12 March, 2024

We leave Llanrwst, Wales at 10:00 am for our 147km drive to Ludlow, Shropshire, England, about a 2-hour drive. It’s sunny and the air has lost its chill as it’s 12 Deg. C.

Our route takes us along the A5 through Corwen where we see a rather fearsome, life-size bronze statue of a knight on a steed, Owain Glyndwr (1359-1415) which is opposite the pub that bears his name. He had a home in Carrog, near Corwen, back in the day.

Also known as Owain ap Gruffydd he was a Welsh leader who led a long and fierce war of independence which he hoped would end English rule in Wales during the late Middle Ages. He formed the first Welsh parliament and is believed to be the last native-born leader to unite Wales in a common cause. He was the self-proclaimed Prince of Wales with a reign lasting from 1400-1415.

We also pass signs for the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, a navigable aqueduct that carries the Llangollen Canal across the River Dee in the Vale of Llangollen in northeast Wales.

The 18-arched stone and cast iron structure is for narrowboats and was completed in 1805 having taken ten years to design and build. It is 12 feet (3.7 metres) wide and is the longest aqueduct in Great Britain as well as the highest canal aqueduct in the world.

Soon after we arrive at a roundabout that by turning right we continue on the A5 towards Shewsbury. Going left we would end up in Wrexham which has achieved recent fame thanks to actor Ryan Reynolds and his mate, Rob McElhenney, buying its football club. We turn right.

2 minutes later we cross the River Ceiriog and enter England once again. Bypassing Shrewsbury we take the A49.

It isn’t until we are virtually at Ludlow that we finally see a sign for it as you need to take the B4361 off the A49 to get there.

Fortunately, our hosts had agreed to an early check in so after shopping at the nearby Tesco we arrive at ‘Charlie’s Cottage’ in Lower Corve Street at 1:45 pm.

And what a delightful, cozy cottage it is, too. A Grade II* listed building built about 1650 and retains many of its original features – sloping beams, old brick fireplaces and the sloping floor in the main bedroom – not to mention the care and attention to its exquisite decor. Plus it’s functional and I don’t have to ‘duck or grouse’ at all!

After unpacking we take an exploratory walk up the street. Ludlow is a thriving medieval market town and an architectural gem. The historic town centre and the 11th century Ludlow Castle are situated on a cliff above the River Teme and are surrounded by the south Shropshire countryside and the Welsh Marches.

First of its architectural gems we come across is The Feathers Hotel. Built in 1619 by an ambitious attorney called Rees Jones, who moved to Ludlow to pursue his career at the ‘Council of the Marches’, the building was converted into a hotel by his grandson 50 years later and has been welcoming guests since 1670.

The Feathers’ famous half-timbered Tudor façade is adorned with carved wooden motifs of the Prince of Wales’ three feathers emblem, which gives the hotel its name. Guests have stepped through The Feathers’ original studded plank front door, which survives to this day, and enjoyed food, drink, rest and relaxation within its Jacobean interior for over 400 years. [Feathers website].

Around the corner is Ye Olde Bull Ring Tavern. The area where the Corve Street track once turned into the early trading market was given the name of The Bull Ring, due to the fact that livestock was bought and sold there in an early version of a cattle market.

Built around 1365 on the former site of a cattle market, the buildings grew into houses and a pub. The original tavern is the central twin gable roofs. In the 18th century the house with the twin left gable roofs was an ale store, a shop. The shop at the right was, in 1905, Woodhouse Chemist, later bought by Boots; now a book shop. Mr Woodhouse had been Mayor in 1909 when the Princess of Wales, later Queen Mary, came to Ludlow and her patronage of his shop – the local tale is that she bought a toothbrush – entitled him to display the royal coat of arms.

Nikolaus Pevsner in his 1958 book ‘The Buildings of England: Shropshire,’ said, “they make up the longest continuous Elizabethan and Jacobean timber-framed frontages in Ludlow.”

Further along is The Buttercross, now the Ludlow Museum. The building is prominently located within the historic walled town of Ludlow, forming a key focal point at the head of Broad Street. The Buttercross occupies the main approach to the town centre from the south, forming a pivotal point on the junction of Broad and High Streets that leads from Ludford Bridge via Broadgate to the Ludlow Castle gates. {Welcome to Ludlow].

Walking along High Street we pass several pubs, passageways and the market square that leads to Ludlow Castle – a ruined medieval fortification. The castle was probably founded by Walter de Lacy after the Norman conquest and was one of the first stone castles to be built in England. Throughout history its owners were Geoffrey de Geneville (1250s), Roger Mortimer (1351), and Richard, Duke of York (1425). When Richard’s son, Edward IV, seized the throne in 1461 it passed into the ownership of the Crown.

Ludlow Castle was chosen as the seat of the Council of Wales and the Marches, effectively acting as the capital of Wales. The Castle was held by the Royalists during the English Civil War of the 1640s, until it was besieged and taken by a Parliamentarian army in 1646. Henry, 1st Earl of Powis, leased the property from the Crown in 1772 while his brother-in-law, Edward, 1st Earl of Powis bought the castle outright in 1811. In the 21st century it is still owned by the Earl of Powis and operated as a tourist attraction.

Returning to the Buttercross, we pass by the Assembly Rooms until we reach Broad Street which we walk down.

Broad Street, perhaps the finest street in Ludlow, has a variety of terraced town houses from Tudor to Georgian eras, many with heritage listings and several sporting blue plaques. It also has The Angel pub, an inn since at least 1555. In 1822 the Aurora coach went from this pub to London – in 27 hours!

At the bottom of Broad Street is The Broad Gate, the only survivor of Ludlow’s 7 medieval gateways.

The 13th century drum towers and portcullis arch survive.

