travel
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Back in the mid-90’s, I went on a jaunt to Leicester, visiting the old town, the statue of Richard III (then sited close to the river) and Leicester Cathedral, where I stopped for a moment to pay my respects near the floor plaque commemorating Richard (who, little did I know it then, was really only…
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A VISIT TO KING’S LANGLEY
Anne Mortimer, camels, Cecily Neville, Christmas, Clarendon Palace, clocks, Dominican friaries, Edmund of Langley, Edward II, Edward III, Eleanor of Castile, fire, Henry III, Henry IV, Isabel of Castile, Joan of Navarre, John of Wheathampstead, King’s Langley, palaces, Piers Gaveston, Reformation, Richard Earl of Cambridge, Richard II, royal tombsKing’s Langley was once home to a massive Plantagenet palace, built out of the remnants of a hunting lodge of Henry III for Edward I’s Queen, Eleanor of Castile. She furnished it lavishly, with carpets and baths. There were shields decorating the hall and a painted picture of four knights going to a tournament, while…
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We all know about the Oxford/Cambridge boat race, but it certainly isn’t the first such race on the Thames. We also have the “Doggett’s Coat and Badge”, which still boasts an unbroken record since 1715. It takes place on 31 July every year. I confess I had never heard of this race, but if…
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We never know what will turn up at the bottom of the sea, from the gigantic Titanic to the smallest rowing boat, but one of the best seas of all (so to speak) for finding well preserved wrecks appears to be the Baltic, where the cold water preserves wrecks in wonderful condition. And as there…
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A few months ago, I listened to a very interesting talk that was given by a lady who makes porcelain miniature dolls. I was particularly interested to see that she had brought along her miniatures of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York and later discovered that the picture on the back of her business card…
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The great fortresses built by Edward I to subdue the rebellious Welsh are all spectacular and have survived the centuries. Now they are considered beautiful examples of medieval workmanship and have become great tourist attractions, which isn’t really what old Longshanks ever intended! One of the finest of these fortresses is Caernarfon which is always…
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Reposted from A Medieval Potpourri@sparkypus.com The façade of Sir Paul Pindar’s house in Bishopgate. Now in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Photo Victoria and Albert Museum Collection Sir Paul Pindar acquired the site in what was then known as Bishopsgate Street Without in 1597 and begun building the house, later known as Pindar’s House, shortly afterward…
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Thanks to the works of Douglas Biggs (cited below) I have learned something new and interesting about King Richard II. When he went to Ireland in 1399, he took a woman with him. The lady in question was a knight’s widow called Margaret Sarnesfield. Although her origins are uncertain, it is probable that she was…
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