Day Fourteen: May 28 - Home Sweet Home

 

 

It took some doing but I managed to find a good picture of Colin...he was devilishly difficult to get to stand still...but I am sure you will agree with me that he looks just like My Favorite Martian!

 

What a great adventure! We were blessed with remarkably good weather, incredible hotels, delightful drivers and fabulous experiences!

 

Our ride to Heathrow is uneventful and the plane is on time. Until my next adventure my dear friends.

Day Thirteen: May 27 - Hen-ery the 8th, I am, I am

Our last day of touring...Arundel and Hampton Court...the saga continues for the Earls of Arundel. Some statistics: open for visitors for more than 200 years; built at the end of the 11th century by Roger de Montgomery; has been in the family of the Duke of Norfolk for over 400 years - the country's premiere Catholic family; rebuilt after Parliamentarians virtually destroyed it in 1643; rebuilt and restored again in the 19th century. Now this is what a castle should look like!

 



The new formal garden is spectacular. Conceived as a tribute to Thomas Howard, 14th Earl of Arundel (1585-1646) the garden occupies the spot which for the last 40 years was a tarmac parking lot. Today the plantings and fountains are enchanting!

View of the castle from the chapel

The small, Catholic Fitzalan chapel (c. 1380) was built on the east end of the parish church of St. Nicholas. A glass wall separates the church proper (Anglican) from the chapel.

Looking toward the glass wall

View from the top of the Norman keep

Our last stop is Hampton Court built by Henry VIII's powerful chief minister and Archbishop of York, Cardinal Wolsey. Wolsey completed his expansion of a small manor house into this magnificent country residence in 1528 and then gave it to the king. Henry extended the structure as did William and Mary.

The main facade is a harmonious blend of Tudor and Baroque but the William and Mary/Christopher Wrn addition is a striking contrast to say the least!

The Christopher Wren courtyard

 

Henry and his wives in stained glass...divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived...

This adorable little girl insisted on walking up the stais herself. She reminded me of Sophie in more ways than one!

The Privy Garden

The Fountain Garden still has a few yews planted by William and Mary! Such tenacious shrubs!

Gorgeous!

Day Twelve: May 26 - The 1600 Year Old Yew Tree

The English coast in Hastings 

 

Today's adventures include a little William the Conqueror worship and a personal mecca to the English fortified town of Lewes. We have a lot of ground to cover today and so we jump in the car as soon as our new driver George arrives. We attempt to quickly navigate through south London. Then we pick up the motorway toward the southern coast. First stop -Hastings! 



I want this job...but only if I can wear the green shoes, too!

Hastings is where William the Conqueror came ashore in 1066 but this interesting seaside town is now known for its beach-based fishing fleet, the largest in England, and as a tourist destination and beach resort.

The fisherman have dried their nets in these very distinctive tall, wooden "net shops" for hundreds of years. Next stop - Pevensey Castle just a little west of Hastings near the coast in Sussex.

Pevensey Castle is a ruin today that dates to the time of the Norman conquest but there was a fort on the site in Roman times - Anderitum built in the 3rd century. The castle was besieged by William Rufus in the Rebellion of 1088 and during a period of civil war by the forces loyal to King Stephen (1135–1141). Around 1190-1220 the present twin-towered gateway was constructed, making it one

of the earliest known examples of this type. A stone circuit wall was erected around the inner bailey by Peter of Savoy around 1250, with three D-shaped towers. A third siege occurred in 1264, when Henry III's supporters took refuge at the castle following the Battle of Lewes and were besieged by Simon de Montfort. The castle remained in use throughout the Late Middle ages. In 1415, King Henry V sent his hostage king James of Scotland to the castle. Elizabeth I ordered the castle to be destroyed but the order was ignored. I really enjoyed touring the ruins and learning more about its history.

Battle is nine miles inland from Hastings and it is here, on Senlac Hill that Duke William's forces defeated King Harold's army and King Harold was killed. The text panels along the walk at the top of the hill are very effective in describing the fierce battle, the tactics and desperation on both sides.

So serene today

Pope Alexander II ordered the Normans to do penance for killing the king so William ordered an abbey built with the high alter placed where Harold had been mortally wounded. The abbey was destroyed in the 16th century dissolution of the monasteries ordered by Henry VIII. Such a shame! Today the private Battle Abbey School incorporates parts of some of the old abbey structures.

