Tower of London

Posted on August 2, 2012 by teacherideclare

The Tower of London is one of the most popular tourist attractions in England with over 2,000,000 visitors a year.  It has been a castle, a royal palace, a prison, a mint, an armory, a safe-haven for the crown jewels and a government records office for important historical documents.  Some of the original buildings date back to William the Conqueror in 1070 and foundations have been found dating back to Roman times 2,000 years ago.

Location 

The Tower of London is on the northwest corner of the Thames River and the Tower Bridge.  It is accessible by bus and boat which both drop you off near to the entrance.  The nearest Tube, or Underground station, is about four blocks away but still a comfortable walk.

My Experience

It was 40 years between my two visits to the Tower of London.  I first saw the royal palace at 16 years old.  I recently came across a picture of me leaning over the wall with the Tower Bridge behind me.  In 1972 it was a cool old building in a far away country.  This time I was expectant, almost a little anxious when I entered the gate to the Tower of London.  So much of the history of western civilization occurred here, within these walls.  Some great stories happened here and many were not pleasant.  The walls of this palace record some of the saddest moments in England’s history.

Courtyard of the Tower of London

Inside the Tower of London

More than any site I have visited, the Tower of London is an all-day event.  Inside there are so many places to explore, events to watch and artifacts to see that to get the most out of this royal palace it would be best to plan a full-day.  The crowds are typically larger here than at other tourist locations except Buckingham Palace during the changing of the guard.

Memorial where two Queens were executed.

Location where two of Henry VIII’s wives were executed.

I stood on the grounds where Ann Boleyn was executed 475 years ago.  She was decapitated for being Henry VIII’s wife when the Catholic Church wouldn’t approve of his desire to divorce.  At the same place another Queen, Catherine Howard, was executed for the same reason some five years later as Henry VIII’s fifth wife.  Not only were these two innocent women put to death by Henry VIII, but by severing the relationship between the Vatican in Rome and the church in England, and making himself the Church of England’s supreme authority, he began hundreds of years of religious wars in the U.K.  This action alone resulted in the death and destruction of people and property up until the present time.

Part of the Queen’s guard which also serve as tour guides. They are very professional.

This is one of the towers that served as prisons. It is facing the Thames River.

There were as many as 10 people executed within the walls of the Tower of London and dozens on Tower Green or Tower Hill, a comfortable walking distance just outside the north wall where there is a plaque commemorating the spot today.  The executions inside the walls of the Tower of London were private, only for royalty and the most prestigious prisoners.   The executions on Tower Hill were public with sometimes thousands watching and cheering on the executioner.

During my visit at the royal palace there were staged historical events with actors dressed as medieval characters which the children seem to enjoy.  The White Tower at the center of the royal palace contained fascinating artifacts such as the armor of Henry VIII and James I, Oliver Cromwell’s sword, death masks of most of the Kings and Queens as well as cannons and rifles from when the Tower was used as an armory.  The crown jewels, both medieval and modern, are on display although no pictures can be taken by tourists for security purposes.

You can still see the words of the prisoners in the towers. Plaques have been placed to make it easier to read.

Prisoners were kept sometimes for years within the various towers.  It is possible to still read the musings and writings etched into the walls by famous people who were imprisoned.  It takes time for tourists to read, but I found it amazing to read last words or what was of importance to the prisoners.  Some of the calligraphy and drawings were complex while others wrote the names of their sweethearts, claimed their innocence or scratched a Bible verse onto the walls.

A structure doesn’t survive over 1,000 years without changes, but if you take the free tour, with the price of admission to the royal palace, your guide will show you how it changed and grew over the centuries.  They will also tell you old stories about famous people that happened within the walls throughout the centuries.

The Background and History

In 43 A.D. the Romans first conquered what is today England.  In 383 A.D. the Romans left Britain as their empire was collapsing and Roman rule ended.  The Angles, Saxons and Jutes, Germanic tribes, opportunistically invaded England from mainland Europe after the Romans left, around 450 A.D., and ruled. In 793 the Vikings first invaded Britain to challenge Anglo-Saxon rule.  300 years later the half Saxon, half Norman (Norman is French/Viking) born King Edward died without an heir.  He was called Edward the Confessor because he built Westminster Abbey.  Harold Godwinson was named king upon his death betraying an agreement Harold had reportedly made with William of Normandy who believed he had been promised the crown.  The Vikings attacked in the north trying to take advantage of the instability caused by the death of King Edward.  Harold took his army to the far reaches of north England and defeated the Vikings at the Battle of Stamford Bridge securing, at that time, Saxon rule.  He discovered William had landed in the south and pushed his army at breakneck speed after defeating the Vikings.  Fighting against an exhausted army William of Normandy won and King Harold was killed at the Battle of Hastings.  Willam, Duke of Normandy, now became William the Conqueror, King of England.  Saxon rule in England was over.

Roman stones were found under the foundation of the Tower of London. This wall is almost 2,000 years old.

William knew he needed to consolidate power quickly so he ravaged the countryside on his way to London.  Officials from the city submitted to the conquering William in hopes of avoiding death and destruction.  William sent an advanced guard to London to “build a fortress and prepare for his triumphant entry into the city”.  After his coronation at Westminster Abbey on Christmas day 1066, William withdrew from the city.  He knew his first task was control of the huge and “fickle” population of London.

The White Tower

Built by William the Conqueror in the 1070s. The English had never seen a building like it. It could be seen over London for miles.

The Normans built a great stone tower called the White Tower near the site of the old Roman fort.  The tower wasn’t like anything ever built in London and sent the city a message of things to come.  Norman masons and stones were brought in from William’s native Normandy for the building.  The labor to build the tower was provided by the English.  The tower dominated the skyline and could be seen for miles.

The Tower of London was never the favorite royal residence or the first line of defense during war.  The Tower’s primary function was as a fortress, a stronghold for the royalty and it would remain that way until the late 1800s.

The Medieval Tower of London

Richard the Lionhearted was the first medieval king to update and expand the Tower.  He left for the crusades shortly after becoming King in 1189.  In his absence the royal palace was doubled in size and reinforced as a stronghold by adding additional defenses.  In Richard’s absence his brother John laid siege to the Tower and forced Richard’s men out after their supplies ran out.  Upon his return in 1194, Richard regained control.  His brother John asked for forgiveness and was even named successor to the throne.  When King Richard died, John became King and was probably the first to have exotic animals, such as lions, kept at the Tower.  John died trying to keep his throne and left a kingdom in turmoil to his son Henry III.  Henry defeated the invading French and dealt with rebelling Barons during his reign.  He saw weaknesses in the Tower’s defenses and worked to improve them.  He was the first to build a moat around the Tower in 1238.

It was a vegetable garden during WWII. At one time the Thames River flowed through to act as a conduit for trash.

The Tower of London was considered a “concentric” castle with lines of defense within lines of defense. Each could see over and around the other.

King Edward I transformed the castle into the largest and strongest “concentric” castle, with one ring of defenses inside another.  The castle had first been used as a prison in 1100 but King Edward was the first to store historic papers and other valuables within its walls.  It also became a royal mint during this time.  His grandson King Edward III was a successful warrior, like his great-grandfather Henry III and unlike his father Edward II.  He captured the kings of Scotland and France and imprisoned both in the Tower.  During his reign 10,000 rebels plundered the capital during the Peasants Revolt and entered the Tower but did so unarmed.  In 1399 King Richard was imprisoned in the Tower after being forced to renounce his crown.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-dUxs5rw2k&feature=youtu.be]

The Tower had a reputation for being a place of murder and execution.   Mad King Henry VI was imprisoned and eventually executed at the Tower.  King Edward IV became King upon Henry’s execution.  It was upon King Edward’s death that one of the saddest moments occurred in the history of the Tower.  His two sons Edward, aged 12 and Richard, aged 10, who were in line for the throne when their father died, went missing never to be heard from again. Their bones were found at the castle during renovation in 1674.  The story remains a mystery but there is little doubt murder was committed at the Tower.

On display in the White Tower in the Tower of London.

On display at the White Tower at the Tower of London

With King Henry VII, the Tudor family came to power in England.  Henry VIII continued the expansion of the Tower but it was the execution of two of his wives at the Tower for which he is remembered.   Henry VIII’s decision to break with Rome and become the Supreme ruler of the Church of England caused a large increase of catholic prisoners in the Tower and saw a rise in executions.  His son Edward VI continued the large number of executions until the short rule of Queen Mary I, who returned the country to Catholicism and persecuted protestant leaders.  The use of the Tower, as a prison and a place of execution, continued for another 100 years.

The Tower played a key role in the English civil war, fought between the royalists and the parliamentarians.  Charles I ended parliament which was a major cause of the civil war.  He lost the Tower in a blow from which the royalists did not recover.  With the execution of Charles I and with the monarchy abolished, all the gold and jewels were sold and the precious metal melted to provide funds for the good of the commonwealth.  After the restoration of the monarchy several years later the Tower’s use as a prison declined even as its use as storage for military supplies and equipment increased.

One of the oldest fireplaces in England built when the White Tower was first built in 1070s.

Under the guidance of the Duke of Wellington in 1852, the aging palace and castle was restored as an important place in English history.  Two world wars saw the Tower used once again as a prison and a place of execution.  Rudolph Hess, one of Hitler’s trusted generals, was briefly held as a prisoner in the Tower.  During WWII bombing damage was considerable and several buildings were destroyed.  During this time the dried moat was used for growing vegetables.

