May Visit to Herefordshire - Part 1: Hatfield

 

We returned to Herefordshire last week arriving on the Tuesday lunchtime.

The Herefordshire Oak in all its glory

The Octopus Tree

I was quite pleased to see that the new owners  have not mown the top field just a strip around the edges and we are now starting to get wild flowers appear - masses of dandelions :)  A new warden for the site has been appointed but we haven't seen him or his wife to speak to.

The Constable Tree(s)

There has been quite a change in all the trees particularly the Herefordshire Oak since our last visit in April.

I just love May with the hedgerows full of flowering Hawthorn, Cow Parsley, Dandelions, Wild Garlic, Garlic Mustard, Greater Stitchwort and a few late flowering Cowslips.

Hawthorn

I saw bats and listened to them several nights on the bat detector - I am sure they are Natterers from the large range of their echolocation calls as revealed by the detector. I treated myself to this bat suncatcher to hang in the window by the table.

A trip to the Hen House for eggs and lots of Dandelions in the field there too.

We have masses of flowers on the Rosemary

There is a lot of blossom on the apple tree in the garden and I am hoping for a bumper crop this year.

Forget me Nots - the centre of the flowers fade from yellow to white when they have been pollinated to alert insects that no nectar is now available.

I don't think Periwinkles ever stop flowering!

Garlic Mustard

Stamens on Hawthorn flowers change to a dark red colour when the flower has been pollinated and just as with Forget Me Nots it alerts insects to the fact that there is now no nectar available and they need to look elsewhere.

White Honesty

One of the bee hotels is very popular with a species of mason bee - Red Mason Bee I think.

Timothy back on his shelf!

I bought this paper tree to hang Easter decorations and I decided to take it to the caravan as it would be ideal to hang the silver birch bark apples I bought at Tenbury Wells Apple Festival. I would have preferred a natural tree twig but it is finding one that is the right shape that is proving difficult!

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one of mine or my son's I would be grateful for an email first - thanks.)

Recent Reading

 

Recent Reading

A new author for me with the book set in medieval times and I just loved it. Thanks to Pete for recommending this author and series of books and I will certainly be reading more.

The Uncrowned Queen is a short book and more of a novella and is about Philippa of Hainault. I do enjoy Anne O Brien's books.

So I went on to read the next one which is the story of Alice Perrers, mistress to Edward III.

I enjoyed this crime thriller book featuring D I Andy Horton set on the Solent.  I wasn't keen on this series initially but it seems to have improved the more books I have read.

This book was a Birthday/Christmas present and I thought it was superb. There is so much information written in a very readable style. If you enjoy church crawling I would recommend this book.

The Railway Murders by J R Ellis

Sorry forgot to take a photo of this book! It was nice easy reading but at times I find his writing, especially the conversations, a bit "stilted".

This was another Christmas present and I found it charming. Years ago I had a very tame robin in the garden who would always take meal worms from the hand.  He was present for about 3 years and easily recognisable from a little white "eyebrow" he had and this book brought back so many memories of that little robin.

I was really lucky and managed to get the next kindle book on special offer for 99p! I love Elly Griffiths's books although I still miss Ruth Galloway!  I am assuming The Frozen People is the start of a new series and I hope it is. It was totally different and brilliant!

Another Ladybird book on churches which I have wanted for ages and was given it as a Christmas present.

The second book in the Chronicles of Cadfael and just as good as the first!

In other news I've suffered yet another bout of cellulitis so yet more antibiotics. I still have no idea what happened to the referral I requested two visits ago as yet again I saw a different GP! I have another blood test scheduled for next Monday so I may ask the nurse.

At the moment we are back in Herefordshire having returned as soon as I finished the penicillin! So I'll do a few posts on the visit next week when we are back home.

Kenilworth Castle

 

Recently B wanted his usual lift to a pub at Balsall Common to meet friends for lunch so while he was there D and I visited nearby Kenilworth Castle.

History of the Castle 

(if you've read my previous posts on Kenilworth Castle I would skip this bit!)

• The first castle at Kenilworth was built in the 1120's by Geoffrey de Clinton (the Royal Chamberlain) who had been given the land by Henry I.  He built the Great Tower (Norman Keep) and also founded Kenilworth Priory.
• In the early C13th King John added an outer circuit wall and built a dam to retain a large lake.  The castle was now strongly defended and withstood a siege in 1266.
• John of Gaunt, son of Edward III, built the Great Hall and its apartments.
• C15th Lancastrian kings visited to hunt and Henry V built a retreat at the end of the lake called "The Pleasance in the Marsh".
• In 1563 Queen Elizabeth I gave the castle to Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. He turned the castle into a palace fit to entertain her building apartments and a privy garden for her use.
• After the Civil War fortifications were removed and in 1650 Leicester's Gatehouse was turned into a residence by Colonel Hawkesworth, a Parliamentarian Officer.
• In 1958 Lord Kenilworth gave the castle to the people of Kenilworth and it has been managed by English Heritage since 1984.

You approach the castle walking through an area that was once the jousting ground where  tournaments were held in.

Mortimer's Tower - built by King John around 1210 . It may later have taken its name from Roger Mortimer, one of the Marcher lords, who held a tournament at the castle in 1282.

The Great Tower or Norman Keep

Queen Elizabeth I's apartments

Dudley's Gatehouse built by Robert Dudley in 1571/2.

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First of all we had a look round the Elizabethan Garden.

The Queen's Privy Garden was a private garden created for Elizabeth I by Robert Dudley in 1575.  The garden was recreated by English Heritage in 2009.  The design was based on descriptions by Robert Langham in the C16th who had sneaked into the gardens.  Archaelogical surveys and historical research were also used to help plan the garden.

The fountain is the centre piece of the garden.  The new fountain, like the original, is made of white Italian Carrara marble. Two Athlants (Atlas figures) support a sphere that discharges jets of water.

Lunn's Tower

It was the Easter School holidays so busier than I would have liked! but we had lunch in the Stables.  Cheese and onion toasties followed by two cakes that we shared.

After lunch we continued to walk around the castle.

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It was unbelievably windy so while D went to the top of one of the towers and took the following photos I sat on a wall in a sheltered spot!

Part of the Great Hall

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Looking over the area that would once have been a lake.

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We bought a few items from the shop and then just had time to visit a local farm shop before picking up B.

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Photos taken by D and I with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one of mine or my son's I would be grateful for an email first - thanks).

Reference:

English Heritage website and guidebook to Kenilworth Castle