2 days in which rain made it difficult for us. Over the 6 weeks that we were here, I call that pretty good!!
What was the best bit? That's a very difficult question; especially after doing so much in such a packed schedule. The family would have to be high on the list. It has been wonderful to see all the people that we have been able to catch up with; that is definitely one of the highlights for me. And to go back to Borth and find it so unchanged and unspoiled was another. Finally seeing the Lake District was a real treat as well. I loved York, with its old "gates" and lovely little shops. Such an historic town.
But for now, it's time to go home!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
A few days in Hampshire
We have spent the last few days staying in Hampshire with family. We have had a lovely time, and have also done quite a bit of sight-seeing.
On the first day, we went to Stonehenge. Very crowded, but I'm glad we got there before all the Summer Solstace gatherings. These were reported on the news a few days later, and it sounds very big!!
It's hard to get a concept of the sheer size of the stones from the viewpoint from which we could see them. Staggering to think of how they might have been moved to the position in which we find them. Some have been identified as coming from hundereds of miles away, and might have been transported by sea and then rolled over logs inland. Massive pieces of stones, which were then shaped to the requirements of the people and assembled. Some have "knobs" carved into them to interlock with other stones. Remarkable really.
In the afternoon, we went across to Salisbury and walked through the town. Another Cathedral here. Some very new additions within the ancient buidling; have a look at the water feature in the nave.
As we walked back through the town, we also stopped to look at the Church of St Thomas, nearby. This one has fifteenth century painting over the chancel arch, and also medieval murals around the wall of the Lady Chapel.
Friday was my "Jane Austen" day. It began with a drive to Chawton, and a tour of the house there in which Jane Austen lived with her family. Chawton is a very pretty Hampshire village. In the Jane Austen museum, there is a lot of memorabilia relating to the Austen family. They were obviously a very close family, particularly Jane and her sister Cassandra.
We went from there to Winchester, to yet another Cathedral (still finding them interesting - each one is so unique). This was Winchester Cathedral. We began our tour with a visit to the Crypt, which was very interesting as Winchester Cathedral is built very low and close to the water table. The crypt frequently floods; the water marks are plainly visible. As the Cathedral was built on swamp, its original timber foundations began to sink in the late nineteenth century. A diver spent around 7 years replacing the timber foundations with concrete from 1906 to 1911. The crypt also contains 3 Roman wells, and a number of ancient stone sarcophagi from the burial grounds of the original church. A modern sculpture, "Sound II" by Anthony Gormley stands at the entrance to the crypt.
The west windows of the Cathedral were unusual; they have a very "piecemeal" appearance. This is because they were destroyed by the Puritans under Oliver Cromwell, and then the glass was pieced together and returned to the window following the restoration of the monarchy.
In the nave is the tomb of Jane Austen, together with a window dedicated to her. Further up, in the north transept, there is a chapel still retaining medieval painting on the walls and ceiling, whilst in the trinity chapel the largest area of medieval decorated floor tiles remaining in England can be seen. As I said, each Cathedral has its own areas of interest.
Winchester is a lovely old town. We walked from the Cathedral, up through the town centre to the Great Hall. There are some remains of the old castle there, but really only the Great Hall is left. On the wall is a round table, created in the fourteenth century and decorated in Henry VIII's time. The table has the names of the knights from the King Arthur legends painted around it.
Saturday was a very pleasant day; much more restful. In the morning we walked into the village of Odiham and then we had a family lunch.
Sunday was the last real day of sightseeing, and it wasn't wasted! We went to Portsmouth to the historical docks where there are several museums, as well as the nineteenth century ship Warrior, Nelson's ship Victory and the recovered wreck of the Tudor warship Mary Rose. Boat tours of the harbour are also available. The hull of the Mary Rose is being treated with a water based wax solution, and this process can be viewed through glass panelling. This was a really interesting display. Warrior and Victory are both open for viewing, and can be walked through - which, of course, we did! It gives you a real sense of the closeness of the conditions for the crew on the gun decks. They are both beautiful ships. We also saw the enourmous surviving top sail of the Victory.
We finished this visit with a boat tour of the harbour......from old to new; we saw several modern warships from the British fleet.
This morning, it was packing. There was just time for a walk along the canal in Odiham to a very pretty little lake. One last look at the English countryside. Hampshire is another lovely part of the country.
On the first day, we went to Stonehenge. Very crowded, but I'm glad we got there before all the Summer Solstace gatherings. These were reported on the news a few days later, and it sounds very big!!
It's hard to get a concept of the sheer size of the stones from the viewpoint from which we could see them. Staggering to think of how they might have been moved to the position in which we find them. Some have been identified as coming from hundereds of miles away, and might have been transported by sea and then rolled over logs inland. Massive pieces of stones, which were then shaped to the requirements of the people and assembled. Some have "knobs" carved into them to interlock with other stones. Remarkable really.
In the afternoon, we went across to Salisbury and walked through the town. Another Cathedral here. Some very new additions within the ancient buidling; have a look at the water feature in the nave.
As we walked back through the town, we also stopped to look at the Church of St Thomas, nearby. This one has fifteenth century painting over the chancel arch, and also medieval murals around the wall of the Lady Chapel.
Friday was my "Jane Austen" day. It began with a drive to Chawton, and a tour of the house there in which Jane Austen lived with her family. Chawton is a very pretty Hampshire village. In the Jane Austen museum, there is a lot of memorabilia relating to the Austen family. They were obviously a very close family, particularly Jane and her sister Cassandra.
We went from there to Winchester, to yet another Cathedral (still finding them interesting - each one is so unique). This was Winchester Cathedral. We began our tour with a visit to the Crypt, which was very interesting as Winchester Cathedral is built very low and close to the water table. The crypt frequently floods; the water marks are plainly visible. As the Cathedral was built on swamp, its original timber foundations began to sink in the late nineteenth century. A diver spent around 7 years replacing the timber foundations with concrete from 1906 to 1911. The crypt also contains 3 Roman wells, and a number of ancient stone sarcophagi from the burial grounds of the original church. A modern sculpture, "Sound II" by Anthony Gormley stands at the entrance to the crypt.
The west windows of the Cathedral were unusual; they have a very "piecemeal" appearance. This is because they were destroyed by the Puritans under Oliver Cromwell, and then the glass was pieced together and returned to the window following the restoration of the monarchy.
In the nave is the tomb of Jane Austen, together with a window dedicated to her. Further up, in the north transept, there is a chapel still retaining medieval painting on the walls and ceiling, whilst in the trinity chapel the largest area of medieval decorated floor tiles remaining in England can be seen. As I said, each Cathedral has its own areas of interest.
Winchester is a lovely old town. We walked from the Cathedral, up through the town centre to the Great Hall. There are some remains of the old castle there, but really only the Great Hall is left. On the wall is a round table, created in the fourteenth century and decorated in Henry VIII's time. The table has the names of the knights from the King Arthur legends painted around it.
Saturday was a very pleasant day; much more restful. In the morning we walked into the village of Odiham and then we had a family lunch.
Sunday was the last real day of sightseeing, and it wasn't wasted! We went to Portsmouth to the historical docks where there are several museums, as well as the nineteenth century ship Warrior, Nelson's ship Victory and the recovered wreck of the Tudor warship Mary Rose. Boat tours of the harbour are also available. The hull of the Mary Rose is being treated with a water based wax solution, and this process can be viewed through glass panelling. This was a really interesting display. Warrior and Victory are both open for viewing, and can be walked through - which, of course, we did! It gives you a real sense of the closeness of the conditions for the crew on the gun decks. They are both beautiful ships. We also saw the enourmous surviving top sail of the Victory.
We finished this visit with a boat tour of the harbour......from old to new; we saw several modern warships from the British fleet.
This morning, it was packing. There was just time for a walk along the canal in Odiham to a very pretty little lake. One last look at the English countryside. Hampshire is another lovely part of the country.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
1066 and all that
(With apologies to Sellar and Yeatman)
This morning, we went to Battle Abbey. Site of the Battle of Hastings. Not much remains of the Abbey - surprise, surprise, it fell into ruin following the Dissolution of the Monasteries. After this trip, I don't think I'll ever forget the date 1538!! It has popped up all over the country!
Walking around the battlefield, it is hard to imagine what it would have looked like in 1066. There would have been no Abbey on the hill - it was built afterwards.
Afterwards, we drove back through Rye to Romney, for a visit to the narrow guage Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway. We caught one of the trains to Dungeness; good fun. There is nothing like a steam engine, even a miniature one. The ride was a little disappointing, as houses have now been built between the railway and the sea, and the view is largely gone. One of the good things about the Talyllyn Railway was that it was a great way to view the countryside. This aspect of the RH&D Railway is now gone. I suppose some changes in 40 years were to have been expected!!
