Stumbling into History

Taking advantage of a perfectly clear and sunny day, we decided to walk the almost 5 miles to Waterbeach along the Cam. A dusty trail with foliage along the side, fields to the left, the Cam with water fowl aplenty to our right. We journeyed on foot encountering the occasional runner and cyclist, but mostly had the English countryside and nature to ourselves.

Along the way we stumbled upon a cement structure. Curious as to what it was, we "off-roaded" to explore. On our quiet Sunday walk we discovered an actual piece of history. The cement structure  was a pillbox, a British hardened field defence for World War II. These were small fortified structures constructed to prepare for invasions and were known as "pillboxes" because of their shape. Two pillboxes are strategically located along the River Cam and near the railway. These were Type 24 pillboxes (there are many different types), which is an irregular hexagon with a rear wall of about 14 feet and other walls vary from 7 to 8 feet. The entrance has an embrasure on either side, suitable for rifles or light machines guns, and embrasures in each of the walls. The walls were built to shell proof standard with walls at least 12 inches thick. Internally there is a Y-shaped anti-ricochet wall with the top of the Y nearest the entrance. See diagram: 

Waterbeach itself is a quiet little village with a town green in the center, some shops, a few pubs, and of course the local parish church. What is remarkable, in my opinion, about this small local village church is that it dates to the 12th century. We stood in a church that is over a thousand years old while a young man was practicing on the organ, for what I presumed was the next week's service. The facade of the church is studded with flint, creating a polka dot aesthetic. As explored in yesterday's post, the use of flint in buildings is common for this area. 

Before reaching Waterbeach, we also came on a few wild gardens, one called Cow Hollow Wood that we explored by ourselves. Built by volunteers, they returned fallow land to the wild with native plants and put in trails and benches to enjoy the serenity of their creation. While wandering around the wooded area, I couldn't help imagine what all the fields around would have looked like before cultivation and what we would have seen before the cultivation of the land into farms and the building of railways and roadways. 

On a Sunday afternoon to go from pre-cultured land, to a 12th century church, to a World War II defense structure was truly an adventure through history.

A Grand Tour of Grand Estates

This was the weekend for two big events - one I couldn't wait for and the other I dreaded. Since planning this trip, I've been looking forward to going to Chatsworth House. However to get there, I was going to have to drive, on the other side of the road, in a car with the driver's seat also on the other side of the car. And then there's turning right. And also, roundabouts...they are everywhere.

The folks at the lovely little car rental agency thought they were doing us a favor by upgrading our rental from a little car to a full four-doored SUV. I was not pleased and had been hoping for a small car to make navigating the small roads easier. So now I had to drive on the other side of the road, sitting on the other side of the car, and in a huge car at that! (I would have had a problem driving this car even in the States.) Well, we had it and off we went. Driving was very odd and uncomfortable at first but I got the hang of it and had the most excellent of navigators to help guide and, most importantly, support in both directional and moral ways. And as I went through more and more roundabouts, I got the hang of them. Turning right though was tricky every time. The motto became, "Far right! Far right!" to make sure I was turning into the correct (i.e. left lane.) And also to note, when not paying attention to driving but to something else like turning or to oncoming  traffic, habit kicks in and I found myself going towards the right side instead of the left. Thankfully the few times that happened no one was coming and all was safe. Of course by the end just as we were ending the weekend, I had the hang of driving. I suppose this means that the next time I visit England I won't be so worried about taking a weekend trip...as long as I have my navigator extrodinarie. 

Friday - Derby
The first stop on the weekend tour of grandiose estates was Chatsworth House, located in Derbyshire near the Peak District National Park. (Note to self: Spend more time at the National Park. From what I saw of it while driving, it is worth additional exploration.) 

The first house was built in 1557 by Bess of Hardwick. Mary Queen of Scots was a "visitor" at Chatsworth during a number of her years while incarcerated in England. Between 1687 and 1707, the 4th Earl of Devonshire replaced the old Tudor mansion with the current Baroque palace. The 6th Duke of Devonshire continued to remodel the house adding Georgian style galleries to the heavy Baroque-style state rooms. There is quite a distinction between the different wings of the house. The gardens' landscaping was designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown in the 1760s and developed by the head gardener Joseph Paxton in the mid-19th century.

The Chatsworth House is currently the home to the 12th Duke of Devonshire, and the family does in fact still live in the House. Exploring the lavish interiors, extensive grounds, and various gardens took the entire day and it was time well spent. 

Saturday - Lincoln
Since we were staying in an adorable little bed and breakfast in Lincoln, we decided to spend Saturday in Lincoln. This also meant that we didn't have to drive anywhere. Lincoln is is surrounded by a flat landscape, called the Fens, and rises dramatically on a cliff above the River Wittham. 

The Romans founded the first settlement in AD 48. Lincoln grew to be the fourth most important city in England (after London, Winchester, and York) by the time the Normans invaded in 1066. The city has retained the look and feel of a medieval town with the preservation of many small streets and medieval buildings, many along the aptly named Steep Hill that leads to the cathedral. 

Construction on the original Norman cathedral began in 1072, but after fires and earthquakes, three versions of the cathedral later has resulted in the present Gothic style, particularly the Early English and Decorated periods. The three towers of the massive Lincoln Cathedral can be seen for miles around. And on a clear day, like the one we had on Saturday, you can see for miles from the roof of the center tower, which we climbed to for the view.