13 March, 2024

As it’s supposed to be raining later today we take off back up the A49 for 11km to Stokesay Castle. Needless to say, it starts raining immediately we start driving.

Rather than a castle, per se, Stokesay Castle is one of the finest surviving fortified manor houses in England, situated at Stokesay, north of Ludlow.
The castle was never intended to be a serious military fortification. Originally designed as a prestigious, secure, comfortable home, the castle has changed very little since the 13th century, and is a rare, surviving example of a near complete set of medieval buildings.

It was largely built in its present form in the late 13th century by Laurence of Ludlow, on the earlier castle founded by its original owners the de Lacy family, then passed to their de Verdun heirs, who retained feudal overlordship of Stokesay until at least 1317.

Laurence ‘of’ Ludlow was one of the leading wool merchants in England, who intended it to form a secure private house and generate income as a commercial estate. Laurence’s descendants continued to own the castle until the 16th century, when it passed through various private owners. By the time of the outbreak of the First English Civil War in 1642, Stokesay was owned by William Craven, 1st Earl of Craven (1608–1697), a supporter of King Charles I. After the Royalist war effort collapsed in 1645, Parliamentary forces besieged the castle in June and quickly forced its garrison to surrender. Parliament ordered the property to be slighted, but only minor damage was done to the walls, allowing Stokesay to continue to be used as a house by the Baldwyn family until the end of the 17th century.

Restoration work was carried out in the 1830s and 1850s by William Craven, the second Earl of Craven. In 1869 the Craven estate, then heavily in debt, was sold to the wealthy industrialist John Derby Allcroft who paid for extensive restoration during the 1870s.

Architecturally, the castle has an entrance way through a 17th-century timber and plaster gatehouse.

It’s surrounded by a walled, moated enclosure.

Inside, the courtyard faces a stone hall and solar block, protected by two stone towers.

The hall features a 13th-century wooden-beamed ceiling and staircase, and 17th-century carved figures ornament the gatehouse and the solar block.

Up the worn, wooden staircase at the end of the Great Hall is access to the North Tower and a spacious room. It features a simple wooden-beamed ceiling similar to the great hall’s, a large fireplace with a wooden canopy and dual-aspect views through diamond-shaped Italian glass and lead light windows. Tapestries would have hung on the walls.

By contrast, the room in the Solar Block as decorated by the Baldwyn family some 400 years later in the 17th century is highly decorated with wood panelling, a plaster ceiling and an outstanding Jacobean fireplace overmantel which would have been painted in vivid colours at the time.

At the top of the North Tower are the parapets …

… with commanding views of the surrounding Shropshire countryside …

… and a bird’s eye view of the castle’s buildings.

The castle became a popular location for tourists and artists, and was formally opened to paying visitors in 1908.

Allcroft’s descendants fell into financial difficulties during the early 20th century, and had difficulty covering the costs of maintaining Stokesay. In 1986 Jewell Magnus-Allcroft finally agreed to place Stokesay Castle into the guardianship of English Heritage, and the castle was left to the organisation on her death in 1992. English Heritage carried out extensive restoration of the castle in the late 1980s. In the 21st century, Stokesay Castle continues to be operated as a tourist attraction.

Returning from dining at The George Inn on Castle Street this evening, as the town descended into twilight, its buildings became illuminated, some of them showing off their colourful stained glass..

14 March, 2024

According to the weather forecast there is a brief window of ‘no rain’ between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm today so we venture out to see Ludlow Castle, the River Teme and Whitcliffe Common.

Previously we had arrived at the Market Square too late in the day to see the markets, but not today. Lots of local produce on sale.

At the top end of Market Square is Ludlow Castle. Walter de Lacy, a trusted member of the household of William fitzOsbern, arrived in England with the conquering army of William the Conqueror in 1066.

FitzOsbern was rewarded for his loyal part in William’s victory with an Earldom over the lands of Hereford and planned to keep his new acquisition secure by developing a string of castles along the border of England and Wales.

Walter de Lacy was granted the manor of Stanton, which contained the site of present day Ludlow. Walter’s sons, Roger and Hugh, built the earliest surviving parts of the Castle that can still be seen today, and the de Lacy family retained the lordship until the end of the 13th century.

1473-1483 Ludlow Castle was the home of Prince Edward (known as one of the ’Princes in the Tower’). He was in residence here when he learned of the death of his father, Edward IV, and assumed the title of King Edward V.

Prince Arthur (eldest son of Henry VII) spent a few months at Ludlow with his wife Catherine of Aragon before his death here on 2 April 1502. Catherine went on to marry Arthur’s brother, who became Henry VIII and their daughter, Mary, spent three winters at the castle between 1525 and 1528.

Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, Ludlow Castle was held by the Crown, except for a brief time during the Civil War and the Commonwealth.

The castle held great status as the centre of administration for the shires of the Marches and for Wales. The Council of the Marches was set up by Edward IV when he sent his son Edward, Prince of Wales, to live at Ludlow in 1473. It became responsible for the government of Wales and the border counties. For over a century Ludlow was seen as the capital of Wales and its courts were kept busy hearing criminal, civil and ecclesiastical cases. The result was a surge in construction at the castle to house the judges. Although primarily an administration hub, the castle had many features of an Elizabethan stately home. The Council was dissolved in 1641 but was revived with fewer powers from 1660 until its abolition in 1689.

Further along the Castle wall we walk through an entrance to the Castle Walk, between an outer and inner wall that leads us to the riverside. Here there is an old sluice gate that used to regulate flows into the River Teme.

Taking the riverside path we walk under the stone Dinham Bridge, the work of Shrewsbury mason and contractor, John Straphen, who completed it in 1823.