This is our last day in Sussex. Tomorrow, we drive to Odiham and will be staying with family for the rest of the trip. Checking the odometer in the hire car today, we have driven over 2,000 miles up and down the country - no wonder I'm tired this evening!
This morning, we went to Battle Abbey. Site of the Battle of Hastings. Not much remains of the Abbey - surprise, surprise, it fell into ruin following the Dissolution of the Monasteries. After this trip, I don't think I'll ever forget the date 1538!! It has popped up all over the country!
Walking around the battlefield, it is hard to imagine what it would have looked like in 1066. There would have been no Abbey on the hill - it was built afterwards.
Afterwards, we drove back through Rye to Romney, for a visit to the narrow guage Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway. We caught one of the trains to Dungeness; good fun. There is nothing like a steam engine, even a miniature one. The ride was a little disappointing, as houses have now been built between the railway and the sea, and the view is largely gone. One of the good things about the Talyllyn Railway was that it was a great way to view the countryside. This aspect of the RH&D Railway is now gone. I suppose some changes in 40 years were to have been expected!!
This is our last day in Sussex. Tomorrow, we drive to Odiham and will be staying with family for the rest of the trip. Checking the odometer in the hire car today, we have driven over 2,000 miles up and down the country - no wonder I'm tired this evening!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Canterbury and Rye
This morning, we went into Canterbury. I am really sorry that we didn't have more time to spend here, as it looks like a really lovely town. A real regret is that we didn't have time to look at the library (I know it's a temporary library, but I would have liked to have seen it). Unfortunately, the one-way system on the way out of Maidstone added quite a bit of unscheduled time to the morning, and we simply ran out of time today.
We left the car at a Park and Ride, and got a bus right into the centre of the town, and then walked through some of the streets for a little while.
Our main objective in Canterbury had been to see the Cathedral, and this did not disappoint. I had seen some photos on Flickr recently which showed how the restoration work is cleaning up the old stonework, and this work was evident as we approached the Cathedral.
I was interested to see Canterbury not just because of its age, but also for the story of Thomas A'Beckett of course.
We left Canterbury at about 2, and drove to Rye. More Malcolm Saville country here! We are staying at the famous Mermaid Inn, which was rebuilt in 1420 after the original twelfth century building was destroyed by fire. Elizabeth I stayed here. It's a truly marvellous building. My room overlooks Mermaid Street - I've put a couple of photos on Flickr. Funny to be sitting here in such an old room, using wi-fi!!
We had a lovely walk here this afternoon, around the old, cobbled streets. We went up to the tenth century church, which has a clock tower above the North door. Each quarter hour, the "quarter boys" strike the bell. I climbed the clock tower (braving ladders and a trap door) and was rewarded with a marvellous view over Rye and the surrounding area.
The walk back took us down Traders' Passage and back to Mermaid Street.
So - another great day. Apologies again to Canterbury Library.........maybe next time!!
We left the car at a Park and Ride, and got a bus right into the centre of the town, and then walked through some of the streets for a little while.
Our main objective in Canterbury had been to see the Cathedral, and this did not disappoint. I had seen some photos on Flickr recently which showed how the restoration work is cleaning up the old stonework, and this work was evident as we approached the Cathedral.
I was interested to see Canterbury not just because of its age, but also for the story of Thomas A'Beckett of course.
We left Canterbury at about 2, and drove to Rye. More Malcolm Saville country here! We are staying at the famous Mermaid Inn, which was rebuilt in 1420 after the original twelfth century building was destroyed by fire. Elizabeth I stayed here. It's a truly marvellous building. My room overlooks Mermaid Street - I've put a couple of photos on Flickr. Funny to be sitting here in such an old room, using wi-fi!!
We had a lovely walk here this afternoon, around the old, cobbled streets. We went up to the tenth century church, which has a clock tower above the North door. Each quarter hour, the "quarter boys" strike the bell. I climbed the clock tower (braving ladders and a trap door) and was rewarded with a marvellous view over Rye and the surrounding area.
The walk back took us down Traders' Passage and back to Mermaid Street.
So - another great day. Apologies again to Canterbury Library.........maybe next time!!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
From Gloucestershire to Kent
On Saturday, we drove down to Kent. We stopped en route at Blenheim Palace, home of the Duke of Marlborough and birthplace of Winston Churchill.
Blenheim Palace is a lovely place, set in magnificent grounds. It is not far from the village of Bladon. Churchill is buried there, in the graveyard of St Martin's Church.
From Bladon, we continued our drive to Kent, mainly on the motorways. This is the county that I was born in, and so I was interested to visit it.
Today we have visited another Churchill landmark. This time his family home at Chartwell; a lovely spot overlooking the Weald of Kent - a magnificent view. It was a lovely warm day, and the gardens were looking their best. We spent a very pleasant afternoon there. There are also some great examples of Churchill's painting there; I hadn't realised the extent of this hobby.
Earlier, we drove through to Tunbridge Wells and out into Hartfield in East Sussex, to see the area where AA Milne lived and wrote his wonderful Winnie-the-Pooh stories and poems. We went for a walk through Ashdown Forest to Pooh Corner and saw the famous bridge from which Pooh played Poohsticks - naturally, I played it too!
Blenheim Palace is a lovely place, set in magnificent grounds. It is not far from the village of Bladon. Churchill is buried there, in the graveyard of St Martin's Church.
From Bladon, we continued our drive to Kent, mainly on the motorways. This is the county that I was born in, and so I was interested to visit it.
Today we have visited another Churchill landmark. This time his family home at Chartwell; a lovely spot overlooking the Weald of Kent - a magnificent view. It was a lovely warm day, and the gardens were looking their best. We spent a very pleasant afternoon there. There are also some great examples of Churchill's painting there; I hadn't realised the extent of this hobby.
Earlier, we drove through to Tunbridge Wells and out into Hartfield in East Sussex, to see the area where AA Milne lived and wrote his wonderful Winnie-the-Pooh stories and poems. We went for a walk through Ashdown Forest to Pooh Corner and saw the famous bridge from which Pooh played Poohsticks - naturally, I played it too!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Cheltenham and Gloucester
A busy day in the Cotswolds today. We jumped around from Norman architecture, to music, to Roman remains.
The day began with a look at yet another Cathedral. This time the lovely Gloucester Cathedral. We toured this with some family friends who live in Gloucester and who know the Cathedral really well, and they were able to point out many features that we might otherwise have missed; particularly the different styles of architecture that are reflected over the period of its construction. This was also the first Cathedral that I have seen which has fully enclosed cloisters, with stained glass around the outside walls. It also has a particularly large Lady Chapel behind the East window; this is as large as a small church.
From Gloucester, we drove back to Cheltenham, to visit Gustav Holst's birthplace and the Holst Museum which has been created there. This is the house in which Holst was born and lived. It has been refurnished in the Victorian style as it would have been in Holst's time. The museum also holds the piano on which part of "The Planets" was composed.
The final visit for today was to Chedworth Roman Villa, one of the largest Roman villas in England. It took us a while to find it - not an easy place to get to, but we persevered and I am really glad that we did! Some fine examples of Roman mosaic floors have been uncovered here.
The day began with a look at yet another Cathedral. This time the lovely Gloucester Cathedral. We toured this with some family friends who live in Gloucester and who know the Cathedral really well, and they were able to point out many features that we might otherwise have missed; particularly the different styles of architecture that are reflected over the period of its construction. This was also the first Cathedral that I have seen which has fully enclosed cloisters, with stained glass around the outside walls. It also has a particularly large Lady Chapel behind the East window; this is as large as a small church.
From Gloucester, we drove back to Cheltenham, to visit Gustav Holst's birthplace and the Holst Museum which has been created there. This is the house in which Holst was born and lived. It has been refurnished in the Victorian style as it would have been in Holst's time. The museum also holds the piano on which part of "The Planets" was composed.
The final visit for today was to Chedworth Roman Villa, one of the largest Roman villas in England. It took us a while to find it - not an easy place to get to, but we persevered and I am really glad that we did! Some fine examples of Roman mosaic floors have been uncovered here.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Shakespeare and the Cotswolds
A Shakespeare day today. Our travels have brought us to Gloucester, and we drove here via Stratford-on-Avon and through the Cotswolds.
The first stop was at Anne Hathaway's Cottage, and as good luck would have it the sun came out, and the cottage and it's grounds looked very pretty.
From here, we went into the town centre, and had a bit of a walk around. Only one short shower, so it was a pleasant few hours generally! Fairly obvious where most of the businesses found the inspiration for their business names, with the names of Shakespearian characters and famous actors abounding on the shop fronts!
We went to Shakespeare's birthplace and looked through the house in which he was born and lived with his family. The house is only a few metres from the Stratford Public Library also!!!