Ratings (Castle)

Category Rating: A+

Overall Rating: #3

Comments:  Tourists can learn so much about the history of England and the life of its royals by studying the Tower of London.  I wouldn’t go to London without taking at least a half day and visiting the Tower of London.   It is a “must see” historical site.

Posted in Castles | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off

Surprising Stonehenge

Posted on July 28, 2012 by teacherideclare

About

Stonehenge is a collection of enormous prehistoric stones prearranged in a semi-circle on the side of a hill in southwest England. That is all that is known for certain. Some believe it to be an ancient burial group, a druid temple, an astrological calendar, a location for pagan rituals, an ancient healing and pilgrimage site or even a memorial to the dead that is thousands of years old. Early medieval legends indicated that Merlin transported it from Mount Killaraus in Ireland as an appropriate place for Britain’s dead princes. Stonehenge remains one of the most important archaeological sites in the world with busloads of visitors coming daily to experience the ancient rocks.

Location

Stonehenge is near Amesbury, England. It is an hour and a half drive or 87 miles, west of London. Google “London bus to Stonehenge” and there are a variety of tour companies that offer services to Stonehenge and back.

My Experience

Outside of London, Stonehenge was the first major historical site I visited in England. I got up early one Saturday morning and decided to take my first adventure. From Manchester it is at least a 4 hour drive, but it was a nice, warm sunny day which can be rare in England.

I was so excited when I saw Stonehenge in the distance that I had to take a picture through my windshield.

Cool look down on Stonehenge from the top of the hill

I remember the childlike reaction when I saw Stonehenge in the distance. My heart started beating fast and immediately I started taking pictures out of my front windshield. The collection of stones weren’t new to me but they were more impressive than I imagined. My heart leaped at the awe-inspiring sight. The rocks weren’t on top of the hill as I remembered but on the side near the top of a hill. There is a small road that took me from the highway to the parking lot but the giant rocks were always in sight to my immediate left.

Over 1,000,000 visitors a year.

You can see most are listening to the tour guide through the headphones.

More than any other site I have visited I was impatient to get my car parked and enter the park. The parking lot was crowded with buses and cars. It was a bank holiday and obviously I wasn’t the only person visiting Stonehenge. People were everywhere and I remember feeling a little uneasy. When there are lots of crowds around I feel like everyone else knows what to do except me. Working through my anxiety I paid my entrance fee and picked up a headset that allowed me to take a walking tour. Crossing under the road through a tunnel that leads to Stonehenge I walked up the stairs and was face to face with these blue, enormous rocks. People were wandering around with their headsets on listening to the tour guide.

This was not a protected historical site prior to 1986 which really surprised me. There are pictures of druids and hippies in the 1960s climbing on the rocks or holding ceremonies. Today you can get close to the rocks but you can’t touch them. There is a fence that surrounds Stonehenge keeping the visitors a safe distance away.

As you can see even in the summer you may need a jacket.

They are so cool. You can’t help but wonder why they were built at this location and for what purpose(s).

It is hard to describe the feelings I got from standing near Stonehenge. People were sitting on bleachers, in the green grass or walking around looking at the rocks but I got the feeling that others felt the same way – quietly awe-inspired. Looking at the massive rocks left standing after more than 3,000 years without real knowledge of what they were used, for or how the rocks were moved there, was perplexing. The logistics of getting these enormous stones to stand up in a pattern seems impossible without today’s construction equipment. Even beyond the physical wonder of Stonehenge was the spiritual aspect. Were my feelings those of respect for those who built such a monument? Was I moved by the events that must have occurred at this location? Or was I just confused as to what was standing before me?

I liked it. It felt good to stand near it and imagine. Looking at the meandering road from the river believed to have been used to bring the rocks to this location it seemed impossible. It would have taken 5,000 people working full-time over 3 years to move these stones from southern Wales, where they were believed to have been quarried, to this location.

Over the hill in the center of the picture is the river. It is believed the blue stones were quarried in Wales, brought by river and then somehow drug up to this location.

Looking from the parking lot you can see the burial mounds nearby.

There are burial mounds that can be seen from Stonehenge within a half-mile of the hill with walking paths nearby. People can follow the path below Stonehenge towards the river where they believed the rocks were carried to this site. Most people take their time at the historical site. Even without the rock formation the view in each direction is beautiful.

There are no new housing additions on the horizon or new stores that have sprung up selling souvenirs. England has passed laws keeping residents from building new homes or commercial properties in the country. It is referred to as the “green belt”. Its purpose is to keep the countryside as beautiful and pristine as possible. Even if someone were to purchase a 300 year old house, approval by the local town council is required to make changes, modifications or improvements because of the desire to protect their historical sites and preserve England as it was.

The Background and History

Stonehenge wasn’t made at any one particular time. There is evidence that first construction began over 5,000 years ago. Neolithic Britons used man made tools, such as deer antlers, to dig a circular ditch and bank. It was believed to be surrounded by wooden posts. John Aubrey first discovered them in the 17th century.
Several hundred years’ later Stonehenge builders hoisted as many as 80 blue stones quarries in Wales which is over 200 miles. 43 of those stones stand today. They are believed to be in a semi-circle or horseshoe formation.

The third phase of construction was almost 2,000 years ago. Sandstone slabs were arranged in an outer ring or assembled in the center of Stonehenge. 50 of these stones are visible today. Carbon dating shows that construction continued until about 1,600 B.C. The question remains how a civilization without modern technology, including the wheel, was able to build this monument.

You can see the remains of the early ditch that was built that pre-dates the rocks.

Supposedly the sun strikes the small stone on the summer and winter equinox at sunrise/sunset.

Modern historians believe that several distinct tribes of people contributed to the building of Stonehenge, each undertaking a different phase of its construction. The facts around the building of this monument remain a mystery but even more mysterious are the reasons behind why it was built. Most modern historians believe Stonehenge was a burial site, but most scholars believe it served other functions as well. Some believe it was a ceremonial site, a site of religious pilgrimages, burial site for royalty or a memorial erected to honor their descendants. Since the 1960s there has been evidence it was an astrological calendar used by farmers while others believe it was a place of healing. Some of the bodies unearthed at the site showed signs of illness and injury and the blue stones were believed to have healing powers.

As you can see the area tilts a bit – it on the side of a hill.

Old, big stones

Since 1986 the site has been protected by UNESCO World Heritage Foundation, Stonehenge attracts more than 1,000,000 visitors a year.

Ratings (Monument)

Category Rating: A
Overall Rating: #1

Comments: Along with Hadrian’s Wall, York and the Tower of London this is my favorite site in England. Take your walking shoes and enjoy the area in and around Stonehenge. It is a fascinating look at what our ancestors were capable of building without modern technology. It will surprise you.

Posted in Can't Miss Sites, Historical Monument, Religious Sites | Comments Off

Hello London!

Posted on July 26, 2012 by teacherideclare

About

London is a vacation destination by itself. It is impossible to see all of the worthy sites in a single trip. Many visitors will see little else of England, which is unfortunate, but there is enough to do in London for a week. 150 years ago England’s empire was global and it was often said that “the sun never sets on the British empire”. At one time the empire ruled over one-fifth of the world’s population. Its impact on societies all over the world is incalculable. Today there are visitors from those countries who may want to come to England to find their ancestral roots or to search England for their societal roots. It is truly an international city.

London is the most visited city in the world. It is the financial capital of Europe and rivals only NYC as the greatest financial center in the world. London has been described as the world’s cultural capital with the largest city airport system measured by passenger traffic. It has the largest concentration of higher education in Europe with more than 43 universities calling London home. There are more than 300 languages spoken within its city boundaries. The London Underground is the oldest underground railway system in the world and the second largest to Shanghai.

360 View of London from the Thames

With almost 13 million residents in metropolitan London, it is one of the busiest cities in the world. It can also be one of the most expensive. Traveling to London can be tricky so make sure that you check online reviews of hotels before making a reservation, even though a travel agency. Bring comfortable shoes and plan to walk a lot! Also, you should plan for congestion when preparing for your trip to London.

Location

London is located in southeast England with the Thames (pronounced “tims” in English) River running through it on the way to the ocean.

My Experience with the Tour Bus

London can be overwhelming and I would suggest taking one of the bus tours available to London visitors. They mostly use double decker buses with an open-air top. There is a guide with a microphone on the top deck pointing out key sights as you drive by. There are lots of anecdotal and historical information provided. Make sure you sit close to the tour guide as it can be difficult to hear when the bus is moving and you don’t want to miss his words. When it rains, as it did when I took the tour, the guide handed out clear-plastic raincoats or ponchos which were helpful. The bottom half of the bus is protected from the elements.

This picture was taken to give a good idea of the double decker tour buses.

This was taken from the London Bridge at the foot of Big Ben Bell Tower.

The bus tour was surprisingly worth the expense of an all-day pass. It stops frequently to allow passengers to sight see in a particular part of town or at a particular sight. You can hop back on the tour bus as it makes frequent stops. I don’t remember waiting more than 15 minutes for a bus to arrive. Most tour bus companies will provide you with a map which shows the bus routes along with key historical sites and can be easily used in planning your day. On the bus tour that I went on there were two routes – an east one through London and a west one through Westminster. An added benefit is the free boat ride on the Thames River that came with my tour bus ticket. I took the boat upriver from the Tower of London to Westminster where I docked at the base of Big Ben. It was included in my original price.