In 1646 the town was besieged by a Parliamentary force and the castle was surrendered after negotiation. The castle was abandoned after 1689 when the Council of the Marches was dissolved and power was centralised in London. The townspeople looted the castle for useful materials and it soon became a ruin.

In the 1760s the Government considered demolishing the castle, a costly exercise, so instead it was leased to the Earl of Powis in 1771. The castle began to attract visitors as part of the new tourism movement concentrating on the Picturesque style, and as part of this, walks were set out around the castle.

The Earl of Powis bought the castle in 1811 and it is now owned by the Trustees of the Powis Castle Estate on behalf of the family. [Ludlow Castle website].

Walking across the bridge we arrive at Whitcliffe Common and take the stairs and path to the top of the hill.

Here there are panoramic views of the Castle, Church, town and surrounding Shropshire countryside.

Thanks to all the rain we’ve had the paths are a tad boggy.

After walking down the hill we join The Bread Walk (workers were paid in bread so they didn’t squander their wages on booze) that overlooks the river until it meets Ludford Corner. Turning left we walk over the town’s second, but famous, bridge, Ludford Bridge.

Known as the Battle/Rout of Ludford Bridge which occurred on 12 October 1459 during the War of the Roses. A combined Yorkist force under the command of Richard, Duke of York, the Earl of Salisbury and the Earl of Warwick was routed by the Royal army after the Yorkists’ Calais garrison switched sides making a battle for the Yorkists futile. As a consequence of the battle, York, Salisbury and Warwick fled into exile in the dead of night although their army was pardoned the following day.

With the three strongest Yorkists out of the country it appeared that King Henry VI was once again secure in his position. However, the Yorkist faction regrouped very quickly and attacked in force in 1460 and 1461. [Schoolshistory.org.uk].

On the other side we are met by this rather interesting street sign at the corner of Lower Broad Street and Temeside.

We walk up Lower Broad Street to Broad Gate and the Wheatsheaf Inn which is built onto the old town wall. We’re having dinner here tonight.

Broad Street leads uphill to the Buttercross and nearby at the corner of Market Square and Harp Lane is the Harp Lane Deli which has an amazing variety of tempting goodies. Pity Brisbane hasn’t one of these delectable shops in town!

I’ve built up a thirst after all that hill walking so we stop in at the Rose and Crown, the entrance of which is through a large wooden door and courtyard off Church Street.

A large sign over the front door states that the deeds of the inn date from 1102 and recorded as the Rose and Crown since the 13th century – one of the ancient public houses in England plying its trade continually as an inn for over 600 years.

We certainly appreciate that its interior is quirky with unmatched wood paneling creating nooks and crannies, rather than the Feathers Inn which has modernised its interior.

As we are in Church Street we slip through a laneway named Callens and into St Laurence’s Church. What a revelation!

Now, I’m not a church visitor, I leave that to Lynn, but I must say this church is in outstanding condition thanks to the efforts of the Palmers’ Guild and others through the centuries and The Conservation Trust for St Laurence’s Church today.

St Laurence was one of the seven deacons of Rome who assisted the Bishop of Rome (the Pope). He was placed in charge of the administration of Church goods and care for the poor. For undertaking this duty, Laurence is regarded as one of the first archivists of the Church and is the patron saint of librarians.

Due to an act of defiance whereby instead of handing over the riches of the church to the authorities, he instead presented the poor to whom he referred to as ‘the riches of the church’. This act of defiance led to his martyrdom on 10 August 258. The traditional account of his death says that he was roasted on a gridiron, which has become his symbol [stlaurences.org.uk].

The parish church was established as a place of worship in association with the founding of Ludlow by the Normans in the late 11th century. It is situated atop the hill around which the medieval town developed. The church was rebuilt in the year 1199 and has had several later additions and modifications.

The tower is 48 metres high to the top of the pinnacles and commands expansive views of the town and surrounding countryside. Notable features include an extensive set of misericords in the choir stalls as well as fine stained glass windows.

Prince Arthur (1486-1502) was the eldest son and heir of King Henry VII. In 1492 he became Prince of Wales and spent some time at Ludlow Castle as head of the Council of the Marches.

In November 1501 Arthur made an arranged marriage with Catherine of Aragon. They came to Ludlow Castle several months later but on 2 April 1502 he died of sweating sickness.

His ‘heart’ (euphemism for bowels!) was buried at St Laurence’s. 3 weeks later, with much pageantry, a funeral service was held after which the body was taken in procession to Worcester Cathedral, 33 miles away, where a chantry chapel marks his grave.

Another feature of the church is the ornate carved altar screen and the beautifully preserved 16th century tombs of Council of Marches nobles – here Sir Robert Townshend, Knight Chief Justice of the Council of Wales and Chester and Dame Alice, his wife (1555).

Elsewhere Edmund Walter, also a Chief Justice (1592) and an ornate wall-mounted monument with 3 coats of arms to “the Right Honorable Syr Henrye Sydney, Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter, Lorde President of the Councell of Wales and the Ladye Marye daughter of ye famous Duke of Northumberland who died in Ludlow Castle” (1574).

The stone tracery of the West window dates from the remodelling of the church in the second quarter of the 15th century, but the glass is 19th century. The artist was Thomas Willement, the ‘Father of Victorian Stained Glass’. The figures in the 11 main panels are connected with Ludlow’s history, 7 of whom were Lords of Ludlow.

The other remarkable feature of the church are the 3 modern additions that do not detract from the sacred space within this edifice: the Icon Coffee Shop, the Gift Shop and an informal seating area with leather settees, not to mention the church is a venue for recitals and concerts – a church dedicated to serving its community.