After visiting Shakespeare's birthplace, we went for a walk along the River Avon which brought us to Holy Trinity Church, in which both Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway are buried.
Then it was a drive through the Cotswolds; we stopped briefly at Bourton-on-the-Water, which is a pretty little town, on the way through.
The first stop was at Anne Hathaway's Cottage, and as good luck would have it the sun came out, and the cottage and it's grounds looked very pretty.
From here, we went into the town centre, and had a bit of a walk around. Only one short shower, so it was a pleasant few hours generally! Fairly obvious where most of the businesses found the inspiration for their business names, with the names of Shakespearian characters and famous actors abounding on the shop fronts!
We went to Shakespeare's birthplace and looked through the house in which he was born and lived with his family. The house is only a few metres from the Stratford Public Library also!!!
After visiting Shakespeare's birthplace, we went for a walk along the River Avon which brought us to Holy Trinity Church, in which both Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway are buried.
Then it was a drive through the Cotswolds; we stopped briefly at Bourton-on-the-Water, which is a pretty little town, on the way through.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Shropshire - Lone Pine country
We left Wales on Tuesday and made the short drive to Clun in Shropshire, not far from the Welsh border. On the way, we made a slight detour into Hay-on-Wye, a small village which is known for its secondhand bookshops. And what a feast that was!!! We found a guide to the bookshops, and it lists 30!! Booklovers' heaven!
A very enjoyable couple of hours browsing. Of course, there is always the problem of transporting books in our luggage and excess baggage fees, but most of the shops will ship books anywhere for you and I found a few shops that I particularly liked which have their databases available on the web and offer online ordering :-) :-) :-)
From Hay-0n-Wye, it was only an hour to Clun. This is a lovely, quiet part of the country. It's attraction for me is the descriptions that I have read in Malcolm Saville's books of course. Staying in Clun meant that we could walk to the remains of Clun Castle (or HQ3!!) Not much is left; mainly the Castle Keep, and that is currently under scaffolding. But it was a nice walk, and the view from the hill is worth the effort.
On Wednesday, we went looking for Offa's Dyke - this was originally built about 1200 years ago to keep out the Welsh. We found a section of it, and an historic marker, in Knighton and walked along a little way (the full walk is over 100km!!)
Leaving Knighton, we headed for the Long Mynd, passing many familiar village names, such as Craven Arms, Ludlow and Church Stretton. We drove up and across the Long Mynd, with a few stops to walk around and just "soak up" the view, which is spectacular. I got some of it on video, and hope that this can do it justice; still photographs certainly couldn't - although, of course I took some of them too.
From the Long Mynd, we went across to the Stiperstones - just as the clouds started to come down. We got a sight of the Stiperstones, but not much of a look before they were hidden. Not the weather to try walking to them!
We came back through Bishop's Castle; another familiar village name!
A very enjoyable couple of hours browsing. Of course, there is always the problem of transporting books in our luggage and excess baggage fees, but most of the shops will ship books anywhere for you and I found a few shops that I particularly liked which have their databases available on the web and offer online ordering :-) :-) :-)
From Hay-0n-Wye, it was only an hour to Clun. This is a lovely, quiet part of the country. It's attraction for me is the descriptions that I have read in Malcolm Saville's books of course. Staying in Clun meant that we could walk to the remains of Clun Castle (or HQ3!!) Not much is left; mainly the Castle Keep, and that is currently under scaffolding. But it was a nice walk, and the view from the hill is worth the effort.
On Wednesday, we went looking for Offa's Dyke - this was originally built about 1200 years ago to keep out the Welsh. We found a section of it, and an historic marker, in Knighton and walked along a little way (the full walk is over 100km!!)
Leaving Knighton, we headed for the Long Mynd, passing many familiar village names, such as Craven Arms, Ludlow and Church Stretton. We drove up and across the Long Mynd, with a few stops to walk around and just "soak up" the view, which is spectacular. I got some of it on video, and hope that this can do it justice; still photographs certainly couldn't - although, of course I took some of them too.
From the Long Mynd, we went across to the Stiperstones - just as the clouds started to come down. We got a sight of the Stiperstones, but not much of a look before they were hidden. Not the weather to try walking to them!
We came back through Bishop's Castle; another familiar village name!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Pob hwyl, Cymru!
This is our last day in Wales. Fortunately, although it was still not very warm, the rain stayed away.
We went down to Tal-y-llyn. The lake in this weather looked quite dark, and the wind was whipping up little waves across it. The highest peak is Cader Idris. We got a completely different view of it on Friday, when we drove down from the other side, passing Cader Idris on our right and then catching glimpses of the lake through the trees.
A must-see in this part of the country, is the narrow guage Talyllyn Railway. This line was built in the 1860s and used to carry slate, although it also carried passengers. Talyllyn claims the distinction of being the first preserved railway in the world.
Naturally, we had a ride on the train - taking it from Abergynolwyn to Tywyn and back. It was a really good way to see the countryside, as the train travels very slowly and there was no need to worry about driving.
Afterwards, we drove on through Tywyn and Aberdyfi along the coastline until the road took us back inland. We finished with one final trip through Borth for our last day in Wales.
Pob hwyl, Cymru! - Goodbye, Wales!
We went down to Tal-y-llyn. The lake in this weather looked quite dark, and the wind was whipping up little waves across it. The highest peak is Cader Idris. We got a completely different view of it on Friday, when we drove down from the other side, passing Cader Idris on our right and then catching glimpses of the lake through the trees.
A must-see in this part of the country, is the narrow guage Talyllyn Railway. This line was built in the 1860s and used to carry slate, although it also carried passengers. Talyllyn claims the distinction of being the first preserved railway in the world.
Naturally, we had a ride on the train - taking it from Abergynolwyn to Tywyn and back. It was a really good way to see the countryside, as the train travels very slowly and there was no need to worry about driving.
Afterwards, we drove on through Tywyn and Aberdyfi along the coastline until the road took us back inland. We finished with one final trip through Borth for our last day in Wales.
Pob hwyl, Cymru! - Goodbye, Wales!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Devil's Bridge
Raining again this morning, so we just went into Aberystwyth and did some shopping, then had a look at the National Library of Wales on the way back. Surprisingly, it was closed. Presumably it doesn't open on Sundays. We couldn't see any signage listing the opening hours.
After lunch, the rain stopped and so I took the chance to do the walk to view the waterfalls at Devil's Bridge. As we've had quite a bit of rain over the last couple of days, I thought I'd better do the walk while I could or I might miss out!!!
There are two walks - one on each side of the bridges. The better of the two is described as "arduous" due to the many steep, uneven steps - particularly the part known as "Jacob's Ladder". The walk was well worth doing; it was really beautiful. But I must say, I'm glad that I brought my boots!! I have uploaded some photos, and the web site explains the legend of Devil's Bridge.
I did both walks, as the easier of the two walks is on the other side of the bridge and gives different views. This one gives a better view of the bridge from further up the river, and includes the magnificent "punchbowl", where the effect of erosion of the swirling waters can be seen.
I'm glad that I got the chance to do these walks; it would have been a shame to have missed them.
After lunch, the rain stopped and so I took the chance to do the walk to view the waterfalls at Devil's Bridge. As we've had quite a bit of rain over the last couple of days, I thought I'd better do the walk while I could or I might miss out!!!
There are two walks - one on each side of the bridges. The better of the two is described as "arduous" due to the many steep, uneven steps - particularly the part known as "Jacob's Ladder". The walk was well worth doing; it was really beautiful. But I must say, I'm glad that I brought my boots!! I have uploaded some photos, and the web site explains the legend of Devil's Bridge.
I did both walks, as the easier of the two walks is on the other side of the bridge and gives different views. This one gives a better view of the bridge from further up the river, and includes the magnificent "punchbowl", where the effect of erosion of the swirling waters can be seen.
I'm glad that I got the chance to do these walks; it would have been a shame to have missed them.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Wales - an update!
Today, we have had quite a bit of rain and so we went back to Borth to have a look around the village itself. On the way, we passed through Eglwysfach more slowly and I stopped to take a photo of my first school (now closed, and known as "The Old School" - that really makes me feel ancient!). This enabled us to see that our house (Tyglyneiddwen) next door to the school was still there after all - another house has been built in between on what was the playgound. Fancy things changing after 40+ years!!!
On the way to Borth, we went past Ynyslas. I remember Ynyslas as the place where you can drive your car onto the beach. To my surprise, this is still allowed, but I wasn't game to risk it! My other memory of Ynyslas is of our car being stuck in the sand one day, and I didn't fancy going through that again!!
The people in Borth were very friendly and welcoming. Funny how the memory plays tricks on you. As I said yesterday, Borth remains essentially unchanged and unspoiled. Like a well-kept secret! Looking at some old photos from the 50s and 60s, we could see that there was actually a caravan park back then - it just looked really different. Much smaller, and none of the modern on-site cabins that I saw yesterday.
