There and Back

One of the things attracting me to the gardens today was the sculpture in the ruined Crypt where the coffin of St Edmund would have been originally kept. So, a visit and photo were a must! I was expecting more than just one sculpture, but I guess I just mis-read it! - only to discover they are changing monthly for six months. MAY - The first sculpture in the 6 months, is a 2.3m (7ft 6in) tall sculpture, The Monk, designed by Nigel Kaines and made by blacksmith Kevin Baldwin. The 2mm thick steel monk, weighing 250kg (550lb), was "certainly the most unusual project I have worked on" and "quite tricky", Mr. Baldwin said. The Monk

Day two on our stay in Happy Valley, and we headed to Massingham and had a lovely lunch at the Dabbling Duck, before moving on the Castle Acre to see the massive ruins of the Norman Castle (which gives its name to the town) The castle was built by William de Warenne soon after William the Conquer gave him the land. It was lived in by his family until the early 14th century, when it fell into ruin. Considering how old the ruins are, a fair amount has survived. You can get a sense of the scale of this castle from these images, I hope. Some history of the site The Bailey Gate is one of two stone gatehouses added to the settlement's massive earthwork defences in about 1200. The main road into the village still runs between its towers. Adjoining the castle grounds are the ruins of one of the largest and best-preserved monastic sites in England dating back to 1090. It was the home of the first Cluniac order of monks to England and the Cluniac love of decoration is everywhere reflected in...

 This year we celebrated 50 years of marriage (how time flies!) and beside celebration meals, we were given a holiday in Norfolk by our wonderful family. Rather than waste the day we were travelling up there, we went early in the day and detoured to Sandringham - see the previous post, before a short journey to King Nutkins, where we would spend the next two nights. It was a magical site in the woods, with only 6 vans on site, but where the owners had converted their farm building to a fabulous wedding site overlooking a lake surrounded by beautiful gardens. The Vans looked down over the venue but discreetly placed. King Nutkins amongst the trees. Rosey enjoying a drink on the veranda area. Behind and below was a campfire / barbecue area, not that that weather was quite warm enough. Two views of the wedding area with hall, kitchen, bar, and outdoor seating.   Two more views of the grounds Wooden carved wings in the grounds by the lake    Index of posts  

Sandringham House is a country house in the parish of Sandringham, Norfolk , England. It is one of the royal residences of Charles III , whose grandfather, George VI , and great-grandfather, George V , both died there. The house stands in a 20,000-acre (8,100 ha) estate in the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty . The house is listed as Grade II* and the landscaped gardens, park and woodlands are on the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens . The site has been occupied since Elizabethan times, when a large manor house was constructed. This was replaced in 1771 by a Georgian mansion for the owners, the Hoste Henleys. In 1836 Sandringham was bought by John Motteux, a London merchant, who already owned property in Norfolk and Surrey. Motteux had no direct heir, and on his death in 1843, his entire estate was left to Charles Spencer Cowper, the son of Motteux's close friend Emily Temple, Viscountess Palmerston. Cowper sold the Norfolk and the Surrey estates an...

The 'Broadway Folly` was the brainchild of Capability Brown and designed by James Wyatt in 1794 in the form of a castle, and built for Barbara, Countess of Coventry in 1798–1799. The tower was built on a beacon hill, where beacons were lit on special occasions. Lady Coventry wondered whether a beacon on this hill could be seen from her house in Worcester — about 22 miles (35 km) away — and sponsored the construction of the folly to find out. Indeed, the beacon could be seen clearly! Nowadays the tower is a great tourist attraction for the area. The view from the ground level near the tower. From the top it must be magnificent but having to book, and pay a small fortune, puts us off from going to the top. Mind you, the number of steps might have swayed us as well! On to the small village of Stanton and a look at its church of course. A view of the main street in Stanton and an individual house near the edge of the village. I just love these quaint and sleepy villages, this one being...

Chipping Campden High Street is one of the most beautiful in the Cotswolds. With a wealth of history and architecture mostly built in Cotswold stone, the High Street is riddled with history, heritage, and intrigue. It was laid out in this format by Hugh De Gondeville, a close friend of King Henry II, so that is around mid 12C. De Gondeville quickly realised that the town needed a market to improve revenues for the King. So having been granted the Charter by the King, he set about laying out the street in the burgage style you see today. ( A burgage was a town ("borough" or "burgh") rental property (to use modern terms), owned by a king or lord. The property usually, and distinctly, consisted of houses on a long and narrow plot of land) The word “Chipping” is derived from the anglo-saxon word “Chepping” meaning “market”. Hence, we find Chipping Norton, Chipping Sodbury etc. This was also the derivation for “Cheapside” the big market in London. Sir Baptist Hicks (1550...