15 March, 2024

After breakfast while I’m sorting the photos for the blog, Lynn decides to venture into town once more to discover parts we have missed. In particular, Mill Street which runs between the Ludlow Assembly Rooms and the Castle Lodge Buttery. Here resides the Guild Hall, a 15th century timber structure remodelled in red brick in 1768, which housed the Ludlow Magistrates’ Court. In 2012 Ludlow Town Council took up residence and the chamber now used for council meetings.

Built around 1410 by the influential religious guild of Palmers (pilgrims to the Holy Land) who supported St Laurence’s Church and sold in 1552 to the town for civil use, is notable for being the only known aisled hall in Ludlow. Despite extensive 18th century refurbishments, the hall retains its original 15th century roof.

Mill Street ends at the old town walls and the site of what was Mill Gate.

Turning right onto Camp Lane follows the town wall which joins the street named Dinham. On this street is Dinham House, an 18th century town house used by the Knights of Downton, the Johnes of Croft Castle and the Earls of Powis.

Apparently Lucien Bonaparte, brother of, was a prisoner here in 1811.

Further up the road is Dinham Hall, built in 1792 by Samuel Nash, agent of Richard Payne Knight of Downton Castle – and currently for sale! At No. 2 Dinham – the half-timbered house on the left in above photo – a blue plaque states: “‘Newly built’ in 1656 after burning in the Civil War.”

The Fish Feast at The Corner House restaurant on the Bull Ring is the venue for dinner tonight. I order a sea bream which is just delicious and perfectly cooked – not a sentiment I usually make about English cuisine!

16 March, 2024

After checking out at 10:15 am we drive directly to Lower Slaughter for a 4-night stay at The Slaughters Country Inn which takes about 1.5 hours to cover the 108km. The Slaughters (Upper and Lower) are between Stow-on-the-Wold to the north and Bourton-on-the-Water to the south in the Cotswolds.

The name ‘slaughter’ makes it sound like the villages have a dark history. But it’s a mispronunciation of the Old English word ‘slothre’ which means muddy or miry place, and came about due to the River Eye which flows through both villages.

We arrive at 12:45 pm but check-in isn’t until 3. Fortunately our room becomes available around 1:30 pm so after a quick unpack we pull up the chairs and settle in to watch the final 3 matches of the 6 Nations Rugby tournament that start at 2:15 pm. In particular, the exciting Ireland v Scotland game which Ireland finally wins 17-13 and retains its Championship crown for another 2 years.

17 March, 2024

It’s such a nice, sunny morning that after breakfast we wander around the village of Lower Slaughter.

Through the village and in front of the Inn runs the River Eye, its waters quite shallow and crystal clear.

Across the road from the Inn is the Lower Slaughters Manor, now an hotel. It is known that a manor house stood on the site before the Conquest, even as early as 1004 A.D. In 1443, the Manor became a convent housing nuns from the order of Syon, the order being granted the land during this period. The Manor was returned to the crown in 1603 and in 1611 was granted to Sir George Whitmore, High Sheriff of Gloucestershire. It remained in his family until 1964 when it became a hotel. The property was purchased by Andrew Brownsword Hotels, who also own The Slaughters Country Inn, in 2011 and renamed The Slaughters Manor House [slaughtersmanor.co.uk].

Next door to the Manor House is St Mary’s Church which was built in the Norman and then the Decorated style. It was rebuilt in the Victorian era in the Decorated Gothic style.

Like the village, the church is in immaculate condition and features interior arches.

Walking along the river path in the direction of Upper Slaughter we come to The Old Mill on the edge of the river.

In April last year it was announced that the mill, a popular Cotswolds’ attraction and which also housed a museum, gift and craft shop and cafe was to close 2 months later after 35 years. Many have stopped to take photographs of the water wheel at the mill, which was built in the 19th century and was last used commercially in 1958. The site is one of the reasons why the village has in the past been named as the prettiest in the UK [gloucestershirelive.co.uk].

When we return to the Inn about 30 minutes later the sun has broken through again so we have a coffee on the terrace.

The Inn is located on an area formerly known as Washbourne’s Place which took its name from the family who owned it in 1470. The building was originally divided into three farm-workers cottages with a stable block.

In the early 1920’s the cottages were converted into a large private house before it became an Eton cramming school. The boy’s assembly and dining room was located in what is now the Inn’s bar area and Westbury, one of the Superior bedrooms, used to be the location of the Headmaster’s office. The barn building was a recreation area, with the upper floor covered by a large model railway.

After its school days Washbourne’s Place reverted once again to private ownership and in 1988, the house opened as a hotel, known as Washbourne Court. In 2011 the Brownsword family bought the hotel and reinvented the property as a traditional country inn, renaming it The Slaughters Country Inn [theslaughtersinn.co.uk].

Today, Lynn has invited her friends, Tania and Igor, who have graciously driven from their home in Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire to join us for Sunday Lunch at The Inn.

Lynn and Tania first met when Lynn lead a project at a Barclays office around the corner from Pall Mall, London in 1999 where Tania worked in IT and they’ve remained firm friends. They last saw each other at Lynn’s farewell bash in April 2010 and have stayed in touch since. After a delightful lunch in the restaurant catching up and coffee on the terrace where we discuss Russia – their homeland which they left years ago – the 4 of us wander around the village in warm sunshine before they depart. Perhaps we will next see them in Brisbane?

18 March, 2024

An amazing top of 15 Deg. C. is predicted today with little chance of rain so we don our boots and jackets and walk the Warden’s Way to Bourton-on-the-Water – about 30 minutes to walk the 2.4km.

Today is Monday and, as we enter town around 11:30 am in mid-March, the town is already starting to heave with visitors and cars vying for parking spots.

One of the first places we come across is the The Duke of Wellington pub on Sherborne Street. This is where I stayed for several days during winter in about 1984. In contrast to today, there was snow on the ground and very quiet with few tourists.