After Borth, we went to Aberystwyth for the rest of the day. Aberystwyth is a funny town. Most of the year, it is essentially a University town. In the summer, there are people there for the holidays. All the houses along the Promenade look like guest houses. There is a quaint little electric cliff railway at the North end of the Promenade.
On the way to Borth, we went past Ynyslas. I remember Ynyslas as the place where you can drive your car onto the beach. To my surprise, this is still allowed, but I wasn't game to risk it! My other memory of Ynyslas is of our car being stuck in the sand one day, and I didn't fancy going through that again!!
The people in Borth were very friendly and welcoming. Funny how the memory plays tricks on you. As I said yesterday, Borth remains essentially unchanged and unspoiled. Like a well-kept secret! Looking at some old photos from the 50s and 60s, we could see that there was actually a caravan park back then - it just looked really different. Much smaller, and none of the modern on-site cabins that I saw yesterday.
After Borth, we went to Aberystwyth for the rest of the day. Aberystwyth is a funny town. Most of the year, it is essentially a University town. In the summer, there are people there for the holidays. All the houses along the Promenade look like guest houses. There is a quaint little electric cliff railway at the North end of the Promenade.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Wales
Well, I am certainly getting a variety of driving here in England and Wales. I have now driven on different sorts of roads, including motorways and country roads. I can say that I have driven through the Yorkshire Moors, the Yorkshire Dales, the Lake District and now through North Wales, including the Snowdonia National Park!!
Wales was always going to be a very special part of this trip, simply because I remember it. On Thursday, we drove down from the North, through Lancashire and Cheshire and into Wales. The first thing that struck me was that the Anglicised spelling of place names seems to have been dropped, which I think is a good thing. When we lived in Wales, we all learned Welsh language at school, but I don't recall seeing a lot of the language around us. Now all the signage is in both languages, which I think is a good way of protecting the language and ensuring that it lives on.
We stopped Thursday night in Conwy, arriving there just after lunch. The afternoon was spent walking around the town, including of course the wall (Conwy is a walled town) and the Castle. Conwy Castle is one of the ring of castles built by Edward I to help contain the Welsh. He must have met with a lot of resistance!
Walking along the Quay in Conwy, we also came across the "smallest house in Britain", which is 72 inches (182.88 cm) wide and 122 inches (309.88 cm) high. According to one of the brochures, it rates a mention in the Guinness Book of Records.
Today, we drove to Caernarfon in the morning and visited Caernarfon Castle. Like Conwy, it was built by Edward I as part of his ring of castles in Wales. Also like Conwy, Caernarfon is a walled city.
From Caernarfon, we drove through the Snowdonia National Park towards Aberystwyth. On the way through, we saw Mount Snowdon, and also Cader Idris. Now I understand Susan Cooper's descriptions in The Grey King (yes, more children's literature!). We will be going back that way for a closer look in a few days time when we go to Tal-y-llyn.
Coming down past Machynlledd we started to come to spots that were familiar to me. The first of these was Eglwysfach, where we lived when we first went to Wales, and where I started school. The house we lived in is no longer there, but the School is.
Turning off the main road, we headed down to Borth, where I remembered my way well enough to drive without direction to Cliff Road, where we lived. Fortunately, the cliff top remains unspoiled, although many houses have changed - oh, and things are smaller than I remembered! Our house, Maramba, is still there, although some changes have naturally been made. The view from the house and from the cliff top is exactly as I remembered, and the war memorial still stands out on the headland. I climbed the path to the war memorial, which now contains a plaque to say that it was damaged by a thunderbolt in 1983, but restored the following year.
Looking inland from the war memorial, I saw changes; on areas where I can remember doing rambles from school, which involved climbing sheep stiles, a very large caravan park now sprawls, although there is still some sheep grazing land up onto the headland.
We drove back to Devil's Bridge, which is where we are staying, via the original home of the College of Librarianship, Wales - now Information Management and located elsewhere in Aberystwyth University. This is where my father first lectured in Librarianship, and was our reason for moving to Wales in the first place!
We are staying here at Devil's Bridge for a few days, and will be visiting many more remembered places. There will be more Borth too!!
Wales was always going to be a very special part of this trip, simply because I remember it. On Thursday, we drove down from the North, through Lancashire and Cheshire and into Wales. The first thing that struck me was that the Anglicised spelling of place names seems to have been dropped, which I think is a good thing. When we lived in Wales, we all learned Welsh language at school, but I don't recall seeing a lot of the language around us. Now all the signage is in both languages, which I think is a good way of protecting the language and ensuring that it lives on.
We stopped Thursday night in Conwy, arriving there just after lunch. The afternoon was spent walking around the town, including of course the wall (Conwy is a walled town) and the Castle. Conwy Castle is one of the ring of castles built by Edward I to help contain the Welsh. He must have met with a lot of resistance!
Walking along the Quay in Conwy, we also came across the "smallest house in Britain", which is 72 inches (182.88 cm) wide and 122 inches (309.88 cm) high. According to one of the brochures, it rates a mention in the Guinness Book of Records.
Today, we drove to Caernarfon in the morning and visited Caernarfon Castle. Like Conwy, it was built by Edward I as part of his ring of castles in Wales. Also like Conwy, Caernarfon is a walled city.
From Caernarfon, we drove through the Snowdonia National Park towards Aberystwyth. On the way through, we saw Mount Snowdon, and also Cader Idris. Now I understand Susan Cooper's descriptions in The Grey King (yes, more children's literature!). We will be going back that way for a closer look in a few days time when we go to Tal-y-llyn.
Coming down past Machynlledd we started to come to spots that were familiar to me. The first of these was Eglwysfach, where we lived when we first went to Wales, and where I started school. The house we lived in is no longer there, but the School is.
Turning off the main road, we headed down to Borth, where I remembered my way well enough to drive without direction to Cliff Road, where we lived. Fortunately, the cliff top remains unspoiled, although many houses have changed - oh, and things are smaller than I remembered! Our house, Maramba, is still there, although some changes have naturally been made. The view from the house and from the cliff top is exactly as I remembered, and the war memorial still stands out on the headland. I climbed the path to the war memorial, which now contains a plaque to say that it was damaged by a thunderbolt in 1983, but restored the following year.
Looking inland from the war memorial, I saw changes; on areas where I can remember doing rambles from school, which involved climbing sheep stiles, a very large caravan park now sprawls, although there is still some sheep grazing land up onto the headland.
We drove back to Devil's Bridge, which is where we are staying, via the original home of the College of Librarianship, Wales - now Information Management and located elsewhere in Aberystwyth University. This is where my father first lectured in Librarianship, and was our reason for moving to Wales in the first place!
We are staying here at Devil's Bridge for a few days, and will be visiting many more remembered places. There will be more Borth too!!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Swallows and Amazons
If you are not interested in the Swallows and Amazons books or the life of Arthur Ransome, then don't bother reading this post!!
Today we took a boat cruise on Coniston Water, and spent a couple of hours looking at some of the sites which Arthur Ransome either used or adapted in his wonderful books. Seeing the sites first hand only reinforces how well Ransome described the scenery.
For once in my life, I am speechless!!!! Most of the description for this trip is with the images.
I have loaded some photos onto Flickr, and enthusiasts will know for themselves where a site exists exactly as in the books, and where features have been adapted. One thing is for sure - Wild Cat Island did not disappoint!
Heading to Wales tomorrow.........next post will be from there!
Today we took a boat cruise on Coniston Water, and spent a couple of hours looking at some of the sites which Arthur Ransome either used or adapted in his wonderful books. Seeing the sites first hand only reinforces how well Ransome described the scenery.
For once in my life, I am speechless!!!! Most of the description for this trip is with the images.
I have loaded some photos onto Flickr, and enthusiasts will know for themselves where a site exists exactly as in the books, and where features have been adapted. One thing is for sure - Wild Cat Island did not disappoint!
Heading to Wales tomorrow.........next post will be from there!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
The Lake District
Here we are at Bowness on Windemere. What a beautiful place.......but I suppose I'm saying that about each place we go to, aren't I??
There is something very special about this place, however. Lake Windemere is spellbinding. And of course, having grown up on Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series, Lake Windemere and Coniston Water are places that I have wanted to visit for a long time.
We are spending our time here just walking around and exploring the lakes, picking out some landmarks and sites from the books. The weather for the last week has been very warm for England and just right for me! Temperatures around 25 degrees or so. Perfect for this type of sight seeing and exploring.
This afternoon, on our way back from Coniston Water, we visited Hill Top Farm, the home of Beatrix Potter. This also made me reflect on her work to protect the Lake District, and donation of land to the National Trust.
