Windsor Great Park visit 25th Nov 2006

(Bit late this blog but better late than never!)

Windsor Great Park in a thunder storm is very atmospheric, in a monsoon and thunder storm it is even more exciting!
We went for a short walk this morning as it was sunny down here in Denham, we ended up in the Great Park at Windsor…. again. A short while we arrived the heavens opened and we had a shower or two, nothing too exciting or worrying. But soon after the fourth or fifth shower the sky changed completely, the winds started and then the rain came. Boy, did it rain! We had the umbrella but that didn’t stop it soaking our legs and backs. Our heads escaped for a time,… but once the lightning started it seemed rather foolish to be walking round with a metal umbrella in the middle of a wooded area. One almighty clash of thunder and then the rain eased slightly as we, along with every other soaked walker, made a dash for cover in the car, soaking the seats and unable to see through the windscreen we waited a while. An adventurous morning’s walk!

Updates....

or lack of.... just got the allowance again for the Internet while we are in the caravan. Went over spectacularly last month , Ouch! So am going to be good this time... although when we move sites and visit somewhere amazing I''ll be updating the blog...

Caravan Site Number 8 - Wyatts Covert, Denham Green, Bucks

Another fortnight of travel and another new caravan site. This one is great, like all Caravan Club sites it is immaculate and has superb staff.
We sorted our pitch and have settled in quickly.. We are here for a fortnight and plan on some trips into London.

Chipping Campden, Worcestershire

Chipping Campden in Worcestershire is a truly amazing village. Just see this link for a history of the place. Almost all original Cotswold stone buildings with an inspiring history. One of the buildings that caught our eye from the road was the Landmark Trust cottage which was once a building belonging to Campden House which was destroyed in fire in 1645, only 20+ years after it was built. The gatehouse remains next to St James church. Well worth a visit.

Worcestershire visits...

Witley Court and Gardens, Witley, Worcestershire (Nov 3rd 2006)
Tintern Abbey, Tintern, Gwent, Wales (Nov 7th 2006)
Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucester, Gloucestershire (Nov 9th 2006)
Chepstow Castle, Chepstow, Gwent, Wales (Nov 9th 2006)
Worcester Cathedral, Worcester, Worcestershire (Nov 10th 2006)

One of the most impressive English Heritage sites we have ever seen was Witley Court not too far from Worcester. The ruin of a the massive stately home is being well looked after. It was partly destroyed by fire in 1937 and fell into ruin after. The shell is still standing and provides an insight into the original Jacobean house that stood on the site and was expanded by successive owners. The grounds with the impressive fountains and gardens under restoration made for a superb afternoon in the autumn sun.

In contrast, Tintern Abbey was freezing cold and in fog! However, it was one of my favourite abbeys from pictures but is even more impressive in real life. The walls of the abbey church are amazingly intact including the night stairs. The cloister and outer buildings although not complete show enough for you to see how large the complex was. Very interesting place… which seemed fitting to have the photos taken in sepia!

Two cathedrals we visited this week would really bring out the Royalist in anyone. Gloucester Cathedral has what must be the most impressive vaulted cloister in England. Along with Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire, the cloister was used in the first two Harry Potter films. Inside the abbey lay the remains and tomb of Edward II, King of England from 1307 - 1327. Which leads me onto the superb cathedral in Worcester which has more than its fair share of famous tombs. In the nave is the tomb of King John, King of England from 1199 - 1216, he who was responsible for signing the Magna Carta at Runnymede. Also in the cathedral are tombs to Prince Arthur, the brother of Henry VIII who died at Ludlow during his honeymoon to none other than Catherine of Aragon. He was only 16 when he died and never made it to sovereign of England, although his brother did… and married his one time sister in law. Elgar’s memorial on the West wall is just below the window dedicated to him.

To bring this blog round to its natural conclusion another tomb in the cathedral at Worcester is the tomb in the Lady Chapel of the 1st Earl of Dudley who owned… Witley Court.

Open Uni Courses

Really chuffed got my 2 first exam results from the OU

Robotics course = 90%
Internet course = 82%

:-)

Another night on Broadway...

Broadway in November...

What a superb sunny Autumn day it has been. Took this photo on the mobile phone while we were doing our weekly wash!

Caravan Site Number 7 - Broadway, Worcestershire

Site Number 7 in 7 weeks... this is the first Caravan Club site we are staying for 2 weeks. And so far its a good choice. One of the toilet blocks has been created from the goods yards of the now defunct GWR line, which is out of bounds but you can still see the railway bridge over the road just outside of the park. We have a lovely pitch on the edge of the site with lots of lovely sunshine :-) Hope it lasts but its bloody cold tonight, thank heavens for the great heating system in the van... more soon....

Shakespeare and Robert Dudley

Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire (Oct 30th 2006)
Lord Leycester’s Hospital, Warwick, Warwickshire (Nov 1st 2006)
Warwick St Mary’s Church, Warwick, Warwickshire (Nov 1st 2006)

So many fascinating places and with such great historic links. Stratford is a lovely place full stop but seeing where Shakespeare was born was superb, It just makes all those boring school lessons come to life. Its inspired me to read some of his work.

After going to Kenilworth at the weekend and reigniting my interest in Elizabethan England, we had to go to see Robert Dudley’s grave in St Mary’s Warwick, and it was worth the visit. What a memorial to him and his third wife Lettice. It was quite a moment seeing where he was buried. Then to see the tomb of his 3 year old child really made it an interesting tour of the church.
The crypt with ducking stool and the Greville tombs are two more highlights.

Also in Warwick is the Lord Leycester Hospital, established in 1571 by Robert Dudley and now lived in by ex servicemen. it’s an amazing complex of tudor buildings with a chapel in the Westgate of the town, a great hall, museum and garden area. Interesting to see Warwick from a different angle and to work out where the great fire of 1694 started, in a bakers again! A fascinating day.

An entry in the visitor's book at the church was for Robert Dudley from the USA, the GGGGGGG Grandson of Lord Leicester....... hmmmm