From here we take the path along the River Windrush that bisects the town. At the Sherborne Street bridge the river runs between a bakery and the Motoring Museum – complete with a Mini made from grass.

Walking to Bourton this morning it was evident that Spring is just around the corner – the increased volume and variety of birdsong, spring blooms and leaf buds on bare branches – such as the willow near the Sherborne Street bridge.

Unfortunately, large swathes of grass have become trampled and muddy at the river’s edge on the upper reaches, so there are incidents of red and white tape cordoning off areas – a bit of an eye sore.

But lower downstream the scenery is quite picturesque with a variety of stone bridges and houses.

Retracing our steps on the other side of the river, walking along the High Street, there is a filigree town sign.

Of course, the Poms being their eccentric selves, demands a gesture – in this case a crocheted cover topped with a rodent ensemble for the Royal Mail post box!

The past few weeks in Wales we’ve seen lots of magnolia trees with tiny buds. Here they are finally in full bloom.

RIght, that’s Bourton done. Time to retrace our steps to Lower Slaughter. The Avenue passes by St Lawrence’s Church and tomb stones.

There has been a church on this site since 709 AD. The church also has a list of Rectors dating back to 1291. Like St Laurence’s Church in Ludlow, the interior space has been reconfigured to meet the current needs of the community in addition to its pews.

Besides the small, ornate altar screen, the church’s ceiling is decorated with heraldic devices. 8 of those are listed on a board including that of Queen Elizabeth I, sometime Patron of the Living; The Diocese of Worcester to which the Parish belonged before 1540 and that of Gloucester to which the Parish has been since that date; Wadham College, Oxford, the present Patron; Evesham Abbey, the Abbot of which was Lord of the Manor of Bourton until the Dissolution; and 2 other Lords of the Manor Sir Thomas Edmunds (one-time Lord) and Lord Chandos described as Lord of the Manor and although this seems to imply the current Lord, it may in fact refer to the 1650s!

And just a ‘friendly’ reminder that we are using a public footpath that is bordered by rural properties – a sign that dogs and sheep don’t mix.

Back at The Inn the afternoon has become overcast and colder. With the forecast tomorrow for rain we plan to drive into Stow-on-the-Wold for a look-see then further north onto Moreton-in-Marsh, some 7.5 miles away from Slaughter, to spend some time in what is the nearest laundromat.

19 March, 2024

After a 10-minute drive north we arrive at Moreton-in-Marsh and parking the car nearby we head to The Laundrette on New Road.

It’s a busy little place with 2 ladies in attendance to either do your laundry for you or to assist DIYers like us – “I’ll have 20 pounds’ worth of 1 pound coins, please!” – as there’s no credit card reader in sight.

The laundromat is relatively expensive but our next laundry isn’t for another 9 days in Dunkirk.

While our 3 loads of washing are swishing away we turn the corner onto the High Street to check out the Tuesday market.

1.5 hours later we are out the door with our clothes washed, dried and folded and my wallet GBP18 lighter, we jump in the car for our return journey. We deviate to drive through Stow-in-the-Wold. We pass by the Market Cross but nary a parking spot to be found.

Back at The Inn, Lynn starts on my ironing but is soon interrupted by the housekeeper who arrives to clean our room. We take our leave and walk to see what’s at Upper Slaughter, savouring the 16 Deg. C. temperature along the way.

Walking up the Becky Hill road we pass by the impressive Upper Slaughter Manor House.

At the edge of the village is a small hill upon which sits Saint Peter’s Church. Like St Lawrence’s Church in Bourton, this church once belonged to Evesham Abbey and although it dates to the 12th century there are numerous 19th century modifications made to look much older.

Its interior has a similar layout to St Mary’s Church in Lower Slaughter. What is different are the very simple, but nonetheless beautiful, painted panels on the altar, with the painted motif repeated on each organ pipe.

Down the hill we come across the Lords of the Manor Hotel & Restaurant which is next door to the Upper Slaughter Manor House but separated by a fence.

Our Cotswolds tip: Don’t stay in the congested and crowded destinations of Stow and Bourton. Rather, stay at one of the Slaughters and relax in serene countryside pampered in affordable luxury. Using one of the Slaughters as a base, get to really enjoy the Cotswolds’ countryside by taking the easy walks to Stow and Bourton, saving yourself the hassle of trying to find non-existent parking spots.

At this point we decide to return to Lower Slaughter via the Warden’s Way which will involve walking across muddy fields and along a muddy path.

The path soon converges with the River Eye which we discover is actually privately owned – well, the canal part at least – according to a prominent waterside sign.

It appears that the river has 2 branches, the small stream itself and a branch which was diverted to become the wider canal that now cascades past a sluice gate and the wooden wheel at the Old Mill.

Bordering the river on either side are honey-coloured, stone cottages. The cottages on the Mill side of the river are lower and several sport a metal plate that is kept in place by 2 side runners. These metal plates are ‘flood gates’ to prevent flood water from seeping in under the door.

Honey ham and smoked salmon baguettes are just the ticket for a light bar meal this evening before we head upstairs to pack an overnight bag ready for our trip to Richmond in the morning for a 2-night stay.

20 March, 2024

It’s 14 Deg. C. when we drive out of the hotel’s car park at 10:45 am. It should take us about 1 hour 45 minutes to drive the 140km to Richmond, so arriving around 12:30 pm at Susie and Paul’s. We take the A424 through the beautiful, ancient market town of Burford then the A40 around Oxford. At 11:30 am when we join the M40 the sun shines through and the temperature nudges up a degree.