Tomorrow, we are going out on Coniston Water to look at Peel (aka Wild Cat) Island and other points of interest :-))
There is something very special about this place, however. Lake Windemere is spellbinding. And of course, having grown up on Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series, Lake Windemere and Coniston Water are places that I have wanted to visit for a long time.
We are spending our time here just walking around and exploring the lakes, picking out some landmarks and sites from the books. The weather for the last week has been very warm for England and just right for me! Temperatures around 25 degrees or so. Perfect for this type of sight seeing and exploring.
This afternoon, on our way back from Coniston Water, we visited Hill Top Farm, the home of Beatrix Potter. This also made me reflect on her work to protect the Lake District, and donation of land to the National Trust.
Tomorrow, we are going out on Coniston Water to look at Peel (aka Wild Cat) Island and other points of interest :-))
Monday, June 1, 2009
Whitby and Goathland
Whitby - what can I say? We had perfect weather for this visit. I have been to Whitby before, but I was so young that I have no recollection of it! But I have seen many photos of it, and of the Abbey in particular, and heard a lot about it, as my Dad's Aunt and Uncle owned a guesthouse here years ago, and he spent a lot of time here with his cousins. So Whitby is part of our family folklore.
The really old part of Whitby is on the east side of the harbour, but there is plenty to see on the west side, and that is where we started. We walked alongside the upper harbour, and then crossed the bridge to the east side, and walked up some of the old streets. We were lucky enough to see the bridge open to let a boat through.
One of the streets that we walked up on the east side is the one where Captain James Cook had lodgings, and the building is still there today.
Crossing back over the bridge, we walked along the side of the lower harbour, and then climbed to where Captain Cook's memorial statue overlooks the harbour. From here, there were really lovely views across to the Abbey on the other side, and out to sea.
In the afternoon, we crossed back to the east, and up to the ruins of Whitby Abbey which sits on the headland above the harbour. The first monastery on this site was founded in 657, but fell into ruin until it was re-established around 1070. After the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII, the buildings were sold and the Abbey demolished, and these are the ruins that remain today. The Abbey Church was left, and still exists.
From Whitby, it is a short drive to Goathland, which is a very pretty little town, made famous by its use as a location for the TV series "Heartbeat". Goathland also has a station which is on the line for a steam engine service across North Yorkshire. This station has been the setting for the Hogwarts station in the Harry Potter movies, and we were in time to see two of the trains come through late this afternoon. So now I've seen the Hogwarts Express!!
The day ended with dinner with another cousin whom I have only met as a baby - our family seems to be spread right across the country!
The really old part of Whitby is on the east side of the harbour, but there is plenty to see on the west side, and that is where we started. We walked alongside the upper harbour, and then crossed the bridge to the east side, and walked up some of the old streets. We were lucky enough to see the bridge open to let a boat through.
One of the streets that we walked up on the east side is the one where Captain James Cook had lodgings, and the building is still there today.
Crossing back over the bridge, we walked along the side of the lower harbour, and then climbed to where Captain Cook's memorial statue overlooks the harbour. From here, there were really lovely views across to the Abbey on the other side, and out to sea.
In the afternoon, we crossed back to the east, and up to the ruins of Whitby Abbey which sits on the headland above the harbour. The first monastery on this site was founded in 657, but fell into ruin until it was re-established around 1070. After the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII, the buildings were sold and the Abbey demolished, and these are the ruins that remain today. The Abbey Church was left, and still exists.
From Whitby, it is a short drive to Goathland, which is a very pretty little town, made famous by its use as a location for the TV series "Heartbeat". Goathland also has a station which is on the line for a steam engine service across North Yorkshire. This station has been the setting for the Hogwarts station in the Harry Potter movies, and we were in time to see two of the trains come through late this afternoon. So now I've seen the Hogwarts Express!!
The day ended with dinner with another cousin whom I have only met as a baby - our family seems to be spread right across the country!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
The last day in York
Today is our last day in York, and we have spent most of it walking.
This morning, we walked around the City Wall. There was an original wall built by the Romans, but not much of that remains now, although the remains of it can be seen in places - notably the Museum Gardens. The City expanded under the Normans, and the wall that exists today is the Norman wall. A length of it does follow the line of the original Roman wall. The walk is about 2 miles, and on such a lovely day it was a great way to spend some time - it took a while because I kept stopping to take photos! I've uploaded a sample; don't worry, they're not all there!!!
The afternoon was spent wandering around the city streets, which I just love. We also cruised them a little on a sight-seeing bus, just in case there was anything that we had missed.
Now there's time for one more walk, and then tomorrow we head to Whitby and Goathland. More fine weather is promised, and so this should be good too!
This morning, we walked around the City Wall. There was an original wall built by the Romans, but not much of that remains now, although the remains of it can be seen in places - notably the Museum Gardens. The City expanded under the Normans, and the wall that exists today is the Norman wall. A length of it does follow the line of the original Roman wall. The walk is about 2 miles, and on such a lovely day it was a great way to spend some time - it took a while because I kept stopping to take photos! I've uploaded a sample; don't worry, they're not all there!!!
The afternoon was spent wandering around the city streets, which I just love. We also cruised them a little on a sight-seeing bus, just in case there was anything that we had missed.
Now there's time for one more walk, and then tomorrow we head to Whitby and Goathland. More fine weather is promised, and so this should be good too!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
A day in York
York is a wonderful place; I am really loving it.
Today started with a visit to the National Railway Museum, which contained a bonus for us. We had not expected to see the Flying Scotsman there, however we discovered that the NRM acquired it a few years ago. As luck would have it, the Scotsman is currently under repair and so we actually saw it in the workshop dismantled! This was fine, as I have seen the Scotsman when it came to Melbourne twenty years ago, so the dismantled engine was a bonus!
There are many other treasures to be seen at the NRM - the famous Mallard is there, and also the Royal train with carriages from Victoria's era onwards.
This visit took up the whole morning - a fabulous place!
From Roman remains yesterday, to Vikings today! After lunch, we strolled up Coppergate Walk, a very old street in York. Excavations there have revealed the remnants of the Viking settlement of Yorvik (the Viking name for York). A recreation of Coppergate as it was in the time of the Vikings can now be viewed under Coppergate Walk, and we toured it this afternoon. All the street and Viking life scenes have been based on the archeological findings in the area, giving this display a real authenticity.
Back to the Normans......We also wandered up to York Castle today. Clifford's Tower (originally built by William the Conqueror) still stands, and we climbed this, giving us a birds eye view across the city. Clifford's Tower is one of 2 remaining castle towers in the clover shape (the other is in France).
We finished the day with a boat trip down the River Ouse, which runs through York. Not a minute wasted today!!
Today started with a visit to the National Railway Museum, which contained a bonus for us. We had not expected to see the Flying Scotsman there, however we discovered that the NRM acquired it a few years ago. As luck would have it, the Scotsman is currently under repair and so we actually saw it in the workshop dismantled! This was fine, as I have seen the Scotsman when it came to Melbourne twenty years ago, so the dismantled engine was a bonus!
There are many other treasures to be seen at the NRM - the famous Mallard is there, and also the Royal train with carriages from Victoria's era onwards.
This visit took up the whole morning - a fabulous place!
From Roman remains yesterday, to Vikings today! After lunch, we strolled up Coppergate Walk, a very old street in York. Excavations there have revealed the remnants of the Viking settlement of Yorvik (the Viking name for York). A recreation of Coppergate as it was in the time of the Vikings can now be viewed under Coppergate Walk, and we toured it this afternoon. All the street and Viking life scenes have been based on the archeological findings in the area, giving this display a real authenticity.
Back to the Normans......We also wandered up to York Castle today. Clifford's Tower (originally built by William the Conqueror) still stands, and we climbed this, giving us a birds eye view across the city. Clifford's Tower is one of 2 remaining castle towers in the clover shape (the other is in France).
We finished the day with a boat trip down the River Ouse, which runs through York. Not a minute wasted today!!
Friday, May 29, 2009
York via Lincoln
We drove from Norfolk to York over two days, breaking the journey at Lincoln.
We went into Lincoln and had a look around, the main attractions here being the Cathedral and the Castle.In the Castle, we saw one of the remaining copies of the Magna Carta. Of the 41 documents originally made and distributed throughout the country, only 4 remain. We saw 2 in the British Library, 1 here at Lincoln, and will see the 4th at Salisbury. Pretty cool.
On Thursday morning, we drove from Lincoln, crossing the Humber Bridge into Yorkshire. Part of the road on our route to York included a stretch which was once a Roman Road (Ermine Street) - awesome.
York is a very historic city, and still has its ancient city wall. We are staying near one of the gates, called "bars", so we can walk to just about any of the sites that we want to visit. Today we walked around the city centre and explored some of its fascinating streets. Of particular interest was "The Shambles", a medieval street whose buildings lean inwards so that the upper floors almost meet at the top. I've taken some pictures, but I'm finding that my photos of street scenes don't really capture the essence of the places. (I tried some of the London squares also, but they just don't capture it).