There are 3 major ways to travel around London: 1) underground subway, 2) bus or 3) taxi. By the end of your trip you will more than likely have used all of them. For example, traveling to Hampton Court Palace, which is on the far west
side of London, requires a trip by the underground (in this case it also travels above ground). Taking a cab or a bus might be expensive or time consuming because of traffic in certain instances.

At each stop on the tour bus line are employees who are willing to assist you and even sell you tickets to the major sights. I was skeptical at first about buying tickets from these vendors but, in fact, it turned out to be a good move. There may be two lines at the site – one to buy tickets and another to get into the actual site. Buying your ticket at the bus stop didn’t cost any more money and it saved me from having to stand in line to purchase a ticket. The tour bus workers were knowledgeable, helpful and glad to take my money.

This picture was taken from the tour bus.

Supposedly it makes over $45,000 an hour in revenue. It never stops so people have to walk quickly to get on.

Look for my post soon about transportation which will include advice on using the underground, hailing a taxi or using the bus lines. The Brits have made it easy once you get used to it, but it can take a person several days to understand how they are connected and the best way to get around. I actually find London an easy place to get around after learning how to do it “properly” as they say in England.

I have been to London on business and personal trips more than two dozen times. What surprised me most about the bus tour is how much more I learned from taking this trip. Driving by a residential area our guide pointed out a plaque showing the home of Benedict Arnold, the “American Patriot”. The English look upon Benedict Arnold a little different than Americans. The tour bus will take you by all the major sights and a lot of smaller locations that normally you wouldn’t see on a tourist trip: 1) famous music recording studios, 2) areas of historical events, 3) homes of famous people, 4) famous landmarks and 5) the major shopping areas.

Big Ben is actually the name of the bell in the clock tower that rings every hour.

There are so many great places to shop in London!

I bought my tickets to the tour bus at the concierge desk of my hotel. They offered tickets, brochures and information on all major tourist sites. There was a tour bus stop right across the street. Interesting enough, one of the first things the guide said as I sat down on the upper deck was that Jimmy Hendrix, the guitar legend from the 1960s who sang “Purple Haze”, died in the hotel in which I was staying.

The History of London

Getting to know the history of London may help in understanding the historical sites you wish to visit. The first major settlement called London was founded by the Romans in 43 AD. After defeating King Harold in the Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror came to London. He began building and improving a variety of sites including Westminster Abbey, Westminster Hall and the Palace of Westminster as well as the Tower of London. During the 12th century the institutions of central government became too large for the royal court and increasingly moved to Westminster. Today there are markers that separate London from Westminster but, for the most part, tourists will consider the history of these two cities as one.

There are a multitude of great events in the history of London. After the collapse of the Roman Empire in the 5th century it was largely abandoned. In the 6th century the Anglo-Saxons, Germanic tribes that invaded Britain, created a settlement just west of the original Roman city of London. The Vikings repeatedly raided London in the 9th century. To provide better protection from attacks on the city, thousands moved further east behind the walls of the original Roman settlement. England was unified in the 10th century and London became the center of trade and politics with competition from Winchester, the former capital of the Saxon kingdom of Wessex just west of London on the Thames. The 11th century saw Westminster’s influence grow with King Edward the Confessor and with William the Conqueror after the Battle of Hastings. By the 12th century Westminster became the true capital in governmental terms but London remained England’s largest city and commercial center. In 1100 the city of London was 18,000 but by 1300 it had grown to 100,000.

Globe Theater Live

London lost almost a 1/3 of its population to the Black Death in the mid-14th century. The following Tudor period, 16th century, saw the rise of England as a maritime super-power both militarily and commercially. The second pandemic called the Great Plague killed 100,000 people or 1/5th of the London population. Within a year of the Great Plague, the Great Fire of London burned the city to the ground through a fire which started on Pudding Street. It consumed 13,200 houses, 87 parish churches, St. Paul’s cathedral and most buildings within the old Roman walls. Westminster avoided the tragedy. Rebuilding the city took more than 10 years.

In the late 18th century George III acquired Buckingham House and it was enlarged over the next 75 years. This was the London of “Oliver Twist” when crime was rampant. In response, over 200 crimes were punishable by death with some women and children hanged for petty theft. During this time over 75% of children born in London died before age five.

Amazingly this is the only house not burned in the London fire. Imagine an entire city of houses like this and it was what London looked like in 1666.

Driving by on the tour bus was this exterior entrance to a former Knights Templer Church.

London was the world’s largest city from early in the 19th century to the early 20th century. This period in London history was defined by crowded and poor living conditions, disease, and the urbanization of the population after the industrial revolution. The 20th century saw Britain fighting two world wars. London suffered heavy loss of life and damage during German bombing raids from 1940-1941. Although 16 English cities were bombed, London was bombed 71 times, one time for 57 consecutive nights. Reports differ but deaths from the bombing of London resulted in 20,000-40,000 lives lost.

Planning A Trip To London

Greater London is a thriving metropolis and similar to New York City with regard to traffic, noise, sights, congestion, aggravation and fun. Plan ahead wherever you are going. When planning a sightseeing trip use maps and consider using the Underground first as it is the fastest and least expensive. Taxi drivers are knowledgeable, generally very nice and helpful but there is nothing they can do about the congestion on the roads either. The morning and afternoon rush hours are difficult times to travel regardless of your mode of transportation.
London is known for its great restaurants. Indian, Asian and Middle Eastern food is unmatched. For the less adventurous there is plenty of Italian and American food available. Plan your meals like you do your sightseeing or you will end up eating at a local pub, McDonalds or at your hotel. The concierge desk at any major London hotel can help you find the restaurant that best fits your desire.

This statue indicates the city limits of London and Westminster.

Coming up on the Tower Bridge from the top of my tour bus.

Although there will be another section coming out soon with greater details on hotels it is worth mentioning here that this is something that requires your attention while planning. Allow me to briefly tell you about my last two visits to London. My business partner called me all excited that he had booked us at the Four Seasons Hotel for £100 a night. With the conversion rate at that time it was $160 a night not including tax (20+%). London is one of the most expensive hotel markets in the world. We were making the trip on short notice, availability was limited and the cost much higher than normal so he thought it was a stroke of luck. When we arrived we found out it wasn’t THE Four Seasons Hotel but A Four Seasons hotel. We checked in and had to walk across the street to our rooms and three flights of stairs with our luggage. There was no AC and we happened to be there on one of the few hot London nights. With the windows open the traffic outside was noisy. The bathroom was not big enough for one person. The fan was broken and there was no internet or continental breakfast as promised. We also had to pay £35 just to park our car for the night. Our challenges were completely avoidable if my partner had looked at the internet for reviews of this hotel. Yahoo Travel, Hotels.com and other websites give people the opportunity to rate the hotel. PAY ATTENTION! If he had looked up this particular hotel he would have been forewarned, as we were not the first to make this mistake.
A few weeks later we had to make another trip on short notice. As usual most of the affordable hotels were booked but I found one that looked nice, got good reviews for what is a reasonable price for London. When we arrived to check in they immediately tried to upsell – internet was £15 a day, breakfast another £15, etc. My partner has never found an up-sell he didn’t like.  The hotel staff was friendly, the accommodations acceptable, even nice, but what I could never have determined by the internet reviews was that this hotel mainly catered to tourists from a specific country outside of Europe. Most visitors and staff did not speak English as their first language but at least our rooms were comfortable and clean.

Ratings (London)

Category Rating: A
Overall Rating: #2

Comments: I have been to London several dozen times on business and pleasure. It is impossible to see all of the historical sites. You could plan a trip around just the museums, parks, theatre/shows, monuments, churches, buildings or palaces. Even though some of my favorite sightseeing locations are outside of London proper you will enjoy every visit to this wonderful, global city. Take a double decker tour bus the first couple of days you are there so that you can become informed, get your bearings and see some of the sights that you normally wouldn’t even know were there unless you took the tour.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_vK8XXgQ6I&feature=plcp]

Posted in Can't Miss Sites, London | Comments Off

Skipton Castle

Posted on July 24, 2012 by teacherideclare

About

Skipton Castle was designed to be a medieval fortress but now her imposing walls attract thousands of visitors a year.  Skipton Castle is one of the best preserved medieval castles since its modernization and has survived virtually unaltered for more than 300 years.  If you want to see what living in a castle was really like hundreds of years ago this is the place to visit.  Many castles across England are in ruins from previous wars or bad need of repair due to age.

Location

Skipton is west of Leeds in the Yorkshire Dales.  This is an area that is deeply under appreciated by tourists.  Northwest of Manchester, it is only a 1½ hour drive.

My Experience

Skipton was not on my original list of castles to explore but on a previous trip to Bolton Castle, also in the Yorkshire Dales, I was told it was worth seeing.  It was a worthwhile suggestion.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnETDqMgr_I&feature=plcp]

Most castles are in constant repair or are in disrepair.  Dukes and Duchess’, Lords and Ladies’ who in many cases still own the castles just do not have the massive resources it takes to update or maintain a 300-900 year old fortress.  Skipton Castle was restored after the English Civil War when Cromwell’s troops “slighted” the castles defenses – a term which means the walls and towers were left in ruins and the wooden floors and roofs were burned.  It was to ensure the castle would not be used as a fortress again.