About 20 minutes later we grind to a halt at the back of a very long traffic jam on the M40. Fortunately, this occurs just before the A40 slip road to High Wycombe, which we slowly make our way over to and exit the motorway. As we are now driving through towns our progress is hampered by following lorries on narrow roads, people parked on double yellow lines, pedestrian crossings, traffic lights etc. We phone Paul to let him know we have been delayed and won’t be arriving any time soon.

At Loudwater, on the other side of High Wycombe, we chance that the M40 is clear, which it is, so we join it once again. Finally we arrive at Lorne Road at 1:20 pm – the traffic jam and diversion costing us 50 minutes!

By 3:00 pm the sun is shining and it’s 18 Deg. C. so we decide a walk is in order. We cross Richmond Green, onto Cholmondeley Walk along the River Thames, under Richmond Bridge, up Terrace Gardens then back home, in time to meet Colin (their miniature dachshund) who has been away on a play day.

This evening we are dining at The White Horse pub which is Susie and Paul’s “local”. Beforehand, Lynn’s friend Mary, who lives in Ealing, will be joining us at the house for drinks. They first met in 1990 when they both worked for BP Oil (UK) at Hemel Hempstead and last saw each other just before Lynn left the UK in April 2010.

To celebrate, we pop the cork on the 2nd bottle of champers we purchased at the cellar door at Jean Milan in the Champagne Region. Interestingly, its cork is secured by string which has been stuck to the bottle by a red, wax seal. The champers is divine – a subtle hint of apricot with tiny bubbles.

Lynn had booked our table at the pub several months ago so imagine our surprise when we arrive to learn that Wednesday night is “Quiz Night”, starting tonight!

We had planned on sharing a quiet dinner to catch up but given the layout of the pub it will be impossible to compete with the Quiz Master on the microphone for the next couple of hours so we decide to enter the quiz and quickly call ourselves “Colin’s Crew”.

3 hours later of cryptic, audio and visual questions – including both Susie and Paul each winning the 2 free drinks rounds – Colin’s Crew is declared the winner with a total of 65.5 points and awarded a GBP50 bar tab voucher. Needless to say, it was the input of the 3 Poms that won the day.

We plan to use the GBP50 voucher tomorrow night when we return yet again for dinner.

21 March, 2024

While Susie is at the gym this morning we decide to go out for coffee, taking Colin with us for the walk. Our “coffee run” turns into a 3-hour walk thanks to Colin’s tiny legs.

We start out by reversing our walk from yesterday, walking to Richmond Hill and into the Terrace Gardens to the Holyhock Cafe for coffee.

From here down to the river and walking upstream along the towpath to the Ham House Ferry Terminal.

“Ferry Terminal” is perhaps a tad overstated – it’s a small clearing with a couple of brick steps on the river bank where a tinny pulls in before crossing back across the river. GBP2/adult. Dogs free, of course!

Walking back up the other side of the river we cross over Richmond Bridge.

And walk up Hill Rise to The Vineyard then home.

For ease and convenience (and damned fine food and wine) we’re booked into The White Horse again for dinner where we use last night’s voucher to cover our bar tab. This time to meet up with another friend and former colleague of Lynn’s, Richard, who lives in nearby Wimbledon.

Their paths diverged in 2008 when Lynn started working at Credit Suisse but they kept in touch and here they are catching up some 16 years later.

22 March, 2024

At 9:00 am we say farewell to Susie and Colin who are getting the train to High Street Kensington where Susie works 2 days a week. We have a leisurely breakfast with Paul then say farewell to him as we drive from Richmond to Greenwich via the South Circular.

Along the way, at Lewisham, we pass by the church that we are going to visit tomorrow as part of my family tree research.

What should have taken 40 minutes to drive the 26km to the Novotel Greenwich takes an hour 15 minutes thanks to the tortuous route that the South Circular takes along suburban streets.

After parking the car and having a coffee our room is ready so we unpack and catch up on the past 3 days before we head out to the local Chinese.

23 March, 2024

Our task today is to trace my Great Great grandparents – George Till and his wife Mary Lambert Hawkins. We found George’s birthplace of Beals Oak Farm, Wenbash Lane, South Wadhurst in East Sussex back in November 2022. And that he had lived in Little Snape, Wadhurst, East Sussex in 1851 while Mary had lived in High Street, Ticehurst, East Sussex that same census year.

Records state that they were married in the Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin in High Street, Lewisham on 5 August 1867. So we jump on the DLR next door to our hotel at Greenwich and walk some 20 minutes from the DLR station at Lewisham to arrive at the church.

St Mary’s Church has stood on this spot for about a thousand years. The present church stands on the site of previous parish churches dating back probably to the 10th century when the whole of Lewisham was owned and administered by the Abbey of St Peter’s, Ghent in Flanders. The tower of the present church was built 1471-1512 and is the oldest structure in Lewisham. Restoration work was carried out on it in 1907.

The present church was built 1774-1777 and then restored and re-ordered in 1881. At the time of my great great grandparents’ wedding the interior was plain and austere: a ceiling hiding the roof structure, high dark oak box pews, slender iron pillars supporting the galleries, a western gallery and organ, a 3-decker pulpit and a plain, wooden altar in a small rounded apse at the east end.

In 1881 new building work took place creating the present interior which became Victorian in style. The apse was taken down and the present chancel built.

In 1931 as part of the church’s 1,000-birthday festival, a chapel to Our Lady was created under the north gallery.

The 1995-96 re-ordering was the first major work to be carried out since 1881 with considerable repair, restoration and modernisation. Together with the 2016 Re-roofing project, all culminating in the church we see today.

As it’s such a fine day today and we know that the DLR is running we decide to carry on with the family research we were going to do tomorrow. So we catch the DLR from Lewisham to Bank.

Rather than take the train to Aldgate we opt to walk through the streets of London.

