The Herefordshire Oak seen from the caravan. Still green by the look of it.
On Friday before going to Stockton Bury Gardens we popped into Leominster as D had a cheque to pay into the bank and all the local branches near home seem to have closed!
Sheep made by children I think by the car park to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee.
I finally went into the bookshop. There is a great selection of local books including some by the super Logaston Press. There were two I was very tempted by one on Herefordshire Geology and one on Marcher Lords. I resisted as I have 3 or 4 at the caravan still to read - two of which I bought at Aardvark books.
David popped into the greengrocers to get some garlic to use for the tea and also bought two marrows so I could bake Stuffed Marrow with Tomato sauce when we got home.
Model of the Grange - somehow I've missed this on previous visits.
These little homemade glass suncatchers caught my eye. I may be tempted again next visit!!!
We checked the river by the car park for Kingfishers but no sign of one this time. It is B who always seems to spot them!
We then spent a couple of hours at Stockton Bury Gardens (see last post) where I read that one of the possible places where Owain Glyndwr, last Welsh Prince of Wales, (c1359 - c1415) may be buried was at Kimbolton Church.
So a slight detour was taken to the church.
On September 16th 1400 Owain had started the Welsh Revolt against the reign of Henry IV of England. He was proclaimed Prince of Wales by his supporters. The revolt began succesfully but was eventually put down. After the final battle of the Revolt in 1412 Owain Glyndwr disappeared without trace. Some historians thought he died in 1421.
One idea suggests he spent the last few years of his life, as a chaplain and tutor at his daughter Alys' estate in Herefordshire. She was married to Sir Henry Scudamore, the sheriff of the County.
One rumour suggests Owain was buried in a mound at Mornington Straddle.
However, Historian Gruffydd Aled Williams suggested in 2017 that the burial site is the chapel at Kimbolton - now the Parish Church of St James the Great - which was once a chapelry of Leominster Priory. He based his suggestion on manuscripts found in the National Archives. Kimbolton does have connections with the Scudamore family.
But, of course, no-one knows where he is actually buried.
St James the Great has a Norman chancel and the rest of the building is mainly C13th. There is an unbuttressed west tower with a tall broach spire. The church was restored by Haddon in 1874/5. The church appears to be normally open but is closed all August for repainting of the chancel!
I drove back to Hatfield via Leysters. Some of you may recall that twice before I have tried to find the Poet's Stone there where William Wordsworth and his wife Mary sat in 1845. The first two occasions were unsuccessful as it turned out to be further away from Leysters church than I realised! Today, really thanks to D who spotted it, we were successful. The stone was also visited by the Victorian Diarist Francis Kilvert.
We came home at lunchtime the following day but we did stop off at Brockhampton as D wanted to see the manor house and gatehouse there so I'll write about that in the final post of this break.
I hope everyone is staying safe and well.
Reference: Buildings of England: Herefordshire by N Pevsner and A Brooks 2017 Yale University Press.
BBC Wales History website
8 comments:
I hate to think how many times I have driven through Leominster and wated to visit the town. I also want to visit the church. On the was past the traffic light is a chippy where we have been tempted to stop and get a bag to eat in the car. That church looks interesting would be well worth a revisit
Billy Blue Eyes - Thanks so much. Leominster is worth a browse. There is a big car park just past B and Q. The Priory is superb and I still need to spendlonger inside. I know the chip shop you mean we have been tempted many times by it! Marconi's I think it is called. I shall return to the church.
You do manage some lovely days out I'll say that, but then I guess you live in an area where you're surrounded by plenty of lovely places, villages, towns, and of course various properties with National Trust and English Heritage. That book shop looked so inviting!
As you know I've taken to drawing and painting again, so I ask permission to sketch some of your arch doorways and windows, please? As you know, I've got a bit of a thing about arched windows and doors, Now I'm getting back into the swing of things it'll be nice to have something new to study.
Rustic Pumpkin - Thanks so much. Yes OFFA is located in a super area for things to do many close esp if you like architecture, churches and gardens and nature! Where we are at home you have to travel much further to reach so many places. I've been wanting to go in for ages but tbh still don't feel comfortable inside a shop although the door was open. One day I hope for a good browse! David didn't realise it sold new books he prefers second hand bookshops.
Oh gosh - no need to ask Deborah you are perfectly welcome to sketch as many as you like and I would love to see them. I feel honoured tbh!
Lovely post. Leominster always looks so interesting. The book shop looks interesting too. I like the plain, solidity of the church building and the spire is wondeful. Glad you finally found the Poet's stone. It's along time since we had a stuffed marrow:)
Rosie - Thanks so much. Leominster is much more interesting than it looks when you just whizz through on theA road. It was a good day we fitted a lot in! I do try and cook stuffed marrow at this time of year. If I buy two I can do a veggie and non veggie version!
I'm glad you managed to find the Poet's Stone this time. Third time lucky! The church looks very interesting - the tower roof is an unusual shape. What a shame it was closed though.
I was just looking at the suncatchers thinking I could probably make something like that (minus the acrylic setting) as I was expecting them to be ridiculously expensive, but they are actually really cheap! Unbelievable. Good thing they are not for sale in that garden centre you go to, they would cost 4 times that!
Millymollymandy - Thanks so much. I was chuffed to find it or at leasat D did! I will go back to the church only 20 mins away.
I suspect I will buy one of thse suncatchers when I next go - I do like handmade glass. Garden centres are awful for pumping prices up. Discovered today that a stone dragon I liked in one (which is normally a garden centre where plants at least are cheaper) was more than double the price of a more or less identical one at Bringsty Vintage Centre and that Vintage Centre bumps prices up too. Son wants to buy it for me for my 70th birthday sadly fast approaching!!!!!!
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