Lots of people enjoying the late afternoon in the pub.

Great place to shop, visit and stay

What a pleasant surprise Skipton turned out to be – both the town and the castle.  I visited on a late Sunday afternoon and everyone in the town seemed to be out socializing.  The town was clean with lots of great old shops, nice restaurant/pubs and rooms to let.  There are some towns in England that beg you to stop, walk around and learn their history.  Skipton is one of those towns.

Looking out of one of the castle rooms.

Lady Ann Clifford planted this yew tree almost 300 years ago to commemorate the rebuilding of the castle.

The castle was the most complete castle I have seen to date.  Although the old kitchens, bedrooms, halls and watchtowers are no longer feasible to live in the castle appears much as it was 300 years ago.  For that alone it is a castle worth visiting.  The castle has a number of unique features like the courtyard in the center of the castle.

This small area is where the Lord and Lady ate. The area is offset from the remainder of the banquet hall. The closer you sat to the Lord and Lady the more important you were seen socially.

The scorch marks are still seen above the fireplace.

Because of the pristine condition a casual visitor can get a good visual representation of what everyday life was like in various areas of a medieval castle; the kitchen, the drawing rooms, the banquet halls, the bedrooms, the wine and beer cellars, the curing room and the watchtowers.  This alone was worth the visit.  There are tales and stories in all ruins but Skipton offers the experience of seeing firsthand what life was like in a medieval castle.

I learned that all workers in the kitchen were men who worked half naked due to the heat of the two fireplaces.  It would have been crowded, hot and smelly.  Water was scarce with only a single source within the castle.  Wood pipes carried the water into the castle but during times of siege inhabitants had to rely on rain water collected in a cistern under the “Conduit Courtyard” in the center of the castle.

This room was the center of activity for the castle. Dinner was served daily with guests.

The banqueting hall was the center gathering location of the medieval castle.  The Lord and Lady of the house dined each day with their guests usually just before noon.  The chamberlain, responsible for sitting arrangements, became a popular figure in the medieval household as social standing was indicated by the location a person sat relative to the high table and to others.

The unique towers offered great protection against potential attackers.

At one time a mote would have surrounded the castle. To enter a person would have had to cross a drawbridge.

The castle is well protected with 3 of the original drum towers standing today.  Watchtowers with narrow arrow slits allowed the defense a strong position in the event of an attack.  At one time a moat surrounded Skipton Castle and visitors, as well as enemies, had to cross a drawbridge to enter the castle.

During the medieval times water was a source of sickness.  Ground water was soiled with waste and contaminants from humans.  People realized they could drink ale or beer and stay healthy.  For some reason it took centuries for people to realize it was the heating process of the beer that killed the germs in the water.  It wasn’t unusual for children as well as adults to drink beer during this time but wine was saved for royalty.  Most castles had a brewery located in is lower areas near the kitchen.

This is the original chapel which became a stable and has since been restored. It was used only by the Cliffords and those who work on site.

The chapel, located outside the walls on the castle grounds, was built in the 12th century!  It is dedicated to St. John the Evangelist and was reserved for use by the Lord and Lady of the castle, the castle residents, the garrison and a single local farmer.  The last two recorded uses were in 1635 and 1637 for a marriage and baptism.  It was later converted to a stable but recently restored.  There is another church just outside the castle grounds where the people of the community worshiped.

The Background and History

William of Normandy (Normans were of Viking heritage from what is now France) attacked and defeated King Harold of England in the Battle of Hastings in 1066.  Harold had promised not to seek the throne when King Edward the Confessor died.  William had claim to the throne as the illegitimate son of the Robert I, Duke of Normandy since Edward didn’t leave an heir.  However upon the King’s death Harold indeed accepted the crown.  Harold was killed at the Battle of Hastings and William of Normandy became William the Conqueror.

The Normans now controlled England and moved quickly to secure their power.  Shortly after the Battle of Hastings, Robert De Romille, a Norman baron, built a wooden fort where Skipton Castle is today.  It didn’t hold up well against the raiding Scots from the north so a stone fortress was built.  King Edward I of England bought the castle for £100 (100 pounds today is $150 but in that a large sum of money) and granted it to the Clifford family in 1310.

The history of the castle is tied to the Clifford family as Robert Clifford became Lord Clifford of Skipton and Guardian of the Craven, the land north and west of the castle.  The elder Clifford was killed at the Battle of Bannockburn, in which the Scots soundly defeated the British, shortly after the castle was fortified in 1314.

Skipton Castle

There were several Cliffords of note during their ownership.  The 9th and 10th Lord Clifford of Skipton, John Skipton (1430-1461), was known as “Bloody Clifford” and “the butcher” because of his savagery in battle.  Shakespeare’s Henry VI, parts II and III, records how John slaughtered many Yorkists in the War of the Roses (between royal family in York and royal family in Lancaster).  John Skipton killed the Duke of York and his son in revenge for killing his father Thomas Clifford.  He then placed the Duke’s head over the gates of York.  He himself was killed at the Battle of Towton.

His son, Henry was sent to Cumberland by his mother where he tended sheep in hiding until he was restored as the 10th Lord by Henry VII.  From that time onward he was always known as “the Shepherd Lord”.  Some of the cannons in the castle today were brought back from the Battle of Flodden in which he helped to defeat the Scottish.  James IV, the Scottish king, was killed in the battle having the distinction of being the last British monarch to be killed in action.

George Clifford, 3rd Earl of Cumberland and 13th Lord Skipton (1558-1608) squandered a fortune before he was 30 and then turned to privateering to regain his wealth.  He commanded the Elizabeth Bonaventure against the Spanish Armada.  He was responsible for sacking Puerto Rico in 1598.  However none of his adventures against the Spanish regained his wealth and he died in 1598 in debt.

Skipton Castle 2

During the British Civil War the castle would have interesting footnote.  Castle Skipton was the last Royalist bastion in the north against Oliver Cromwell.  After a three year siege a surrender was negotiated between Cromwell and the Royalists.  Lord Skipton was able to leave the castle in full regalia with his troops.  Cromwell “slighted” the castle to ensure it could not be used again as a fortress.  To commemorate the event Lady Anne Clifford (1590-1676) planted a Yew tree which stands today in the Conduit Courtyard and made the repairs to the castle that are evident today.

Ratings (Castle)

Category Rating: A

Overall Rating: #3

Comments:  The castle, the town and the Yorkshire Dale are worth the trip.  Take a day to explore the castle, shop in the town and enjoy this wonderful site.

Posted in Castles | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Chatsworth

Posted on July 15, 2012 by teacherideclare

About

Chatsworth calls itself a “family home, a working community and a living landscape”. Personally, I would call it a palace. This estate has been lived in for five centuries by the same family. Today the house is part of a charity – the Chatsworth House Trust. The Duke and Duchess of Devonshire pay rent to live here and work with the charity to welcome guests to the property. Unlike a lot of sites that I visit this is a location that remains an integral part of current English history. Prince Charles is friends with the Duke and Duchess and, according to the Chatsworth spokesperson, is a frequent visitor in his helicopter.

Location

Chatsworth is located in the Peak District of Derbyshire, southeast of Manchester about 60 miles.

My Experience

I arrived earlier than usual and less prepared. Normally I research the sights prior to visiting but didn’t have a chance this time. As I drove up the winding road I saw the magnificent palace and took pictures from afar. It is nestled in a valley with a beautiful river running through it. The landscape is speckled with white dots that are “free roaming sheep”. You actually approach Chatsworth from higher ground as you enter the property. It sits on the side of a magnificent hill with a garden next to it that is beyond description.

I drove into the parking lot at 9:00 a.m. and there was no one around. Chatsworth is beautiful, magnificent and breathtaking all in one. I cannot imagine anyone living in such an opulent place. A groundskeeper walked out and told me the garden opened at 10:30 a.m. and the house at 11:00 a.m. Two free hours to explore the area so I was on my way!

There are portions of the outer wall that are almost 1000 years old.

Some cools designs in the gardens.

Chatsworth sits in a geographic area full of history. In the extra time provided I was able to find three enjoyable locations that I had no plans of visiting and in fact didn’t even know were there when my journey began. Haddon Hall was a 15 minute drive up the road and an estate home built like a small castle dating back almost 1,000 years. Parts of it date back to Norman rule of England (after 1066). I drove through an interesting community called Rowsley just beyond Haddon Hall. There were two magnificent pubs in the area: the Grouse and the Clarinet and the Peacock. The Peacock is an imposing pub with rooms “to let” for the night, like a hotel, dating back hundreds of years. The Grouse and the Clarinet is a youthful 150 years old but also terrific. I stopped at The Grouse for tea and toast and the manager took me around the rooms upstairs. Rowsley is centrally located in the center of the Peak District between Haddon Hall and Chatsworth. It would be a great place to spend the night while visiting the area.

It is owned by the Lord of Haddon Hall. It was built in the 1600s.

Only 150 years old but very, very nice. Great place to stay.

There was also a delightful gated community that caught my attention as I entered the Chatsworth property so I drove back with some time still to spare. Edensor (pronounced Ensor) was amazing. Built by the 4th Duke of Devonshire for his house and property workers, Edensor is a gated community available to all with a variety of cottages from varying European architecture styles built 200 years ago. In the center of the community is a beautiful steeple church.

