Sharon's Big Day

Hatfield House

Audley End

Hatfield House

From Bury St Edmunds (visited St Edmndsbury Cathedral which has had heaps spent on developing it - lots of new stuff but done in medieval, colourful style) to Hilton (where g g g grandmother Harriet Chase was living with daughter in 1881 but alas the cemetery was bare) to Audley End(would have been great but wasn't prepared to wait 90 minutes for the next guided tour) to Hunsdon (for one last family church but it was locked) to Hatfield House (marvie - weren't supposed to take photos but I did hence the funny angles some are on) to Avis Mayfair (on a route that took me through Hendon so brought the family think full circle really) Sharon was magnificent. Sally Chrystal joined us for dinner and was a little perturbed at having to have her photo taken a. at all and b. with a small plastic action figure!

Frodo's Challenge

Tour of Suffolk

Up with the lark and over to Ely just after 7:15 - was determined not to risk a repeat of the last visit. Quite misty - dead atmospheric driving up and catching glimpses of the tower through the mist. No wonder Hereward the Wake was able to hide out here. Apart from people attending Matins in a side chapel it was just me. Its still a totally glorious building.

Then back to Bury for brekkie before heading off on the family round. Great great grandfather's grave still there in Stradbroke. Pulled the Ivy off. had a chat with the vicar's wife who was vacuuming the church. Then a cruise past other family related places - Fressingfield (and church), Hoxne (and church), Wilby Rd, Wootten Green and Brockdish (and church). Brockdish is a plague church I think - well away from the village which suggest after the Balck Death had wiped them out the remaining villagers re-established away from the original site.

So by this time Frodo decided that after five churches it was time for some castles so we headed off to Framlington where Mary Tudor rallied supporters in the face of the attempt to put Jane Grey on the throne. Curtain wall only left but still impressive. Local church has various Howard tombs including that of Thoas H, Earl of Surrey. Another seen it in the history book now see it in the "flesh" moment. Of course he was executed after being dobbed in by his own dad!

Frodo loved the Ginger and Lemon ice cream 

Then we hotfooted it over to Orford by the coast. Built by Henry II round 1170 just the keep remains. From there headed to Lavenham which is an amazing medieval village with lots of half timbered buildings and another great church! It it was a matter of finding a petrol station (there isn't one in Lavenham) before I ran out - obviously it had been beeping at me for a while but had been drowned out by a combination of Sharon and Classics FM! Made it.

Into Suffolk

From Hotel front door Bury St Edmunds

Ok so started the day in Woodstock. First call Blenheim Palace. Amazing what a grateful nation used to do for you. Mind you with the heavy emphasis on Winston Churchill it would seem the family has achieved little greatness since John and Sarah's day. Still an amazing and even more amazing grounds. I think Capability Brown and I have the same idea - looking over greenery towards a water feature!

Then headed over this way. Again Sharon and I had the usual motorway / scenic route attle. Even when I discovered the avoid motorway function it was an issue. Eventually I gave in and allowed motorways and opted for the quickest route. I'm sure that her first instruction after that had a certain "I knew I was right and you should have listened to me all along" tone to it. I wonder who she learned that from?!

On a planned basis ended up in Launton and on an unplanned basis in Aston Clinton on the trail of rellies. But alas - in Launton only found a Congregational Church and in Aston Clinton two Baptist Chapels and no graveyards. Interesting.

Eventually arrived here in Bury. Fantastic town. The cathedral and the remains of the abbey are straight across the road from the hotel in great park. Cool old houses built into the old walls of the abbey.

Bury St Edmunds - message for Geoff

Just arrived in Bury. Great town. Write more after dinner but here's a couple of photos for Geoff just to show life isn't all monuments. One is obvious. The other appears to be a church. True - but in the background the Greene King brewery awaits. As does the Red Rat and the Old Cannon.

Yesterday and Today

So yesterday started off at Tewkesbury Abbey - symbol of lost Lancastrian dreams (but its ok folks henry Tudor revived them. Good solid Norman pillars and the inevitable scaffolding - nearly every cathedral I've visited has it. Although of course as I'm sure some of you would point out Tewkesbury is an Abbey not a cathedral. And in fact of the three abbeys visited its the only one with scaffolding.

Then over to Hereford place of the mappa mundi, chained library and one of four surviving copies of Magna Carta as reissued by Henry III in 1217. Chained library hundreds of medieval books and manuscripts chained to their shelves by original chains. Seems book stealing has always been a problem - not just modern youth.

After Hereford it was a quicker than expected drive (does anyone stick to the speed limit on the motorways?) over to Oxfordshire for more really visiting. Not successful in the grave finding process but some very pleasant villages. Mind you as we all know from the tellie property programmes those cute cottages all have small rooms with low ceilings perhaps that's why the rellies moved - their diet improved and they got to big for the cottages?