Yet another Medieval Catheral - this time York Minster. It must seem that all we've done is look at Cathedrals, but I'm finding that each one is unique, and has its own special feeling. This was true of York Minster also. A special feature here is the remains of a Roman fortress which was built on the site around 71AD. These remains were uncovered during underpinning works at the Minster during the 1960s-70s, and can be seen in the Minster's Undercroft. The remains of an earlier Norman Cathedral can also be seen in the Undercroft; this existed before building of the present Minster was commenced in 1220.
Well worth the visit!
We went into Lincoln and had a look around, the main attractions here being the Cathedral and the Castle.In the Castle, we saw one of the remaining copies of the Magna Carta. Of the 41 documents originally made and distributed throughout the country, only 4 remain. We saw 2 in the British Library, 1 here at Lincoln, and will see the 4th at Salisbury. Pretty cool.
On Thursday morning, we drove from Lincoln, crossing the Humber Bridge into Yorkshire. Part of the road on our route to York included a stretch which was once a Roman Road (Ermine Street) - awesome.
York is a very historic city, and still has its ancient city wall. We are staying near one of the gates, called "bars", so we can walk to just about any of the sites that we want to visit. Today we walked around the city centre and explored some of its fascinating streets. Of particular interest was "The Shambles", a medieval street whose buildings lean inwards so that the upper floors almost meet at the top. I've taken some pictures, but I'm finding that my photos of street scenes don't really capture the essence of the places. (I tried some of the London squares also, but they just don't capture it).
Yet another Medieval Catheral - this time York Minster. It must seem that all we've done is look at Cathedrals, but I'm finding that each one is unique, and has its own special feeling. This was true of York Minster also. A special feature here is the remains of a Roman fortress which was built on the site around 71AD. These remains were uncovered during underpinning works at the Minster during the 1960s-70s, and can be seen in the Minster's Undercroft. The remains of an earlier Norman Cathedral can also be seen in the Undercroft; this existed before building of the present Minster was commenced in 1220.
Well worth the visit!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Stately homes and Norwich
We have spent another two days looking around Norfolk. On Monday, we visited two stately homes. The first of these, Blickling Hall, was built in the seventeenth century on the site of a home owned by the Boleyn family. A lovely Jacobean house with some magnificent tapestries and paintings. The ceilings contain some great examples of Jacobean plasterwork, and there is a beautiful oak staircase in the entrance hall.
In the afternoon, we drove across to Holkham, the home of the Earl of Leicester, which is open to the public. In addition to Holkham Hall, there is an agricultural museum and collection of vintage vehicles. I've put a few images of old fire engines on Flickr for my CFA friends!
Holkham was also the site of filming for the movie "The Duchess".
Today began with what I consider heavy rain, although I'm told is was only "a bit damp". We drove to the nearest "Park and ride", which is a terrific system for public transport into large towns. You can leave your car at the Park and ride, and shuttle buses go in and out of the town. Fantastic system!
We spent the day in Norwich, beginning with the Cathedral which is over 900 years old and contains some magnificent medieval artwork. I purchased a photograph permit for the Cathedral, and a selection of the images are on the Flickr feed.
After the Cathedral, we walked across to The Forum, the very modern arts and information centre. This contains the Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library - a large and busy library. Naturally, we had a look around! The library is on three levels, and is a very impressive place! The photos really don't do it justice.
Lunch at the former Assembly Rooms was followed by another walk - this time up to Norwich Castle, over 900 years old and one of the oldest remaining Normal Castles in England.
This is our last night in Norfolk, and we will be heading to Lincoln in the morning.
In the afternoon, we drove across to Holkham, the home of the Earl of Leicester, which is open to the public. In addition to Holkham Hall, there is an agricultural museum and collection of vintage vehicles. I've put a few images of old fire engines on Flickr for my CFA friends!
Holkham was also the site of filming for the movie "The Duchess".
Today began with what I consider heavy rain, although I'm told is was only "a bit damp". We drove to the nearest "Park and ride", which is a terrific system for public transport into large towns. You can leave your car at the Park and ride, and shuttle buses go in and out of the town. Fantastic system!
We spent the day in Norwich, beginning with the Cathedral which is over 900 years old and contains some magnificent medieval artwork. I purchased a photograph permit for the Cathedral, and a selection of the images are on the Flickr feed.
After the Cathedral, we walked across to The Forum, the very modern arts and information centre. This contains the Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library - a large and busy library. Naturally, we had a look around! The library is on three levels, and is a very impressive place! The photos really don't do it justice.
Lunch at the former Assembly Rooms was followed by another walk - this time up to Norwich Castle, over 900 years old and one of the oldest remaining Normal Castles in England.
This is our last night in Norfolk, and we will be heading to Lincoln in the morning.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Cambridge and Potter Heigham
We have slowed the pace down over the weekend; we packed so much into our time in London that it has been nice to take things more slowly for a couple of days and "soak up" some of the experiences.
On Saturday morning we went into Cambridge, which is a really lovely place. I wouldn't want to drive around it, however! It was very busy - this weekend is a long weekend for Bank Holiday and there were lots of people around. I was struck by the number of bicycles; it is obviously a popular mode of transport for the locals.
I took a couple of photos of the streets and street scenes, but photos can't do justice to the character of this town.
Kings College Chapel was spectacular, and having watched the Christmas Carols from the Chapel so many times on television, I was really pleased to have the opportunity to see the Chapel. Once again, the ubiquitous Henry VIII has left his stamp on this place! Surprisingly, photographs were allowed (without flash of course), but I am disappointed with the way my photos turned out - Dad's were much better!!
After the Chapel, we walked down to the River Cam and along to The Backs and then back up past the fascinating Mathematical Bridge.
We met up with a cousin and his wife and had a lovely lunch at the University Arms - this was a wonderful retreat from the hustle and bustle of the streets. The room overlooked Parkers Piece
In the afternoon we drove down to Norfolk, where we are spending some time with my Aunt and Uncle. They took us for a drive down to Great Yarmouth and Potter Heigham last night, passing through towns with names which are very familiar from Arthur Ransome's Coot Club and The Big Six.
This morning we went to Ranworth, where we saw Malthouse Broad. The Broads were a hive of activity today, with many people out and about in boats and enjoying the sunshine. We walked up to the historic Church at Ranworth, in which there is a medieval screen which stretches across the Church and was decorated in the 15th Century. The Church also contains an illuminated manuscript songbook (the Ranworth Antiphoner) which dates from the 1440s.
In the afternoon we went to Wroxham - more boats and sunshine, and a walk along the River Bure.
A lovely weekend! More photos to follow.
On Saturday morning we went into Cambridge, which is a really lovely place. I wouldn't want to drive around it, however! It was very busy - this weekend is a long weekend for Bank Holiday and there were lots of people around. I was struck by the number of bicycles; it is obviously a popular mode of transport for the locals.
I took a couple of photos of the streets and street scenes, but photos can't do justice to the character of this town.
Kings College Chapel was spectacular, and having watched the Christmas Carols from the Chapel so many times on television, I was really pleased to have the opportunity to see the Chapel. Once again, the ubiquitous Henry VIII has left his stamp on this place! Surprisingly, photographs were allowed (without flash of course), but I am disappointed with the way my photos turned out - Dad's were much better!!
After the Chapel, we walked down to the River Cam and along to The Backs and then back up past the fascinating Mathematical Bridge.
We met up with a cousin and his wife and had a lovely lunch at the University Arms - this was a wonderful retreat from the hustle and bustle of the streets. The room overlooked Parkers Piece
In the afternoon we drove down to Norfolk, where we are spending some time with my Aunt and Uncle. They took us for a drive down to Great Yarmouth and Potter Heigham last night, passing through towns with names which are very familiar from Arthur Ransome's Coot Club and The Big Six.
This morning we went to Ranworth, where we saw Malthouse Broad. The Broads were a hive of activity today, with many people out and about in boats and enjoying the sunshine. We walked up to the historic Church at Ranworth, in which there is a medieval screen which stretches across the Church and was decorated in the 15th Century. The Church also contains an illuminated manuscript songbook (the Ranworth Antiphoner) which dates from the 1440s.
In the afternoon we went to Wroxham - more boats and sunshine, and a walk along the River Bure.
A lovely weekend! More photos to follow.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Duxford
Today we left London, and picking up our hire car, headed out towards Cambridge. We stopped for lunch at Duxford, and visited the Imperial War Museum there.
Highlights had to be the Spitfire and other aircraft in the Battle of Britain hangar. There was also a new display about land warfare from 1914, which is very well set up.