We had Edward-Littleton-Chief-Justice-Marcher-Courts-died-1622 as our northern England quest so, of course, we need a southern England quest and it is on today's schedule - The-1600-Year-Old-Yew-Tree-in-the-Churchyard-of-St.-Mary-and St.-Peter's-Church-in-Wilmington-East-Sussex-England. Fortunately this quest is successful although it took a fair amount of research on my part. Tom had visited the church on an earlier vacation. He knew the story of the yew but had forgotten where the church was so he asked just about everyone he knew where they thought it might be. It seems that when he visited the church was having a service and he could not see inside. You would be surprised how many ancient yew trees there are in England in churchyards! There is even a website www.ancient-yew.org/. Who knew?

George is more than up for the job and Voila! the yew. It really is incredible! It has been scientifically dated to over 1600 years old and has a girth of 23 feet. The presence of the yew may mean that the site had sacred significance to pre-christian people of the region.

The inside of the church is wonderful. Thanks to Tom for persevering! The earliest part of the church dates to the 11th century. Isn't the ceiling great? It is known as "king post" construction. A king post (or crown post) extends vertically from a crossbeam to the apex of a triangular truss. The king post connects the apex of the truss with its base, holding up the tie beam at the base of the truss. King posts were used in roof construction in Medieval architecture in buildings such as parish churches and tithe barns, and also appear in Gothic Revival architecture and Queen Anne architecture.

Bonus! What should we view at the end of the street that the church is on but the chalk figure "The Long Man"! This is one of two extant human hill figures in England. It is 227 feet tall! Little is known about the figure but some archaeological research suggests it dates to the 16th or 17th centuries.

And, finally, Lewes! My parents have a print of a pen and ink sketch of Lewes in our Lewes, DE beach house. I have always thought how wonderful it would be to see the English Lewes.

It was built in 1069 by William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey, the brother-in-law of William the Conqueror. William de Warenne II was the second husband of my ancestress, Isabelle de Vermandois. It certainly would be fun to have a direct line to a former owner of Lewes in the 11th-12th century! William de Warenne and his descendants also had estates and built castles in Reigate, Surrey and in Yorkshire (Sandal Castle and Conisbrough Castle). When the last of the Warennes, John, the 7th Earl, died without issue in 1347, he was buried in Lewes Priory. His title passed to his nephew Richard Fitzalan who was also Earl of Arundel. More about the Earls of Arundel tomorrow.

Tom stayed in the car but I made it to the top and what a view. The castle sits on the highest point in the town and the view is commanding!

View from the top of the tower

It has been a long but fantastic day. Time to head back to London. One more day of touring and then home. How lucky am I to be able to check another Bucket List item off??!!!!

Day Eleven: May 25 - Pepa's Story

It is a spectacular day for the Chelsea Flower Show and a Thames boat ride to Greenwich! We grab a taxi and head toward the Royal Hospital. The crowds are heavy and we are slightly overwhelmed but also dazzled. I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

This tulip grower had about 50 varieties

The colors were hot, hot, hot!

One doesn't have to look far for God's signs, does one? This was the name of one of the outdoor exhibits.
Our family nickname for Philip.

This was one of a series of gardens utilizing sustainable concepts.

Peonies!

The Jersey Farmers display...

Diarmud Gavin's Westland Magical Garden - 7 floors - fruit, vegetables, herbs, shrubs, trees...staircase and an elevator!

Ethereal...

What an experience! So different from Philadelphia! So much bigger for starters! Time for lunch...we find a sweet little pub right by Westminster Pier where we will catch the boat for Greenwich. It is right across from Parliament! An oasis in a sea of humanity...and the food is quite good!

The cruise to Greenwich is delightful. The boat is not overcrowded and the day is warm and sunny. Our boat captain/tour guide is informative and funny! I love having the water perspective of a city.

I know but you have to take a photo!

Ditto!

Greenwich

The Queen's Palace

The Royal Observatory at the top of the hill and the Olympic venue for equestrian events at the bottom.

The Cutty Sark - it is suspended in dry dock so you can walk under her hull!

What a wonderful day! I found some great gifts to bring home for the family including a solar powered bobble-head corgi! I wanted to get the solar powered Queen Elizabeth doing the royal wave but couldn't justify the expense...would have been fun, though!

Day Ten: May 24 - If Wishes Were Horses, Beggars Would Ride

Well, I am sure you guessed...we have a driver, Paul, who arrives at 6:30 to take me to Newmarket, Tom to Cambridge to the book store and then back to collect me in Newmarket around 1:00. As we drive out of London we pass the stadia (plural for stadium?) for the Olympics. The shapes are interesting and Paul has all the statistics of how many rooms for athletes, parking spaces, number of buildings, etc. The image of London paralyzed by traffic seems larger and more fully formed...