Last night in Woodstock as you've seen.

Today about to head off to Blenheim Palace. Then to a little hamlet called Launton and ancestors called Smith!! Then over to Suffolk.

Woodstock

Ye Olde 14th Century Coaching Inn

Frodo's Big Moment

Wonderful Wells

Sherborne

Sherborne Abbey survived the reformation in good form because like Tewkesbury and Romsey, the locals bought it off the king! Very cool. Sherborne School for boys occupies some of the old priory buildings - given its charter by Edward VI. Cool old town - saw the house where the man who designed the aston martin used to live. The woman sweeping the path outside seemed to think that I should know this in case I owned one!!??

Ahhh Yum

At the end of a long day driving and visiting religious institutions Frodo can't wait to tuck into some of the local produce. And yes, they even taste like strawberries!!

2 cathedrals and and abbey

Old Sarum - Had to jump really
high to get this shot!

Salisbury Cathedral, Romsey Abbey and Winchester Cathedral (which was ringing its bells!) the main focii of today. Started off at Old Sarum - which started life as a Neolithic, Early British, then Roman, then Saxon settlement until the perfidious French came along and took it over along with the rest of the country. Amazing defensive position with great views but just like Wellington great views mean wind. It was cool as. As is Salisbury Cathedral. Shame one of the first and most stunning views is from the motorway about five miles out of town - you come over a rise and there it is dominating the landscape. Morning service was coming to an end so caught the last hymn and organ voluntary. Stunning. After Salisbury headed to Romsey. Obviously the Mountbattens are having a spot of decorating done as Broadlands is closed for 2010 and 2011. But Romsey Abbey was open and it is a wee gem. looks ugly from the outside but stunning inside. Of course Lord Louis is buried there - under a very plain slab I'd have to say. Then back to Winchester for a visit to the Cathedral. Still totally gorgeous. Stayed on for the choral evensong. Moving on tomorrow to Tewkesbury. Don't know the route yet - Sharon and I will decide tomorrow.

Where's Frodo? - Here's Frodo!

Frodo wishes he'd had Sharon on the trip to Mordor

On the ramparts at Old Sarum

Waiting for Hamish outside another church

Chatting with the Bishop in Salisbury

Defending the ramparts - just like in the old days

So the question was asked "Where's Frodo?" as he didn't appear in any photos yesterday. Well of course he's a hobbit and hobbits aren't much interested in families other than their own so he had the day resting from the rigours of travel. Its not much fun travelling across the world at the bottom of someone's carry on luggage. But today he's been out an about as you can see. he missed out on a couple of great shots cause someone official looking came near, and people don't always understand you know......

wee small hours of the mornng

Etchingham Church

James and Frances Tester

Ok. Been awake for a while. Trolling through the photos from yesterday and the family tree matches this with James Tester (1805 - 1886) and his wife Frances (1803 - 1872). James was my great great great great grandfather's brother. Next to his stone is that of his daughter Emily (1840 - 1870).

Ancestral Trail

Headed off bright and early. Very quickly lost some time when Sharon sent me off in a direction I really didn't want to go. Why she thought I needed to head up the M3 heaven only knows. But we're all good now. Drove through archetypal English countryside - narrow leafy lanes, rolling countryside, occasional thatched cottage, others brick and shingle, flint walls and lots of churches. Visited churches in Uckfield, Buxted, Mayfield and Etchingham in the hope of stumbling across some ancestral evidence but happy to settle for the thought that the ancestors had worshipped there. of course assuming that they were good anglicans and not renegade catholics or dissenters of some sort.

Had a pint in the Five Ashes Inn which according to the 1881 census was run by great great great grandmother Sarah Head. And there she was in a picture on the wall supervising the draymen.Then went off on a tangent and went to Battle where William the Bastard (or some will call the conqueror) gave Harold one in the eye. Seemed to be alot more there than I remember - mind you it was 43 years ago. Battle Senior College lookled seriously cool set in the middle of the abbey ruins.

Then called into Chiddingly for one last relative look and there in the aisle of the choir was the grave of Mary French (1651 - 1695) - my great X 8 grandmother and her two sisters. Obviously her father, Stephen French had done well to score that spot. Very exciting!!

Then it was working my way back towards Warblington Cemetery to see my grandparents memorial stone - a different kind of emotional experience.

Last stop before heading back to Winchester was at the Royal Oak Hotel - a favourite spot of my parents on the waterfront near Emsworth. The tide was out, but so was the sun. Very nice.

Tomorrow, Salisbury and beyond.