buildings
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According to Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ye_Olde_Murenger_House) in Newport, South Wales, there stands Ye Olde Murenger House. It is a 19th-century public house with a mock Tudor façade that stands on the site of the 17th-century Fleur de Lys, “…a single-storey stone structure that was demolished in 1816….” Should you wonder what murenger means, it’s the name given to…
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As you have probably gathered by now, I’m rather partial to a spooky story, and one that appears in The Folklore of Oxfordshire by Christine Bloxham is that of the very early 16th-century Lord and Lady Tanfield and their ghostly chariot, in which they reportedly haunted Burford and Great Tew in Oxfordshire. A bit out…
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This post has nothing to do with present-day politics or the recent attempt of the life of a former US President. It’s about the word assassination, and whether or not it applies to two of our medieval monarchs. It was prompted by this link: US and World: Latest US and World News | Times of…
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There are to be free walks around the Tewkesbury Battlefield, starting on Thursday, 1 August 2024. See here Walk Dates — Tewkesbury Battlefield Society “….The walks last approximately 2 hours and are free, although donations to the Society are welcome. Just turn up and walk, dogs on leads welcome. The walk starts at the short…
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Well, now the General Election is over and done with, and regardless of the result, something about the whole business caught my attention. Muchelney Abbey in Somerset was a polling station! Can you imagine it? Not your usual school or village hall, but an exquisite medieval abbey said to have been founded by King Athelstan!…
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When Archbishop of York Richard Scrope was beheaded on 8 June 1405 he gained the distinction of being the first prelate of such high rank to be executed for treason. I can think of at least two more who should have suffered a similar fate, Thomas Arundel (Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury (1353-1414) (luminarium.org)) and…
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On 2 August 2019 I wrote this post—which contained the following link https://x.com/liz_lizanderson/status/1016611053394976768 concerning a portion of medieval livery badge thought to be that of Henry Holand, 3rd Duke of Exeter. The 3rd duke fought for Henry VI and died mysteriously at sea, it’s thought at the instruction of the very Yorkist Edward IV. The…
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I came upon this article 10 Forgotten Serial Killers From The Middle Ages – Listverse (there are many such lists to be found) and was rather intrigued that not one of the ten appears to have come from the British Isles. I also noticed that the infamous Gilles de Rais doesn’t make it to the…
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It seems there is a mystery about the birthplace of the saintly Sir Thomas More. Was it somewhere in Cheapside on 7 February 1478, as a plaque claims? Well, that was the belief for quite some time, but recently, according to this link The Mystery of Thomas More’s Birthplace | History Today it’s thought more…
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We’re all fascinated by and drawn to medieval castles. Whether, like Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire, they’re still intact (albeit much “improved” over the centuries) or (like Harlech in Wales) simply some dramatic ruins that have us wishing to see their original complete selves in whichever period interests us the most. But although we see many…