Here we walk past some familiar landmarks such as the Royal Exchange where Lynn had her farewell bash in 2010.

As well as taking in the changes that have occurred since Lynn left in 2010.

On our way to Duke’s Place, Aldgate we pass by an Austin 7.

At the corner of Duke’s Place and St James’s Passage there is supposed to be a plaque marking the site of the Great Synagogue from 1690-1941. After much searching the surrounding area I finally find it high up on a wall of a modern building.

Joseph Hart, my 4 times great grandfather was born in Duke’s Place on 25 September 1791 and was married to Esther Garcia at the Great Synagogue on 2 May 1810.

Walking to Aldgate East station we take the District Line, getting off at Stepney Green. Here we are in search of the cemetery where Joseph Hart was buried.

We find the Mile End (Jewish) Ashkenazi Old Cemetery, Alderney Road, Bethnal Green which is adjacent to the modern Mile End campus of the Queen Mary University. Unfortunately, it is completely walled with sole access via a small wooden door with a keypad but burials had stopped around 1770.

Further along Mile End Road we pass by the stately Queens’ Building of the Queen Mary University. It turns out there is another cemetery to the right of, and behind, this building which we will need to check out on Monday.

Our last task is to find the house in which Joseph died in on 5 May 1884 at 73 Lincoln Street, London (renamed Brokesley Street, Mile End) so we walk several more blocks up Mile End Road until we find that street.

Time to head home so we walk a further couple of blocks until we reach the Bow Church DLR station. En route we pass by what appears to be an old telephone box now housing an ATM machine, complete with graffiti. This is the third one we’ve seen today during our travels.

We have a short wait for a DLR to arrive. Although it terminates at Canary Wharf all we need to do is move to the opposite platform to catch the DLR to Lewisham, alighting at Greenwich.

We’re hardly home when we notice storm clouds heading our way. 15 minutes later sunshine turns to hail.

It quickly passes by and sunshine returns.

Exiting the Greenwich DLR station earlier we discover Davy’s Wine Vaults next door which is where we return to for dinner. The Wine Merchants and Shippers were established in 1870 supplying “Claret, Champagne, Hock and Burgundy. Port (the most noted Vintages) Sherry and Madeira.” Today’s complex of Wine Shop and Vaults reflects its heritage with historic memorabilia and a quaint floor layout including some small, one-off private dining rooms.

When we get into the lift there is an ad hoc sign taped to the wall in small print that says, “If you can return a spare key card to reception you will be rewarded with either a free drink or free parking.” 5 minutes later we are rewarded with a GBP50 refund on our GBP100 parking fee. Bonus!

As we’ve finished most of the family tree research and tomorrow’s weather is due to be fine, we’ll take the day off to wander around Greenwich.

24 March, 2024

About 11:30 am we walk up Greenwich High Road to King William Walk then into Greenwich Park.

At 13 Deg. C. there are lots of people about in cafes and walking in the Park mostly with baby carriages and/or dogs.

Up the hill at the Royal Observatory we pass by a set of instruments that designated Public Standards of Length and I straddle the Greenwich/Prime Meridian – a standard longitudinal point at 0 Deg.

Plus another measurement mechanism – for time. As the industrial world came into shape, trains, factories and global businesses could use Greenwich Mean Time as a universal measure of time, meaning that the timings of journeys, transactions and production periods could be standardised across the whole planet. On the outer wall of the Observatory is the Shepherd Gate Clock which has an unusual 24-hour display.

From the Observatory we walk down the hill past a row of ancient trees, including the Queen Elizabeth’s Oak, thought to have been planted in the 12th century with traditions linked to Queen Elizabeth 1 and King Henry VIII.

Next to this oak, another English oak was planted by Prince Philip in 1992 to commemorate 40 years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

At the bottom of the hill is Queen’s House, a former royal residence built between 1616 and 1635. It was built near the now demolished Greenwich Palace, a few miles downriver from the City of London.

Across the road is the main campus of the University of Greenwich, at the Old Royal Naval College. The Old Royal Naval College are buildings that serve as the architectural centrepiece of Maritime Greenwich, a World Heritage Site.

The buildings were originally constructed to serve as Greenwich Hospital, designed by Christopher Wren, and built between 1696 and 1712.

The hospital closed in 1869 and so between 1873 and 1998 the buildings were used as a training establishment for the Royal Naval College, Greenwich.

This was originally the site of Bella Court, built by Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, and subsequently renamed Palace of Placentia by Margaret of Anjou upon its confiscation. Rebuilt by Henry VII, it was thenceforth more commonly known as Greenwich Palace.

As such, it was the birthplace of Tudor monarchs Henry VIII, Mary I, and Elizabeth I, and reputedly the favourite palace of Henry VIII. The palace fell into disrepair during the English Civil War. With the exception of the incomplete John Webb building, the palace was finally demolished in 1694.

Near the Greenwich Pier is the rotunda that houses the staircase and lift to access the Greenwich Foot Tunnel which passes under the River Thames connecting the south bank with the Isle of Dogs at Millwall.

The tunnel was designed by civil engineer Sir Alexander Binnie for London County Council and constructed by contractor John Cochrane & Co. The project started in June 1899 and the tunnel opened on 4 August 1902. The tunnel replaced an expensive and sometimes unreliable ferry service allowing workers living south of the Thames to reach their workplaces in the London docks and shipyards in or near the Isle of Dogs. Its creation owed much to the efforts of working-class politician Will Crooks, who had worked in the docks and, after chairing the LCC’s Bridges Committee responsible for the tunnel, later served as Labour MP for Woolwich.

The cast-iron tunnel is 1,215 feet (370.2 m) long, 50 feet (15.2 m) deep and has an internal diameter of about 9 feet (2.74 m). The cast-iron rings are coated with concrete and surfaced with some 200,000 white glazed tiles.