Duxford also contains an aircraft museum, with a huge variety of aircraft - not only military machines. One of the highlights in the history of aviation hangar is the Concorde, and we walked through it. I can't imagine that it would have been very pleasant to travel in; the seats are narrow (the whole aircraft is narrow), and the windows are tiny. Still, I'm glad that I've seen it!
From Duxford it was only a 15 minute drive to Cambridge.
Highlights had to be the Spitfire and other aircraft in the Battle of Britain hangar. There was also a new display about land warfare from 1914, which is very well set up.
Duxford also contains an aircraft museum, with a huge variety of aircraft - not only military machines. One of the highlights in the history of aviation hangar is the Concorde, and we walked through it. I can't imagine that it would have been very pleasant to travel in; the seats are narrow (the whole aircraft is narrow), and the windows are tiny. Still, I'm glad that I've seen it!
From Duxford it was only a 15 minute drive to Cambridge.
The last days in London
The last two days in London were jam-packed with sight-seeing, meeting relatives and getting a feel for London life and streets......no wonder there was no time for blogging!
Wednesday was just enormous. It began with a ride on the Underground to the Tower of London. Did I mention how impressive the London Underground is? (At least to a Melbourne train user). The trains simply keep on coming; we didn't need to consult timetables in advance. All we had to do is work out which connections we needed, and turn up on the right platform. If we missed a train, the longest we had to wait was about 3 minutes for the next one.
Anyhow, on Wednesday we went to the Tower and walked around the outside to begin with to check out the view - the main one being Tower Bridge - spectacular. I never realised how much colour there was in it, in the trim and suspension. I'm glad to have seen it.
We spent the whole morning at the Tower, and there is a lot to see there. A cousin, whom I haven't seen since I was a baby met us there and joined us in looking around which made it doubly special. The chambers used by Edward I remain and were very interesting, and I was also moved to see Traitors' Gate. When I was a teenager, I read everything I could get my hands on about the Tudors, and in particular Elizabeth I and so to see the gate by which she entered the Tower was something quite special for me.
The display of the Crown Jewels in Jewel House has been recently modernised, and includes video presentations with footage of the Coronation and various ceremonies overlayed with information about various items in the collection. This was very well done.
From the Tower, we all walked across Tower Bridge to the South bank of the Thames. Luckily for us, a sail barge with tall masts came down the river and the Bridge opened for it, and so we got to see this. (Also luckily, it came after we had crossed, and so we got to see it without being delayed by it LOL).
We had a lovely lunch on the south bank and then walked along the river past London Bridge and into Southwark. This was our first opportunity to really experience something of shops and street life.
Southwark has a beautiful cathedral which we visited. It contains a memorial to William Shakespeare who lived in the area, and after Southwark we walked up past the Globe Theatre to get to the Millenium Bridge and across to St Paul's.
St Paul's was beautiful too. My cousin and I climbed the 257 steps to the Whispering Gallery inside the dome, where it is said that if you whisper, it can be heard at the other side of the dome.
In the Crypt of St Pauls are buried many famous people, and we saw the tombs of Nelson, Wellington, Arthur Sullivan, Sir Christopher Wren and many others.
After the Cathederal closed, we had a drink in a nearby bar, then caught buses (double-deckers, naturally) back across London Bridge. Here we got an extra bonus, as we passed the market place in which the Diagon Alley scenes in the Harry Potter movies were filmed!
We met up with my cousin's husband and had dinner on the South bank, watching night fall and the Tower and Bridge light up. A huge day!!!!
The following day, Thursday, was our last in London, and we really made it count. As with the previous day, it began with a rail trip via the Underground. This time to Waterloo and then by National Rail to Hampton Court.
The morning was spent touring Hampton Court Palace - what a beautiful and historic place - especially to someone who has read about the Tudors! The detail in the kitchens (even down to the smells(!) really gives a sense of life in the Middle Ages. However, despite the clear Tudor references, parts of the Palace show very clearly the influences of the William and Mary period, and the work of Christopher Wren.
The gardens are beautiful as well, and as the sun came out for us that day, we probably saw them at just about their best.
Returning to the City by train, we went to Bond St. Station, and came out into Oxford Street. This was another opportunity to look at London shops and experience street life.
Handel's house is in this area, and is open to the public as a museum. This was something special too - to have been in the room where his works were composed! Well worth the visit.
But the day was not over yet! Walking up Oxford and Duke Streets brought us to Manchester Square, in which Hertford House contains the Wallace Collection of eighteenth and nineteenth century paintings. This is a large collection, and almost overwhelming.
This was the last stop for the day; I think that another month in London would not be long enough to see everything.
Wednesday was just enormous. It began with a ride on the Underground to the Tower of London. Did I mention how impressive the London Underground is? (At least to a Melbourne train user). The trains simply keep on coming; we didn't need to consult timetables in advance. All we had to do is work out which connections we needed, and turn up on the right platform. If we missed a train, the longest we had to wait was about 3 minutes for the next one.
Anyhow, on Wednesday we went to the Tower and walked around the outside to begin with to check out the view - the main one being Tower Bridge - spectacular. I never realised how much colour there was in it, in the trim and suspension. I'm glad to have seen it.
We spent the whole morning at the Tower, and there is a lot to see there. A cousin, whom I haven't seen since I was a baby met us there and joined us in looking around which made it doubly special. The chambers used by Edward I remain and were very interesting, and I was also moved to see Traitors' Gate. When I was a teenager, I read everything I could get my hands on about the Tudors, and in particular Elizabeth I and so to see the gate by which she entered the Tower was something quite special for me.
The display of the Crown Jewels in Jewel House has been recently modernised, and includes video presentations with footage of the Coronation and various ceremonies overlayed with information about various items in the collection. This was very well done.
From the Tower, we all walked across Tower Bridge to the South bank of the Thames. Luckily for us, a sail barge with tall masts came down the river and the Bridge opened for it, and so we got to see this. (Also luckily, it came after we had crossed, and so we got to see it without being delayed by it LOL).
We had a lovely lunch on the south bank and then walked along the river past London Bridge and into Southwark. This was our first opportunity to really experience something of shops and street life.
Southwark has a beautiful cathedral which we visited. It contains a memorial to William Shakespeare who lived in the area, and after Southwark we walked up past the Globe Theatre to get to the Millenium Bridge and across to St Paul's.
St Paul's was beautiful too. My cousin and I climbed the 257 steps to the Whispering Gallery inside the dome, where it is said that if you whisper, it can be heard at the other side of the dome.
In the Crypt of St Pauls are buried many famous people, and we saw the tombs of Nelson, Wellington, Arthur Sullivan, Sir Christopher Wren and many others.
After the Cathederal closed, we had a drink in a nearby bar, then caught buses (double-deckers, naturally) back across London Bridge. Here we got an extra bonus, as we passed the market place in which the Diagon Alley scenes in the Harry Potter movies were filmed!
We met up with my cousin's husband and had dinner on the South bank, watching night fall and the Tower and Bridge light up. A huge day!!!!
The following day, Thursday, was our last in London, and we really made it count. As with the previous day, it began with a rail trip via the Underground. This time to Waterloo and then by National Rail to Hampton Court.
The morning was spent touring Hampton Court Palace - what a beautiful and historic place - especially to someone who has read about the Tudors! The detail in the kitchens (even down to the smells(!) really gives a sense of life in the Middle Ages. However, despite the clear Tudor references, parts of the Palace show very clearly the influences of the William and Mary period, and the work of Christopher Wren.
The gardens are beautiful as well, and as the sun came out for us that day, we probably saw them at just about their best.
Returning to the City by train, we went to Bond St. Station, and came out into Oxford Street. This was another opportunity to look at London shops and experience street life.
Handel's house is in this area, and is open to the public as a museum. This was something special too - to have been in the room where his works were composed! Well worth the visit.
But the day was not over yet! Walking up Oxford and Duke Streets brought us to Manchester Square, in which Hertford House contains the Wallace Collection of eighteenth and nineteenth century paintings. This is a large collection, and almost overwhelming.
This was the last stop for the day; I think that another month in London would not be long enough to see everything.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
A library day
Today we visited Gillingham Library, part of Medway Libraries and a new Spydus site. Mum and Dad came with me for this visit, as they actually met while working at Gillingham Library over 50 years ago!
We went down on the train from London. I must say, I am very impressed with the trains here - the underground is just fabulous. Trains come every couple of minutes and everything just seems to work fine! The National Rail trains were very comfortable and we had a smooth ride down to Gillingham.
I'm not going to say too much about the library visit, as I will be presenting a paper on it at SPUN in October - no spoilers!!
On the way back to London, we changed trains at Dartford, and then stopped at Albany Park to see the house I was born in. There's a photo on my photostream.