The ride to Newmarket takes about an hour and a half and as we draw closer (going east) the fog/mist is increasing. A bad sign? With Paul's help I have developed a strategy for getting to and from all of the key sights I hope to see. First stop is Warren Hill where painters such as Herring and Munnings created gloriously romantic images of race horses exercising on the heath. I can't wait!

We drive by the National Stud which will be the second stop of my visit and head into town. On either side of the road are farms, paddocks, race tracks, stable yards, horse trails and lots of horses. Apparently their are over 3,000 horses in Newmarket!

Turn right at the clock tower and then left..you can't miss it! And here we are! The mist adds a magical quality - it is almost like being in a living 17th century painting! While racing started around 1170 in Newmarket it really was during the time of James I and then Charles I in the 17th century that horse racing in Newmarket became very popular.

I am mesmerized watching the sets of horses as they hack over from their stables. I can see out across the field to the horses as they gallop up the hill, slow down and stop and then walk back in their set to their stable. Eventually I move down the hill to see the bottom of the gallop. I can almost feel again the way the horses' muscles tense as they approach the start of their workout. The feeling of all that power as they push off and begin to gallop. The moist air, the rhythmic sound of their hooves, the mane wind blown on my hands, the rubber reins, the strain on my back/calves/thighs. Glorious.

I have a very nice chat with assistant trainer for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Maktoum's horses - the sheikh has 60 horses stabled in Newmarket. Fly Emirates is the stable "sponsor". His set if very smartly turned out with matching quarter sheets (small blanket over the flanks), helmet covers and leg wraps.

I also meet a very nice man who had been a trainer for over 30 years, retired and now is an equine artist. He holds art seminars for aspiring equine artists. He has one scheduled in late September. If wishes were horses then beggars would ride...

Tom and Paul have hung around for a while but they need to head to Cambridge. I have had an hour and a half of indulging my Dick Francis/horse racing/Newmarket fantasy so they drop me off in town where I have a bit of breakfast then catch a cab to go to the National Stud. I will have a private tour with the assistant director.

Dick Turpin a 5 year old stallion, Gr. I winner

The stud was started in 1916 with the idea that the facility would produce fine horses for the Calvary. As modern warfare changed the stud's purpose evolved to produce high quality thoroughbreds. Paul Mellon's great horse, Mill Reef, stood here and had a hugely successful career. He is buried on the 500 acre farm. The Jockey Club now owns the stud.

The stud has facilities for 200 mares. This season they had 120. They can stand six stallions but have 4 at this time. It was a wonderful tour and a great opportunity for me to have now visited both the Irish National and English National Studs.

The lovely cabbie who dropped me off promised she would return around 11:30 to pick me up. Right on schedule (read shed-jewel)! Next stop the heart of town and the National Racing Museum. It is fascinating...artifacts - saddles, horse shoes, trophies...art - sculpture, paintings, prints...history - James I, Charles I, Edward VI, Elizabeth II...I am in heaven! But it is now 1:00 and time to meet Tom for lunch.

The restaurant we have chosen is part of a hotel which has a courtyard. We sit in the sun have a glass of wine and a sandwich. Life is good. Tom found some books on tape in Cambridge and he is happy. It has been a good day all around.

Check off number Nine on the Bucket List!





Day Nine: May 23rd - A Crisis in Communication

Tom brought up Cambridge at dinner last night and again at breakfast this morning. I am not sure if he really wants to go to Cambridge or that he wants to have me go to Newmarket with a driver. At his insistence I email Debby at Greenville Travel to see what she can do to help.

 Our strategy yesterday afternoon in our post day trip consultation with Colin about our trip down to London was to go to Burghley today instead of Haddon Hall as Haddon Hall is not open until 1 but Burghley is open at 11. We also want to visit Sulgrave Manor, if possible….George Washington’s ancestral home in England…which is not far from London.

 It is with regret that we leave Middlethorpe. It has been a wonderful stay.

 Off we go then! The drive through Yorkshire is gorgeous. The day is sunny and warm and I am looking forward to seeing Burghley House.  Tom and I get into a lively discussion about Photoshop and the time passes quickly.