The northern end was damaged by bombs during WWII and repairs included a thick steel and concrete inner lining that substantially reduces the diameter for a short distance. The northern shaft staircase has 87 steps; the southern one has 100.

Retracing our steps we emerge next to the Cutty Sark. Since we both visited it years ago, its hull is now encircled by a transparent shell which protects it and also provides visitors the opportunity to view the hull from below.

Cutty Sark was built exclusively for the China tea trade. Tea had been enjoyed in Asia for centuries, but it did not reach Britain until the 1650s. Initially hailed for its medicinal qualities, tea was mainly enjoyed by the wealthy. But by the early 19th century working families were consuming it twice daily. It was also huge business, with over 28 million kilograms imported in 1869 alone.

A fashion developed among Victorians for consuming the first tea to be unloaded in London. This spurred the ‘great tea races’ and a spirit of intense competition: get home first and you could command huge prices. That’s why, as a clipper ship, Cutty Sark was designed to be fast.

On its maiden voyage, the ship departed London on 15 February 1870, bound for Shanghai. On this outward voyage the ship carried a general cargo, including wine, spirits and beer and manufactured goods. After successfully reaching China on 31 May, the ship was loaded with 1,305,812 lbs of tea. After only 25 days in port in Shanghai the ship sped back to London, arriving on 13 October the same year [Royal Museums Greenwich].

Walking back to the hotel we pass by Greenwich Market, a pretty 19th-century covered market selling unique gifts and knick-knacks, which is absolutely heaving this afternoon.

25 March, 2024

Today, Lynn has arranged to meet up with another friend and former colleague, Dr Elizabeth Shepherd, who is Professor of Archives and Records Management and Head of Department at University College London (UCL) and currently on sabbatical writing her 3rd book, this time about the role of women archivists in recent history.

Elizabeth joined the Department of Information Studies (as it is now known) at UCL in 1992. They met in 1993 when Lynn was organising, on behalf of the International Records Management Trust, a team of consultants to visit The Gambia on an Overseas Development Agency trip to advise The Gambian Government and its civil servants on archives and records management in government. Both were consultants on that trip.

Their association continued when Lynn undertook her MSc at UCL during 1995-97. Elizabeth employed Lynn as a Research Assistant then later for a semester as a Lecturer in Records Management to undergrad. students, both part-time positions.

Lynn’s most recent collaboration with Elizabeth was on 12 March 2020 when she participated in the Department’s centenary exhibition “Geographies of Information” as an alumni interviewee – https://www.ucl.ac.uk/information-studies/geographies-information

It truly was about ‘geographies’ as the interviewer, an MA student, was in London on a Skype call to Lynn in Northern Ireland as we’d just arrived from our trip to Iceland and were about to return to the USA to continue our travels there, only to fly home to Australia from San Diego a week later on 19 March due to COVID.

Elizabeth took us on a brief tour of the campus including the Library, the Jeremy Bentham booth, the Henry Morley building where the Department used to be located to Foster Court, its current location.

I learnt that the ‘mannequin’ of Jeremy Bentham displayed below is framed around his skeleton and that his head is actually an artifact in a box in the UCL Archives. Weird, or what!

As we have 2 hours before we need to meet up with another friend of Lynn’s, we decide to take the Tube to Mile End to check out the Jewish cemetery, the Novo Cemetery, located within the grounds of Queen Mary University, the one we missed on Saturday.

In 1657 with the encouragement of Oliver Cromwell, then Head of State, Jews were allowed to return to England after an absence of over 350 years. Many who arrived were descendants of families that had fled persecution in Spain and Portugal. Upon arrival in London they founded a synagogue in the City of London (at Duke’s Place) and acquired a burial ground (the Velho) in Mile End, at an adjacent site, on the now Alderney Road, which was used from 1696 as a cemetery by London’s growing Ashkenazi (Eastern European Jewish) community.

By the beginning of the 18th century, the Velho was nearly full. Plans were made for a second, much larger Sephardi burial ground nearby. In 1726, about 400 metres to the east of the Velho, another former orchard, was leased by the Sephardi community.

The first burials at the Novo (new) cemetery took place in 1733. Over the next 150 years, most Sephardi burials in London took place here. By the middle of the 19th century, another expansion became necessary, and in 1855 a further 1.7 acres were added to the east, between the pre-existing cemetery and the Regent’s Canal. Those buried here include the comic actor David Belasco, alias David James (1839-93); Joseph Elmaleh (1809-86), chief rabbi of Mogador and Austrian consul in Morocco, and several members of the prestigious Montefiore family.

By the end of the century, London’s more affluent Sephardim had moved away from the City and East End and, in 1897 the Novo was effectively superseded by a new Sephardi burial ground at Hoop Lane in Golders Green. The north-eastern part of the Novo remained open for adult burials until 1906.

Here amongst the Montefiores, da Costas and Belascos I find a couple of Hart and Garcia tombstones, but not the ones we are specifically searching for – Joseph Hart buried 1884 and his wife, Esther nee Garcia, buried 1853.

Back on the Tube we arrive at 33 King William Street, Wells Fargo’s London HQ, with 15 minutes to spare. Unfortunately, we discover that Lynn’s friend, Masaki, has had to work at home today due to childcare issues, so we continue to Greenwich.

We dine at the local Pizza Express and I have to say that both their pizzas and wine offerings aren’t half bad and are reasonably priced.

26 March, 2024

There’s the off-chance that Masaki may be able to make it to Greenwich today. In the meantime we catch up with the blog and get organised for our trip to catch LeShuttle from Folkestone tomorrow and our upcoming 7.5 week trip through Luxembourg, southern Germany, Switzerland, NW Italy, and France.