Sunday - Stamford
Continuing on the with the theme of grand buildings, we left Lincoln for Stamford and the Burghley House. William Cecil, 1st Lord of Burghley was Queen Elizabeth I's advisor for 40 of her 45 year-reign. He built Burghley House in 1560-1587, designing it himself. (The Cecil family still lives in the House and operates the House Trust.) 

The exterior contains typical Tudor features of turrets and cupolas. The roof line bristles with stone pyramids and many chimneys disguised as Classical columns and towers. The House's interior is lavishly decorated with Italian paintings of Greek gods and scenes across many walls and ceilings in heavily wooded rooms. There is actually a lovely room with Heaven all along the ceiling and walls while in the next space, a grand staircase, Hell is depicted with a mouth crammed with sinners. This hellish staircase leads to a Great Hall with a double beamed roof that was a banqueting hall in Elizabethan days, and then turned into a library. The Great Hall served an elaborate dinner to Queen Victoria, who stayed in the house twice, once as a child and again later as Queen.

Capability Brown also designed Burghley House's surrounding deer park (of which deer currently roam) and landscaped the grounds in 1760. The oak trees that Queen Victoria and Prince Albert planted in 1844 are still standing. In fact, there's a grove of many old oak trees as part of the landscaping. 

Before leaving Lincolnshire, we stopped for tea and scones in Stamford, a showpiece town famous for its Georgian townhouses and medieval street plan. The spires of the medieval church in Stamford can be seen from the deer park of Burghley House. 

Driving back to Cambridge, and comfortable now doing so, I appreciated the beauty of this fine English country, the changing landscape and scenery from the rolling hills of Derbyshire, through the wooded areas of Nottingham, and to the Fens of Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire. This weekend afforded perfect weather to see a few of the most precious pieces of architecture, estates, and grounds in England. If I wasn't already in love with this country, I would be now after this magnificent weekend.

Photos from the weekend can be found here. 

The Quintessential English Town

I took a break from London today to visit a small little town in Essex called Saffron Walden. The best thing about the day was the bus ride through many a little English village, with stone walls and thatched roofs and the Tudor-esque style of architecture in which the first floor juts out beyond the ground floor.

There has been a settlement near current-day Saffron Walden since before the Roman occupation of Britain, and thereafter, an Anglo-Saxon town was established. There is still the foundation of Walden Castle, which was constructed in 1116 and is near Saffron Walden's quaint museum.

The early town was known as Chipping Walden. The saffron crocus was grown in the area during the 16th and 17th century. Saffron is extracted from the flower's stigmas and used in medicines, condiments, perfumes, and as an expensive yellow dye. The production of saffron became an industry for the town, thus it changed it's name.

Saffron Walden is a market town, with the center based around a large square that holds market a few days a week. I had lovely chats with a few of the shopkeepers I visited and a leisurely lunch in a lovely little cafe. Many of the old buildings in Saffron Walden exemplify a decorative plasterwork unique to East Anglia, which adds color to the streets and mixes nicely with the Georgian architecture  and yellow-bricked buildings. The town is small enough to walk the whole thing in about an hour. And like any proper English town, there is a Common and a church. Saffron Walden's parish church, St. Mary the Virgin, is the largest parish church in Essex and was built in 1430 under the supervision of the designer of the Chapel at King's College, John Wastell.

The one thing I didn't have a chance to do while in Saffron Walden is visit Audley End, which is on the ground of Walden Abbey. Henry VIII granted Walden Abbey to Lord Chancellor Sir Thomas Audley (I'm assuming a result of the seizures of the monastic lands, an idea by Thomas Cromwell to raise money for the crown.) It was converted into a domestic house for Audley, known at the time as Audley Inn. The original  building was demolished by the first Earl of Suffolk and a grander mansion was built to entertain King James I. Christopher Wren was one of the architects involved in the redesign.

Reflecting on my day in the English country, the one thought I continued to have was really a question - when can I move here? Life in the English countryside truly does seem idyllic.

Photos from the day can be found here.

A Very English Afternoon, the First of Many

After successfully transversing the Atlantic to arrive in London, and then making my way to Cambridge via various transportational devices, I spent the afternoon in sublime bliss full of tea, sunshine and breezes, and cows.

Taking a walk from Chesterton to Fen Ditton, I was informed of various aspects of local history by my resident tour guide, host, and dear friend, such as:

Chesterton used to be its own distinct village. As Cambridge grew, nearby villages, such as Chesterton, were absorbed to now be neighborhoods.

Chesterton was once a Roman settlment. 

The rectors for the church in Chesterton can be traced back to 1200.

Not only is there still a Common, Stourbridge Common, but it is used by local farmers for grazing their cattle. So as you are walking through the Common, cows graze throughout providing a brief glimpse of past farming practices. 

The Stourbridge Fair was held on Stourbridge Common, and was the largest Fair in the Medieval and Renaissance  periods. The Fair lasted for a month while in its headday. By the end, the Fair lasted for a few days.

A leper chapel still stands on Stourbridge Common. King John granted the chapel the right to hold the Fair in 1199 to raise funds for the chapel and their leper colony. The leper colony closed in the 13th century, and the Fair was then run by the City of Cambridge. The Fair contiuned to grow in popularity, declining in the late 18th century. The last year the Fair ran was 1933. 

The Fair made apperances in such literary works as Pilgrim's Progress, Vanity Fair, and Defoe's Tour Through the Whole Island of Great Britain. 

The Stourbridge Common follows the path along the raceway of the Cam, where the Bumps take place every year. 

And now it is time for a lovely dinnner with vegetables from a true English Garden.