Burghley is very impressive! Massive with components spanning Elizabethan to 18^th century design. Unlike Chatsworth and many of the other historic homes that are part of the National Trust, Burghley has been in a private trust since 1969 when David Cecil 6th Marquess of Exeter, created it. The current chatelaine, Miranda Rock, is his granddaughter. David Cecil was an Olympic hurdler (1928 gold medal) for England and the character, Lord Ashley, in Chariots of Fire was based on him. There is a display about his achievements but what also intrigues me is his interest in horses. The Burghley Horse Trials (three-day event) established by him and held annually is very well known and respected.

We have lunch in the Orangery which is very tastefully done. We have a fine meal as we look out over the garden. It will be a few hours before we reach Sulgrave but Tom again mentions having a driver who would take me to Newmarket, then him to Cambridge, then they would return to Newmarket to pick me up. I have been careful about not having any extra data charges on my cell phone but I guess I had better bite the bullet if a driver is to be had.

 Whaaaaattttttttttttt??? I now realize that my phone has not been working properly since yesterday, at least. I thought I just couldn’t get a signal but it is definitely something  more…Oh no! I suggest that maybe I could use a phone or the Internet when we get to Sulgrave…I can feel the tension building. Dah, duhn, dah, duhn…

 We arrive at Sulgrave and all three of us rush into the small visitor’s center…me with laptop under my arm. Everyone starts talking at once. The poor ticket lady is overwhelmed and looks panicky. My steely stare that is guaranteed to stop a 2 ton bull rushing over a cliff has an immediate effect on Colin but not on Tom...finally he relinquishes control and ticket lady and I come to an understanding. She sells Tom and Colin tickets to the house (first things first – make the sale!) but only after they squabble over who is paying for Colin's ticket...and then leads me into the office where three of her colleagues are working on computers. We try first to hook my laptop to their broadband…no luck…one of the colleagues graciously offers me her computer. I am on, into Gmail…a note from Debbie…she can get a driver…the price seems OK…I reply to please book it…done and done!

I am just in time to tour with the “boys” which we all enjoy. The website had said the tour would take 1 ½ hours….not sure how they manage to string it out that long. We tour for 40 minutes and are quite satisfied we have seen all we need to see. Tour accomplished, Cambridge/Newmarket crisis averted…we are back on the road to London.

We part with Colin with regret. He has been a great guide and driver – so willing, so kind and so funny. Hugs all around and promises to keep in touch. The Chesterfield staff welcomes us back with great warmth. Early dinner for an early start to Newmarket! A top ten Bucket List item is about to be checked off! So excited!

Day Eight: May 22 - How far is Cambridge from Newmarket?

The Middlethorpe is an oasis of quiet beauty and gracious hospitality. The best accommodations since Bodysgallen Hall in Llandudno in Wales. Oh, guess what? They are sister hotels along with Hartwell House and all owned by the National Trust. I understand Sheik Mohamed rents the entire hotel when his horses are running at the York Racecourse which is directly across the road from the hotel!

Colin arrives and we are off to see Knaresborough where John of Gaunt had a castle. John was the 2nd son of Edward III and is an ancestor of Tom. My ancestor was Thomas of Woodstock the 13th child of Edward III and Philappa of Hainault aka John's little brother. I really want to see the dramatic view of the River Nidd that I have seen in photos and on one of my favorite jigsaw puzzles. I am hoping the view and the castle are close so I can do both.

Colin deftly negotiates the streets of Knaresborough and finds the castle, now part of a park. I quietly ask him to see if he can find out where the dramatic "view" is...Brilliant! It is right here! One stone, 2 birds...sweet!

Now we are off to Castle Howard. We have had wonderful reports about the castle but we are struggling to see how it could top Chatsworth.

Castle Howard is grand but, sadly, the interpretation staff is trapped in the Brideshead Revisited time warp...and a not particularly well done time warp at that. C'mon people that was thirty years ago! I know, I know...there is also a recent version and they have a display depicting those actors as well. Snore...I enjoy the grounds while Tom finds a table in the restaurant for lunch. They grounds are wonderful and I enjoy the views which are vast.

We sit outside under an umbrella for lunch which is quite delicious. I am congratulating myself silently on a couple of days without drama...tomorrow we leave to return to London and the next day I will go to Newmarket by myself to watch the racehorses gallop on the heath. I will have to make my train reservations tomorrow night when we return to London. Tom asks out of the blue, "How far is Cambridge from Newmarket?" My spidey-sensors go off...what could this mean?!

We head back to the hotel by way of York Minster so Tom can see the Quire screen depicting William the Conqueror through Henry VI. I am really scaring myself that I can name all of them in order...