From the back end of the village looking towards the front gate.

Loved this house.

I was fortunate to find some women walking their dogs and didn’t miss an opportunity to learn more about the community. They explained how the village had once been across the road but the 4th Duke was upset he could see the peasants’ houses from Chatsworth. So he had a new village built and moved the community across the street. All the houses today are still filled by the families of people who work at the house. Widows and widowers are allowed to stay there until they pass or desire to move out. Interestingly enough there was one house that remained on the opposite side of the road. According to legend an elderly man lived in the house that the Duke didn’t want to disturb so he allowed him to stay. His home, as you can see from the picture above, rests in a low spot just outside the village. Without the work of Chatsworth staff it wouldn’t take long to look much different by the forces of nature and the wear of 1,000,000 visitors a year to the property.

I returned to Chatsworth about 10:30 and the parking lot was full of buses and cars. People were everywhere, which says a lot about this attraction. It isn’t close to London and is a bit of a drive outside of Manchester. I paid £15 (about $22) and bought the garden and house pass. It was well worth it.

The trees and flower are amazing.

This is the view from the temple looking down past the fountain.

I started off by spending about 1½ hours in the garden. To the best of my recollection I have never spent that long in a garden but this was not like any I have ever seen. You will see from the pictures I took how splendid and beautiful it was. It was a joy to walk around on a sunny English morning. The garden ended up being my favorite part of the tour.

The home was built to entertain the King and Queen but they never visited when it was built. This was a large hall with a big fireplace.

Can you imagine eating here?

The house is like nothing I have ever seen. It is more like a living museum than a home with life size portraits, books, paintings, sculptures, precious metals, ceramics, textiles, minerals, furniture and other valuable collectibles from the previous five centuries. I couldn’t even begin to speculate how much money in valuable paintings and sculptures the house had and of course there is no price on old carriages, armor and other pieces of historical value. If I have a criticism it was almost too much. Maybe it was because I was in a hurry to see as many sights as possible but this is one place that requires a full half day or more. There was so much history to take in I felt overwhelmed.

Just another ceiling painting…ho hum.

The last room of the house. Simply amazing.

Opulent. That is the only word to describe the home. Estate, palace, manor, mansion….it is all of those things and more. I couldn’t help wonder how people could live with so much when others had so little. Royalty is important to the English people and the average person only spends £75 (about $115) a year in taxes to support the royals, as tourism brings in funds to support it. The Duke and Duchess share part of the house and the garden with visitors 364 days a year so it is hard to say they are not generous.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2nFSsIVtaA&feature=plcp]

There are some great areas to picnic, buy lunch, a playground for the kids and lots of places to sit and enjoy the scenery.

The Background and History

Bess of Hardwick was born in Derbyshire and persuaded her second husband, Sir William Cavendish, to buy Chatsworth in 1549. She lived in Chatsworth, a much smaller house at that time, while he spent time at the Royal court in London, a six day journey by horseback or carriage. At that time Derbyshire was a wild and isolated place. She turned the property around and produced luxurious foods from fruit in the orchards, placed carp in the fish ponds, rabbits in the warren and deer in the park (it is illegal to hunt anything in England today).

A lot of times these rooms were used for walking so royals could get exercise indoors, out of the rain and cold.

Look at the size of the tapestries.

Bess was married four times and rose from gentry to the highest aristocracy. She and Sir William Cavendish built Chatsworth with the money he made in the service of King Henry VIII. Since Bess there have been a string of colorful and interesting characters that owned and resided in the house. Bess’s second son was given an Earldom. Since the Earl of Derbyshire was already taken he was given the vacant title of the Earl of Devonshire. The 2nd Earl rebuilt the family fortune after the extravagances of the 1st Earl. The Cavendish family supported King Charles I in the English Civil War. After the King’s defeat the 3rd Earl narrowly avoided losing Chatsworth to Parliament. It was the 4th Earl who rebuilt Chatsworth as a Baroque palace, a reflection of his power and ambition. He helped bring William III and Queen Mary II to the throne and they rewarded him with a Dukedom in 1694. The Devonshire House became the center of the Whig party during the 5th Duke’s life and his wife Georgina reigned as queen of society and fashion. For two decades she and the Duke lived in a relationship with Elizabeth Foster who married the Duke after Georgina’s death. The 6th Duke was referred to as “the Bachelor Duke” who was the first major collector. His Head Gardener redesigned and expanded the garden. The Duke also had a door built to provide his Gardener with personal access to his bedroom. The 7th Duke struggled to regain the wealth after the extravagances of the 6th Duke. The 8th Duke refused the Queen’s invitation to become Prime Minister three times. He had to sell off major portions of his family’s land in Ireland to pay the inheritance tax. The 9th Duke was the nephew of the childless 8th Duke. He improved Chatsworth and was Governor-General of Canada. The 10th Duke invited a girls’ school to use Chatsworth during WWII. His oldest son William was killed in action. His son’s wife was Kathleen Kennedy, sister to President John F. Kennedy, who died in an airplane crash. It was the 11th Duke of Devonshire, when faced with an 80% inheritance tax of his land and possessions, who created the Chatsworth House Trust to protect its collections for future generations of visitors. The current Duke and Duchess live at Chatsworth and pay rent to the trust. They have 3 children and 9 grandchildren.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kTR2vnGMno&feature=plcp]

Mary Queen of Scots, a colorful and interesting character in English royalty and politics, was brought to Chatsworth several times as Queen Elizabeth I’s prisoner.  There is a story that she used this platform, referred to today as “Queen Mary’s Bower” as an exercise ground.

Used for exercise?

Was it really used for exercise? Legend says yes.

She was best known as the mother of James I, famous for the King James Bible translation. She was the great-granddaughter of Margaret Tudor, sister to Henry VIII and had a claim to the English throne equal to that of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I.  Mary was the daughter of James V of Scotland becoming Queen of Scotland upon his death.  She married Dauphin Francis who would eventually become King of France.  Mary now had claim to the throne of Scotland, England and France.  The English were afraid that if she became Queen of England that she would abdicate the throne to France.

This was a very turbulent time in England and Scotland.  Wars were being fought over Catholicism and Protestantism.  Henry VIII had split the Church of England from the Catholic Church and made the throne of England head of the English church.  Wars continued across England for generations on which was the rightful church.  As an American it is difficult to understand the amount of death and destruction created in the name of these two Christian denominations.

What Mary Queen of Scots saw from the top of the Bower

Look at all of the sheep poop. Why do they go up and down the Bower?

Back to the Queen Mary’s Bower, this small building was surrounded by a pond that was fed from the river.  Evidently people fished from the top of the building for sport or food.  As you can see from the picture above there is a large grass area on top of the Bower.  Legend is that Mary used this area as an exercise area.  Mary was kept under guard off and on at Chatsworth for 11 years but was treated like royalty by her cousin, Queen Elizabeth.

Standing in the beautiful sunshine I looked around from the Bower at the grounds of Chatsworth and could almost imagine Mary Queen of Scots walking around this small grassy area enjoying the scenery.  No doubt if Mary had been next to me she would have wondered the same thing I did – how in the world did the sheep, which are allowed to roam free on the estate, manage to get up the stone steps to the top of the Bower?  Sheep manure was everywhere and created an odor that made it hard to ignore.  Stepping carefully I walked down the steps and returned to my car.  It is easy to imagine Mary on the Bower taking in the scenery, walking around stretching her legs or maybe even fishing some 500 years ago.

As previously mentioned Prince Charles and Camilla are frequent visitors. In June 2012 the Queen celebrated 60 years of rule. There was an enormous ceremony in London that is referred to as the “Queen’s Diamond Jubilee”. She flew to Chatsworth for a reception afterwards.

Ratings (Estates ad Royal Houses)

Category Rating: A

Overall Rating: #1

Comments:  It is hard to imagine as impressive as the house is that a garden could be equally or even more impressive.  The Peak District is splendid with lots of rolling green hills and surprises around the corner.  Stay at the Grouse and Clarinet in Rowsley and take a couple of days to see Haddon Hall, Edensor, Chatsworth and Bolsover Castle which isn’t too far.  It is a great place for the family to enjoy.

Posted in Estates and Royal Houses | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Bronte Museum and Parsonage

Posted on July 13, 2012 by teacherideclare

The front of the house. The view is what the house looked like from the church. The far right wing was added to the parsonage by the Curator which followed Patrick Bronte. Today it is part of the museum

About

Charlotte, Emily and Ann Bronte are three sisters that are part of one of the most famous literary families in history.  Within a span of 2 years the three sisters each published a book considered a classic even today.  For the time they were ground breaking and somewhat controversial.  The story of their lives is almost as good as their books.

It is difficult for trees to grow in the rocky, marshy moors.

Location

In the Penines, northwest of Manchester

My Experience

After visiting the Bronte home there is a deeper appreciation for what they accomplished as writers 150 years ago.  It wasn’t until I pulled up to the Bronte Parsonage Museum that I realized that their father Patrick Bronte was a minister.  The house stood on a side hill with a large parking lot below surprisingly full of cars late in the afternoon.  The house and grounds were busy with people yet it was relatively quiet as many had come to pay their respects, show their appreciation or learn more about these young women who died tragically in their prime.  The majority of the crowd on first glance was largely female.