When we got back to London, we had some time left and so we went to see the British Library, which is not far from our Hotel. I am so glad that we did; there was a lovely display commemorating children's poetry in the Folio Society Gallery, as well as a selection of "Treasures from the British Library", which included Handel's original score for "The Messiah", the log book from Nelson's Victory, manuscripts from the 11th century and earlier, and much more.
The weather has continued to hold out for us; we had one or two light showers today, but nothing to cause us problems.
We went down on the train from London. I must say, I am very impressed with the trains here - the underground is just fabulous. Trains come every couple of minutes and everything just seems to work fine! The National Rail trains were very comfortable and we had a smooth ride down to Gillingham.
I'm not going to say too much about the library visit, as I will be presenting a paper on it at SPUN in October - no spoilers!!
On the way back to London, we changed trains at Dartford, and then stopped at Albany Park to see the house I was born in. There's a photo on my photostream.
When we got back to London, we had some time left and so we went to see the British Library, which is not far from our Hotel. I am so glad that we did; there was a lovely display commemorating children's poetry in the Folio Society Gallery, as well as a selection of "Treasures from the British Library", which included Handel's original score for "The Messiah", the log book from Nelson's Victory, manuscripts from the 11th century and earlier, and much more.
The weather has continued to hold out for us; we had one or two light showers today, but nothing to cause us problems.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
More London
Today we went back to Westminster to look at the Abbey, and what a spectacular sight it is. We spent a couple of hours there. Remarkable to see the tombs of so many famous historical people, from Kings and Queens past through to the wonderful Poets Corner, with its tombs and memorials to great writers past.
In the afternoon, we walked up The Mall to Buckingham Palace and then around to Hyde Park. On the way up the Mall, I saw a "Narnia Lamp" (as in "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" and "The Magician's Nephew". Actually, they are everywhere in London!
From Buckingham Palace, we walked up Constitution Hill to Hyde Park Corner. As expected, we are doing plenty of walking.
Still feeling a little jet lagged, but loving being here. We have been lucky so far with the weather; a few showers, but it has been mainly fine.
In the afternoon, we walked up The Mall to Buckingham Palace and then around to Hyde Park. On the way up the Mall, I saw a "Narnia Lamp" (as in "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" and "The Magician's Nephew". Actually, they are everywhere in London!
From Buckingham Palace, we walked up Constitution Hill to Hyde Park Corner. As expected, we are doing plenty of walking.
Still feeling a little jet lagged, but loving being here. We have been lucky so far with the weather; a few showers, but it has been mainly fine.
Monday, May 18, 2009
The first day
It sure is a long way to England. However, we had an excellent flight, travelling on the Qantas A380. Main problem is the requirement to remove all our possessions from the plane while we were at Singapore airport, and then go back through screening again (gels & liquids etc).
We got in to Heathrow at about 6.45am, and were at the Hotel at about 8am, after my first ride in a London taxi. Great fun; check the Flickr feed, for a photo of Mum and Dad in the back of it.
After settling in at our hotel, we went out for a walk to the British Museum. Clearly when they built this, they were modelling it on the State Library of Victoria (lol). We then got a train to Embankment, and walked along the river to Westminster, taking in a few sights along the way. We will go back that way tomorrow, to look at Westminster Abbey which was not open to tourists today, being a Sunday.
After lunch, we walked up Whitehall and visited the Cabinet War Rooms and Churchill Museum. Fascinating place. Then we walked back up past Downing Street and the Horse Guards to Nelson's Column and caught the train back from Trafalgar Square. We are all very tired now, as we have only had a few hours sleep since Saturday morning AEST, and it is now 6.15pm BST.
We got in to Heathrow at about 6.45am, and were at the Hotel at about 8am, after my first ride in a London taxi. Great fun; check the Flickr feed, for a photo of Mum and Dad in the back of it.
After settling in at our hotel, we went out for a walk to the British Museum. Clearly when they built this, they were modelling it on the State Library of Victoria (lol). We then got a train to Embankment, and walked along the river to Westminster, taking in a few sights along the way. We will go back that way tomorrow, to look at Westminster Abbey which was not open to tourists today, being a Sunday.
After lunch, we walked up Whitehall and visited the Cabinet War Rooms and Churchill Museum. Fascinating place. Then we walked back up past Downing Street and the Horse Guards to Nelson's Column and caught the train back from Trafalgar Square. We are all very tired now, as we have only had a few hours sleep since Saturday morning AEST, and it is now 6.15pm BST.
Friday, May 15, 2009
The last night.....
The past few days have simply flown by, and here we are, packed and ready to go. From a countdown that was over 365 days at the beginning, there are now less than 17 hours remaining. Packing has been a challenge as always - 20kg creeps up surprisingly fast. If anything has been left out, it's just too bad (and a good excuse for shopping at the other end).
I have been contemplating the weather forecast for London and South-East England for the next few days. I must say, it looks much the same as Melbourne's!! Yes - I have put an umbrella in, and waterproof shoes.
See you on the other side.......
I have been contemplating the weather forecast for London and South-East England for the next few days. I must say, it looks much the same as Melbourne's!! Yes - I have put an umbrella in, and waterproof shoes.
See you on the other side.......
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Gloating over the itinerary
We have a full and carefully planned itinerary for this trip; largely based on my "I want to see....." comments. So much to look forward to! People and places alike; it is all just a great big thrill at the moment. The full itinerary is on Google Docs.
Starting in London, from where we will also visit Gillingham, we will be meeting up with a cousin who I haven't seen since I was a baby. She will also join us for some of our sight-seeing. After London, we will pick up our hire car and start our road trip. We will first be travelling north to Cambridge and then across to Norfolk where we will also visit family (including a cousin I haven't met before).
The next stop will be Lincoln, and then we continue our journey north to York where we will spend a few days before heading to Whitby. After visiting Whitby, we will head across to Cumbria and the Lake District, where I plan to have some fun armed with my copy of Roger Wardale's In search of Swallows & Amazons. There should be a few good walks to be had there.
Leaving the lake district, we will drive south and into Wales. where we will be staying at Devil's Bridge, Aberystwyth and visit some old haunts. After Wales, we go west to Shropshire, (more children's literature! This was the setting for several of the books in Malcolm Saville's Lone Pine series).
We will then head south towards the Cotswolds, to Gloucester and Cheltenham, taking in Stratford on Avon for a spot of Shakespeare. In Gloucester, we will spend some time with some very special friends of my parents - more people that I am looking forward to meeting (who will remember me as a baby!)
Next we go south east to Kent and Maidstone. Plenty to see here too. I'm assured that I can play Poohsticks at Hartfield!! We will also be visiting Canterbury.
A short (by Australian standards) drive from Kent will take us to Sussex (setting for more of Malcolm Saville's books). We will be staying in the historic Mermaid Inn and visiting many of the famous landmarks - Battle Abbey, Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway and others!
Next stop - Hampshire, and some time with family. Some cousins who have visited us here in Australia, but too long ago for me to want to count the years.
And then Heathrow, Tullamarine - home!
Monday, May 4, 2009
"Surreality"
Surreality - is there such a word? Because surreal is the word I find myself most often using when people ask me how I am feeling about this trip. Surreal because suddenly, after 38 years, I am finally going back to England. Although I identify myself without hesitation as an Australian, this trip will be something of a "back to roots" pilgrimage for me.
There are so many places that I want to see. This is reflected in the itinerary, some of which I know looks like a children's literature tour of England (the lake district country of Arthur Ransome and Beatrix Potter; Rye and Shropshire which are described so well in the works of Malcolm Saville; even the Hundred Acre Wood). But I am especially looking forward to the dearly remembered village of Borth in Wales, for which I was so homesick when we left.
Then there will be the visits and meetings with family, some of whom I don't remember (not having seen them since I was a baby), and others who have been to Australia, but a long time ago.
And so it seems surreal to me that in two weeks time we will actually be in London; there is a lot of work still to be done before that time, but it is very close now.
There are so many places that I want to see. This is reflected in the itinerary, some of which I know looks like a children's literature tour of England (the lake district country of Arthur Ransome and Beatrix Potter; Rye and Shropshire which are described so well in the works of Malcolm Saville; even the Hundred Acre Wood). But I am especially looking forward to the dearly remembered village of Borth in Wales, for which I was so homesick when we left.
Then there will be the visits and meetings with family, some of whom I don't remember (not having seen them since I was a baby), and others who have been to Australia, but a long time ago.
And so it seems surreal to me that in two weeks time we will actually be in London; there is a lot of work still to be done before that time, but it is very close now.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
The final countdown
With two weeks to go, it's time to really start thinking about packing and what to take. I'm assured by all that these last days will fly past!
So what to take? What will the weather be like? And biggest challenge of all.......how much will it all weigh?
So what to take? What will the weather be like? And biggest challenge of all.......how much will it all weigh?
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