Walking from the parking lot to the Bronte home the cemetery laid below the house to my left, the house to my right.  When the girls stood on their front porch their view was of the church clock tower with the cemetery on the grounds of the church like all other churches in England.

The house has been restored to look as much as possible like it did in 1850.  An American businessman in the 1920s purchased the property from the parish and began to purchase artifacts from friends and family to build a museum.  I have seen few buildings restored so accurately based on old photos.  What really made the museum interesting is the amount of personal information about the girls, the family and the life they lived.  Included in the museum were personal dairies, papers, pictures, poems and historical information from their best friends that has been saved.  The museum housed the couch on which Emily died, dresses Charlotte wore and the bed where the family prayed as their brother Branwell tragically died at 30 after a life of unfulfilled promise.  Each of the girls was soon to follow.  The rooms had some of the same furniture and artifacts that were there when they were alive.

There was a great deal of reverence and hushed tones as people walked from room to room.  Even if you haven’t read the books you will find the museum interesting and their story is well worth learning.  There were many personal surprises about each of the girls and their lives.

The hill above the Bronte’s house was their backyard.

The front of the house. The view is what the house looked like from the church. The far right wing was added to the parsonage by the Curator which followed Patrick Bronte. Today it is part of the museum

After my self-tour I walked out back of the house, up a trail and sat on a bench in a field above the house.  The museum curator told me that the area looked almost exactly as it did when the girls were growing up.  The only thing really different were the trees in the graveyard.  Today there are a lot of large shade trees in and around the house and cemetery.

Click Here To See The Front of Brontes House

Patrick Bronte, the father, outlived 5 daughters, a son and a wife.  He committed his life’s work to God and was devout until the end.  He was the foundation that kept the family together through difficult times.  The first of his family to attend university he taught his daughters the importance of education and supported their ventures in writing.

Walking through the house you can almost hear the interaction and feel the closeness of the sisters who walked the kitchen every night creating stories, reading their writings out loud and encouraging each other.  Their novels were more collaborative than I imagined even though their styles were different.

Click Here To See The Cemetery in Front of Bronte Home

I left feeling melancholy.  There is a sadness that surrounds the house.  Was it the short and tragic lives they lived?  Was the difficult time in which they lived?  The Bronte sisters left a legacy, something of significance to people beyond the time in which they lived.  Visiting the house reinforces the importance of their writings, their message.  I think they would have been pleased.

The Background and History

The Bronte family is one of the most famous literary families.  Charlotte wrote Jane Eyre (1847), Emily wrote Wuthering Heights (1847) and Ann wrote The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848).  Each novel was written in Bronte house over 150 years ago yet their books still move people today.  The Bronte’s sisters wrote under the pseudonyms Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell.  Women weren’t supposed to write novels that in that time were considered “direct with powerful emotional energy”.  Some critics of the time called the writings “coarse” and “brutal”.

The enduring myth of the Brontes living a life in isolation was tragedy and probably unintentionally created by the girls’ themselves.  By writing in pseudonyms the sisters created a veil of mystery around them and many people speculated to the true identity of the Bells.  A great deal of mystery surrounded the “Bells” and Charlotte and Emily had to go to London to convince the publisher in person that there were truly three sisters and not just one.

The Bronte family lived most of their life in Haworth, a non-descript town in the Penines; foothills just northwest of Manchester in northern England a 5 day horse ride to London.  The family moved to Haworth when Charlotte, the youngest, was 5 years old.  The sisters’ formative years and writing styles were developed in Haworth amid the dramatic landscape of the surrounding moors.

This picture was taken from the graveyard that stands below the Bronte Parsonage. The church is currently having some restoration work done on it.

The Penines are a beautiful backdrop of lovely rolling hills with few trees due to the swampy, rocky landscape.  The weather plays an important role in all of the sisters’ novels and it continues to play an important role in life today in the moors.  English weather is unpredictable but wet and cool most of the year.  The United Kingdom (Ireland/England/Scotland) is more north than Canada yet the UK has a warmer climate because of the jet stream that sends warm water up from the equator over the Atlantic Ocean past England.  It is this clash of weather systems that creates a cold, misty, foggy and raining climate especially in the north of England where the Bronte’s lived.

A mistake some readers make assumes that the Bronte’s wrote exclusively about real life places, people and events.  Few understood the amount of creativity nurtured by growing up in the Bronte parsonage.  In the twenty years prior to the publication of their novels the girls created the imaginary lands of Angria and Gondal which they used as a collaborative literary apprenticeship.  These make-believe worlds were where the Bronte sisters created their own individual characters that lived and interacted with each other’s.  When their father bought their brother toy soldiers the girls gave each toy soldier a name and created a fantasy world for them as well.  They even wrote tiny books about them small enough for the toy soldiers to read!  There are examples of these small books on display at the museum.  You need a magnifying glass to read them.

Despite the beautiful scenery and openness of the moors Haworth was overcrowded and an unhealthy place to live.  A report compiled by the General Board of Health in 1850 attributed much of this ill health to the cramped living conditions and the lack of privies or restrooms (1 to every 4.5 houses).  The only sewage system was open channels running down the Main Street.  According to Charlotte’s 1857 biographer, Elizabeth Gaskell, this is the reason why the Brontes took their walk towards the moors rather than towards the long descending village street.

It is the same view but there weren’t any trees in the graveyard in 1850.

To make matters worse, the drinking water was contaminated by not only sewage but from the seepage from the graveyard above the village.  The Brontre’s parsonage was fortunate to have two privies and access to a private well fed by the moorland springs.  However their close proximity to the ill-drained, dangerously over-filled graveyard was a constant threat to their health.  The General Board of Health noted in 1850 there had been 1344 burials in the previous 10 years alone.  That is an average over 9 people a month dying and being buried in the cemetery near their home for over 10 years.  The banging of the stone mason’s hammer against the chisel making names on tombstones must have been constant reminder of the fragility of life in the moors in their lifetime.

The General Board of Health recommended that the graveyard be closed immediately.  The Board was appalled to discover the cemetery covered graves with large flat stones that prevented the growth of plants which would assist decomposition.  How challenging was it to live in Haworth where the Bronte’s lived?  41% of children died before the age of six.  Haworth’s average life expectancy of 25 years in1850 corresponded to some of the worst districts of London.

Click Here to See The Back of the Bronte Sister's Home

Patrick Brunty was educated at St. John’s College in Cambridge.  His original surname was dropped in favor of the more impressive sounding Bronte.  By the time he moved to Haworth he was a published author of poetry and fiction.  In 1821 his wife, Elizabeth Branwell, died of cancer.  Her unmarried sister gave up a comfortable life to come to the Moors and help Patrick raise the kids.  Patrick sent his two oldest daughters, Maria and Elizabeth, to Clergy Daughter’s school.  Both daughters came back sick and died within a month of each other, 10 and 11 years old.  For the next few years the remaining children lived at home.  However their father’s lack of private income meant the daughters would have to work at one of the only jobs readily available to them – governesses.

To varying degrees the girls had success as governesses but eventually they decided to set up a school of their own at the parsonage.  Although not enough students could be found to start the school it did bring the girls’ home again where they continued to write.  In early 1846 the girls published a book of their poems at their own expenses.  Only two copies were sold.  Later in 1846 the sisters were gaining the attention of publishers in London.  In 1847-48 Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall were published to the delight of readers across England.   Family tragedy wasn’t far behind the success.

Branwell was the only boy of the family and probably showed the greatest promise of the Brontes in childhood.  He failed in his first profession as a portrait painter in Leeds.  He returned home in debt and went to work for the railroad where he was promoted as a clerk before being terminated for poor performance.  Next he tried being a tudor for the Robinson’s son at Thorp Green Hall, a large estate near York.  He would return home again after a self-admitted affair with Mrs. Robinson.  Branwell never recovered from this last blow and turned to alcohol and opium.  According to Mrs. Gaskell, Charlotte’s biographer, Branwell’s great conversational talents “procured him the undesirable distinction of having his company recommended by the landlord of the Black Bull (local pub in Haworth) to any chance traveler who might happen to feel solitary or dull over his liquor.”  On his deathbed Branwell was to have spoken, “In all my past life I have done nothing either good or great”.  Charlotte spoke at his funeral, “Branwell was his father’s and sisters’ pride and hope in manhood, but since manhood the case has been otherwise.  It has been our lot to see him take a wrong bent….and now to behold the sudden obscure close of what might have been a noble career.”

In September 1848 Branwell died of tuberculosis at 31.  In December of the same year Emily died of tuberculosis at age 30.  Five months later Anne died of tuberculosis as well.  Charlotte was the only one of six children still alive.  She married her father’s assistant curator Arthur Bell Nicholls in June of 1854 and from all accounts was happy.  They lived in the Bronte house until Charlotte’s death ten months later in 1855 in the early stages of pregnancy.

Ratings (Author/Musician)

Category Rating: A

Overall Rating: #2

Comments:  The Yorkshire Dales where the house is located is beautiful and has lots of sights for families and children to see.  If you in Manchester, Liverpool or Leeds it is well worth the drive.  Take a day and visit the Bolton or Skipton castle, see the waterfalls in the national park nearby or enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Penines.

Posted in Can't Miss Sites, Musicians and Authors | Comments Off

The Beatles

Posted on July 4, 2012 by teacherideclare

The Beatle Museum

About

The Beatles were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Star. They were just four regular lads from post-WWII Liverpool in northwest England that took the world by rock-n-roll storm. The Beatles are the bestselling rock band of all time with over 1 billion units sold.

Location

Liverpool and suburbs, northwest England.

My Experience

All Beatles fans have a favorite album and mine was the White Album. They were unwittingly chronicling life in the 1960s and early 1970s. No one can argue their impact on music, culture or entertainment. They were talented, funny, interesting, outrageous and moving. I remember as a young man hoping The Beatles would continue forever – song after song was a hit for years of my childhood. Listening to pop, hip-hop and rap today it makes me appreciate more how my parents felt when they heard Revolution #9 or I am the Walrus.

Liverpool had been a frequent business stop in my professional travels but I never had the time to see The Beatle sites. I woke up one brisk fall Saturday morning and knew it was time to visit Liverpool before winter began. My day started at the most historically significant place in in the area – the docks. Liverpool was an important port in northern England for hundreds of years but during WWII it played a key role in shipping and receiving goods needed by England for war against the Germans. Today the docks contain historical sites from past centuries as well as being the home to The Beatles Museum. It has a rather a non-descript entrance, across from a large Ferris Wheel, which leads down into the basement of a building. Once inside the magical mystery tour began.

The layout of the museum was chronological and lain out in three sections: 1) small areas about each of the individual Beatles as children, 2) The Beatle Years and 3) individual Beatle performers after the breakup. The first part of the museum was fascinating, the second memorable and the third section made me melancholy. I discovered that although John, Paul, George and Ringo truly loved one another they never overcame being a Beatle. The moth and the flame may be a good metaphor. The moth is drawn to the flame as someone may be attracted to fame, fortune and/or success. However the danger for the moth is being consumed by the fire to which it is attracted. It is also the biggest danger for us. Being a Beatle became all consuming.

They were war babies. Liverpool was still trying to recover from the intense and regular German bombing in 1940-1941 known as “The Blitz”. War had been over for more than a decade as The Beatles began their journey and life was beginning again for Liverpuglians. After two world wars back to back England and all of Europe still needed decades of healing. It was out of this unlikely period The Beatles were born. People were ready to put death and destruction behind and look for something beyond war.

John, Paul and George were drawn to each other in their teenage years. Ringo Starr would later join the band to make it complete. The core of The Beatles lived on and off in Hamburg, Germany from 1960-1962. This experience widened their reputation, taught them the importance of entertainment and led to their first recording which introduced them to Brian Epstein. Besides George Martin, Epstein would become the most important person in the life of The Beatles.

No one could have recognized the impact on the music world these four young, fun and talented young men would have on other people’s lives. Longtime producer of The Beatles, George Martin was contacted and asked to audition The Beatles. Unknown to him all the other studios had already turned them down. Against George’s better judgment he decided to sign them to a record deal. Why? Because of their personalities – they were very engaging. He wasn’t particularly impressed with their musical talent but found them irresistible and entertaining.

As I walked through the museum reading, listening and looking at the exhibits it reinforced the genius of George Martin. Although they were to become one of the most popular bands of all time George believed the key to their success was their humor and ability to entertain. They were engaging and difficult for anyone to ignore. It was these attributes, rather than pure musical genius, that helped The Beatles to become legend. They were having fun. They were Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band.

British humor is cynical and silly, more akin to the Three Stooges than Saturday Night Live. No subject is sacred and in fact it is the ability to subtly attack the obvious which makes British humor unique. To fully understand and appreciate it you might have to live in Britain for a period of time to fully experience it. Walking through the museum I asked how myself how I could have missed it. The Beatles were funny. Prior to my Liverpool trip The Beatles were rebellious crusaders influencing my life with their songs. Their music chronicled the spirit of the ‘60s and ‘70s either remaining one step ahead or creating the next phase. They were mystical, free spirited, unusually expressive for the time and covered taboo topics.

Halfway through the museum the story of The Beatles took a turn I wasn’t expecting. The breakup of The Beatles over forty years ago was hard for millions of fans and devotees. All great acts have to end but I always felt like The Beatles were less entertainment, more social movement. Their breakup left me feeling unfulfilled. I wanted more from The Beatles. I felt victimized by how they had allowed outside forces to penetrate the band and destroy them from the inside.

Yet The Beatles Museum allowed me to see for the first time how the fabric of the group began to unravel under the pressure of being “The Beatles”. As pressure to perform from the outside grew they lost their personal identity and became first and foremost a Beatle. Lost were the individual lives of John Paul, George or Ringo. It was during this time their earnest search began first as a group and then as individuals to find themselves again. It was the selfish desires of a generation of Baby Boomers that created an insatiable appetite for more “Beatles”. Life became impossible for these four young men from Liverpool. John, Paul, John and Ringo were being slowly suffocated by The Beatles. As I walked through the museum I recognized the pain, the frustration, even anger that permeated their music. Alcohol, drugs and sex can only numb the pain for a finite period of time.

The end of the museum was rooms which were tributes to John, Paul, George and Ringo; their lives after the Beatles. I walked from room to room and soaked in the differences of these four men who had for so long been identified as one. In the end they were like me, like us. They knew sorrow, loneliness, family dysfunction, failure, success and in the end just wanted to live an enjoyable life. None of The Beatles could have ever seen what was coming when they started. Paul and Ringo in particular had fond memories of The Beatles but John and George seemed to suffer for their role in The Beatles. Few people ever experience the crushing weight that fame can have on lives. These Liverpool lads did love each other; that much is obvious but in some ways they resented each other too. They became too close, their identities intertwined in each other in a way that may have been impossible to separate completely. The crushing pressure to perform, the intense gravity of their fans contributed to their breakup more than the selfish, internal struggles that I had always imagined.

As you leave the museum there is a room with a white piano in the center on which John Lennon was supposed to have written the song Imagine. A pair of his round, dark glasses sat on top of the baby grand as Imagine played softly overhead, over and over again. It was a haunting moment; my sadness surprised me. I came to the museum to celebrate a musical group that was part of my childhood. I left realizing the price paid by these four men to make music I enjoyed.

I felt emotionally drained walking up the steps and into The Beatles store. Buying something “Beatle” would make me feel better. The genius that was The Beatles continues as I spent $50 dollars on merchandise; it seemed to make me feel better. In the end they were less band, more marketing than I imagined.
The red double decker tour buses leave the docks regularly full of tourists from all over the world to see The Beatle sites in and around Liverpool. With limited time I found the addresses Paul and John’s youth on-line and took off in search of where it all began.

Finding John’s house wasn’t easy. Neither Paul nor John actually lived in Liverpool proper but in the suburbs. John lived with his aunt and uncle in Woolton. Paul lived with his family in nearby Allerton. On my way to John’s house I drove past Penny Lane before realizing it. It is an intersection where the lads got haircuts and caught the bus into Liverpool. It was nothing like I envisioned.

Once in Woolton I had trouble finding John’s home. I stopped and asked at least a half a dozen people of different ages in the area for directions. Surprisingly at least half of them didn’t know who John Lennon was. Finally I found John’s home on a busy street that I had already passed several times. The Lennon and McCartney home tours allow you to go inside their homes. Pulling into the small driveway I stopped my car outside the gate and took pictures. Standing in front of John Lennon’s childhood home was as inspiring as standing at Hadrian’s Wall or Stonehenge. That surprised me.

In searching for John’s house I came across Strawberry Fields accidentally. There was a busy road, a narrow street going up a hill behind John’s house. During John’s childhood Strawberry Fields was a Salvation Army home for orphans. It still is. John and his friends used to walk up the hill and play in the gardens (to the British a garden is more akin to “yard” in America).

There are two entrances with small red, ornate gates leading into the small complex which were closed. One of the gates served as a memorial to The Beatles with letters, dried up flowers and notes outside the gate on the ground. The other gate was the main entrance by which people left and entered the property with their vehicles. The gate was framed by rock walls on both sides. One the stones read “Strawberry Fields”. I began to understand how their childhoods were transformed into songs that became bigger than life. They drew from creativity in ways I could never understand unless I had seen it myself.

John’s house was nicer than Paul’s, which surprised me. John lived with his aunt and uncle in a semi-detached cottage. While he was living at this house his mother was struck and killed by a drunk driving civil servant nearby as she walking down the road. I am not sure John ever got over it.

Although Paul lived in Allerton there was no real obvious geographic marker that would have told me they lived in different suburbs. Paul’s home would be better described as an apartment in America. Getting out of my car I read the small nondescript plaque near the street identifying it as Paul’s home. There was no one else on the street which I found strange.

There are large parks in and around the area where Paul and John grew up. It was a good 20 minute walk to John’s house from Paul’s which makes me think they probably rode bicycles from one house to another as young men. I would have.

Driving past Penny Lane on my way back to Liverpool I felt conflicting emotions. Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields were nothing like I expected but more real than ever. The journey became more personal than I expected.

I found a parking space in downtown Liverpool as the sun was getting low in the sky. Parking is a challenge all over England. No matter where you park you have to pay. Money is placed into a coin operated machine at the end of the street or parking lot. The ticket is then displayed on your dashboard. The fines for not doing so are pretty steep. It was a long day but it wouldn’t have been complete without seeing “The Cavern” firsthand. This is the night club where The Beatles played prior to becoming global celebrities. They became local and then regionally popular before becoming one of the top musical groups of all time. It was here, at The Cave, that they honed their craft, became popular and discovered their magnetism.

The Cavern is in a small alley in the night club district of Liverpool. The area was a popular night spot in the early 1960s and crowded even today. The entrance is similar to what it must have been decades ago when The Beatles were performing here.

There are three flights of circular stairs leading into a darkly lit basement. The basement is a large single room with the bar at the back. The bar to the right is the first thing you see when you walk into the basement. The bartenders serving patrons have the most direct view of the stage which is behind the line of people waiting for a drink. The central room is divided into three small rooms by a line of narrow brick columns leading to the stage from the bar. The ceiling can’t be more than 8 or 9 feet.

It takes some imagination to see how four people ever played on that tiny stage. The Cavern has been refurbished since the 1960s and is mostly a tourist location today. Over the years several former Beatles played at The Cavern to honor the early days. When refurbishing, the owners kept it as much like the original as possible so an observer could get a strong sense of where The Beatles started. Playing on the stage was a solo artist singing an old Beatle tune to a crowd that was beginning to form. Sipping a beer in the back I tried to imagine what it was like 50 years ago when The Beatles played here as young men.

Here is a video of the performer playing at the Cavern.

[wpvideo nJu75Len]

It was dark when I walked up the stairs, reentered the alley and headed to my car. The pubs along the street were full as people ignored the brisk night air to drink outside or smoke. Yet I was alone with my emotions, oblivious to the noise and laughter around me. Reaching my car I punched the button on my radio hoping to find a Beatles song on BBC Radio.

I still wanted one more Beatles album.

**************

It has been over six months since I toured Liverpool. I tried to write about my trip but found myself only able to share a few tidbits, some pictures and video on Facebook. Keeping the rest to myself I needed to sort through what I experienced. It was about The Beatles but it was also about a young boy in Dallas, Texas 5,000 miles away who played Yesterday, Penny Lane, 8 Days a Week, I Want to Hold your Hand and Who Knows How I’ve Loved You over and over again.

Ratings (Author/Musician)

Category Rating: A+

Overall Rating: #1

Comments: For me personally this ranked as one of the top days of my trip. The Beatles were such an integral part of my childhood and then to see it all in person was amazing. The Bronte Parsonage and Museum was a close second.

Posted in Musicians and Authors | 1 Comment

Lindisfarne Island

Posted on May 28, 2012 by teacherideclare

[wpvideo OmEjYHrR]

My business partner Bill joined me this weekend for my travels.  Bill is great fun and enjoys the trips.  This was really a trip he has always wanted to make as he loves religious history and this island has a great deal of it.

One interesting thing about the island is the schedule (above) that shows when the tied is low.  If you click on the top picture you can get a bigger picture of the tide tables.  If you wait until high tide you can’t get to or off the island.  The road was open from 9:25 to 5:30 and we got there just as the causeway opened.

As the island has a unique past a little history here – the Celts were an ancient tribe dating back to central Europe and Gall.  You might know that the book Galations in the New Testament was written to the church in Galatia which were Celts.  Eventually the migrated through France to what is today the British Isles.  The Scots, Irish and original Brits were all Celtic tribes as were the Pics – a group of Celts that inhabited Scotland before the Scots left Ireland and took over Scotland.

Prior to 500 AD the name Lindisfarne was given to the island by the Anglo-Saxons (two germanic tribes that conquered Britain and then over time blended into one).   When the Normans conquered Britain (William in 1066 – Normans were Viking/French) the monks of Durham (nearby Abbey) named it the “Holy Island”.  We do not know the origins of the name Lindisfarne.  By 683 there was a monastery on the island which was used to educate the people and bring the Christian religion to Britain.  Many educated young monks came from the monastery to other parts of England to preach the gospel.  The Celtic monk St. Aiden was the first to come from Iona (west Scotland) at the request of King Oswald who had a castle nearby (shown in another blog).  This era was the golden age of Lindisfarne.  The famous Monk St. Cuthbert lived and died on this island – a hero and a man of God who walked everywhere he went and related to the every day man.  His remains were a source of many pilgrimages in the medieval times.   In 793 the Vikings landed in Lindisfarne and destroyed the monastery.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJynMmdX4xw]

St. Cuthbert’s relics (body and other possessions) were moved to Durham to the south about 50 miles to the Durham Cathedral to protect it as an important relic for pilgrimages.  His body lay in a fantastic granite case until Henry VIII sent his troops to the north to find ways to make money.  The troops stole the granite case and left the body exposed to the elements.  Today St. Cuthbert’s bones are resting in a coffin at the back of Durham Cathedral (to the up and right is a picture of the back end where his body lays).  Although nothing like the pilgrimages of the medieval period it is still a very popular spot for tourists.  When I was in the church on Sunday for services I went afterwards and watched large crowds praying around the crypt and lighting candles.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AfWoijM_40]

Posted in Cathedrals, Churches, Religious Sites | Comments Off

Lindisfarne Castle

Posted on May 27, 2012 by teacherideclare

Distinct from the priory at Lindisfarne but with its own unique history is the Lindisfarne Castle.  It is a small castle built on a volcanic mound on the opposite side of the bay from the town of Lindisfarne and the former monastery.  It is easy to see in the distance as you walk through the town of 120 people and its old buildings.  The island which hosts the town, the castle and the former monastery is remote and chosen for this reason.  The monks who originally built the monastery were committed to peace and communing with God through nature.  They walked everywhere they went.

In 875 AD the Vikings landed and destroyed the wooden monastery.  They sacked the island but missed two important relics – the body/bones of St. Cuthbert and the Lindisfarne Gospels which were Matthew, Mark, Luke and John transcribed in Latin by the Monks.  After the raid both managed to be carried to Durham about 50 miles south of Lindisfarne island.  Both of these important relics were given to Durham Cathedral.  A new monastery was built in 1150 (the remains shown here) until 1537 when the monastery was destroyed by Henry VIII during the time known as the Suppression of the Monasteries in which Parliament gave him papal authority over the English church.  He disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland and disposed of their assets, income and property.

Shortly after the monastery was destroyed Henry VIII used the stones from the monastery on Lindisfarne to build a castle nearby as a military outpost.   The castle today is within sight of the monastery whose stones were used to build.

Turn the volume up because Bill was a little embarrassed to do the last segment as there were a million people around listening to him on the top of the castle.  Just a note – Henry VIII is the one who ordered stones from the priory to be used to build the castle and Bill uses the work “pinched” which means stolen.  We had fun doing this.

Posted in Castles | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off

Bamburgh Castle

Posted on May 26, 2012 by teacherideclare

Our real goal for the day was Lindisfarne Island.  As we stood on the castle on Lindisfarne we could see a castle off in the distance.  There was sunlight burning so you know we had to go and explore.

The eastern coastline is vulnerable to seaborne raids and coastal defense is critical.  Bamburgh’s crag position is visible for miles and is put to use first in the Roman coastal defense system 2,000 years ago but there is evidence that this site was used as far back as 13,000 B.C.  The Romans were unable to defeat the barbarians from the north of the UK (what is now Scotland but the Scots had not yet moved from Ireland to Scotland so it was the Pics – a fellow Celtic tribe).  Retreating south the Romans built Hadrians Wall and built a series of forts and defense systems against the north.

Angles and Saxons were both Germanic tribes that invaded the eastern section of England in the 5th and 6th century.  Over time these two Germanic tribes filled the political and leadership void left by the Romans and became the Anglo-Saxons.  Bamburgh Castle became their royal castle.  This area was largest and most powerful of the seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and it was known as Northumbria.  The natural geographic of this location puts it 150 feet above the coastline with its connection to a natural harbor.

A powerful and ruthless King named Aethelfrith the Destroyer dies in 607 A.D.  He is hated so much his children flee into exile upon his death and his second eldest child, Oswald, is sent to Iona in western Scotland to the monastery to be raised and educated.  He returns a Christian and is responsible for giving Lindisfarne to the monks.  Lindisfarne became the central location for training monks as Christian missionaries which eventually brought Christianity to England.

In 993 the Vikings destroyed the castle or fortification as they so often did.  The Normans (Vikings who had originally moved to France and became “French”) conquered England from the south in 1066 in the Battle of Hastings and built the current castle. Since that time the castle has undergone several renovations and additions.  It was the first castle ever defeated by artillery in 1464.  A siege in 1065 ended after the King was captured and King William II threatened to blind the King if the Queen didn’t surrender.

The castle deteriorated but was restored by the famous Victorian Industrialist William Armstrong.   The castle still belongs to his family and what makes the castle unique is that it is open to the public.  Many of the non-royal castles of England are ruins so going through this castle was special as you can see the splendor of how royalty actually lived hundreds of years previous.  The castle has been used in several movies such as Elizabeth, Mary Queen of Scots, El Cid and Ivanhoe.

Former living quarters are now apartments that are rented out annually.  The castle is part of a family trust and is so expensive to maintain that the two surviving  Armstrong’s live nearby on farms.  Just to the south of the castle are beautiful sand dunes over looking an incredible beach where it is rumored that Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton used to meet and picnic.

Posted in Castles | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off