Blakeney - Lincolnshire - Wales

 It's already been 2 weeks since our last post and in that time we have visited the Norfolk Coastal town of Blakeney for a week.   Then spent 4 nights at friends of ours who live in Lincolnshire.   And finally spent a week in Central Wales just outside of the Market town of Brecon by Brecon Beacons National Park.

This is going to be a long post as we covered a ton of ground, but there are lots of pictures for those of you who prefer the visual medium.

Here is our route map from our stay in Bridge (Canturbury) and onward thru the above stops to our current location in  central Wales.

I guess it's past time to bring you up-to-date...

Blakeney, Norfolk

We left you last while visiting Hever Castle, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn.    From there we drove onward about 3.5 hours to the coastal town of Blakeney in Norfolk.    Our drive started out on the large Motorway, and then progressively the roads narrowed as we progressed further into the country. 

The A1065 near Kings Lynn

Finally we were on single track roads.    That means the road is only wide enough for one vehicle but handles two-way traffic.   You will be seeing much more of these roads before this trip is over.   When you meet someone going the other way, one of you has to back up to a "passing place" where the road is slightly wider allowing you to scrape by each other.    The example below is actually a fairly wide example.

A single track road outside of Blakeney

During our stay here we had a persistent northeast wind.   It blew the cool damp air from the North Sea onshore which caused cool cloudy days.    While some were not happy with the weather, we found the cool temps refreshing and making for great walking conditions.

Our home for the week (center cottage)

Our week in Blakeney flew by.   Our days were occupied by talking walks, dinners at the pubs, and tea in the afternoons.    Sometimes with the dogs and sometimes just Kate and I.

Walking down to the Quay (docks)

One day we took the coastal path walk from Blakeney to Cley, the next village to the east.   

Along the waterfront in Blakeney

The walking path leaves Blakeney by heading out into the salt marches for quite a ways before bending east, and then eventually turning south back inland to Cley.   The path is about 2.75 miles from Blakeney to Cley.

Starting off on the path from Blakeney

View back inland towards Blakeney from the patch

Heading inland towards Cley and the Cley Windmill

Our walk to Cley was into the cold NE wind, and we decided to return to Blakeney via the shorter, and protected, coast road.    So many of the roads have sidewalks or paths along them that it is easy to get about on food without worrying about being run down by traffic.

Walking the coast road - looking back towards Cley

A view towards the North Sea from the Coast Rd

St Nicholas Anglican Church along the Coast Road

There were several nice pubs to choose from for lunch or dinner.   For our Sunday roast we chose the Kings Arms Pub.  It's said that the building received a new roof during the reign of King George III, who, incidentally was the King who lost the American Colonies.

Walking thru the park to the pub

Meanwhile, back at the ranch - Lucy & Annie have been getting more and more acquainted.  Lucy has been a very tolerant big sister and gently teaching Annie the ropes, including her boundaries. 

Another day we again took the walk to Cley, but this time did it in reverse.    We walked to Cley on the Coast Rd and took the Coastal Trail back to Blakeney.    This put the wind at our back for the walk home.

Cley is a very small town but has some nice shops.   One in particular is a deli type store called Picnic Fayre.    I was told that the owner is a god child of the Queen.     We bought some great meat pies, & deserts which I threw into my daypack for the walk home.

Side street in Cley

One of the items that I picked up at Picnic Fayre was a Scotch Egg.   Eager to try one, I  brought a coupole home for breakfast

A Scotch Egg

What is a Scotch Egg you might ask?    Well its not a Cadbury Egg filled with Scotch.   And you cannot get drunk eating a bunch of them.    It is simply a hard or soft boiled egg, wrapped in sausage, breaded, and deep fried.   Warm it up in the oven in the AM and it makes a great morning breakfast.

Lincolnshire

Before we knew it - another week had flown by and it was time to make the 2hr trip north to Lincolnshire to visit friends Craig & Vicki.    You might remember Vicki as the person who seriously broke her ankle while visiting us near Tucson just before Covid hit.

The 4 days that we were there flew by.   But we sure covered some ground thanks to thier excellent tour guiding skills.

Walking distance from their house is the beautiful and impressive St James Church.   It has the 3rd tallest spire in England and is vintage 1400's

We were fed well for sure.   One night we had a traditional cottage pie.  (I probably used the wrong name)

And again - I forget the name, but for desert was this fluffy, lemony, chiffon with fresh raspberries and shortbread sticks.

Every morning we would take a walk around town to one of the numerous green spaces.

We took a day trip to Gunby Hall Estate.   A National Trust Property, we are members so our admission and parking is free.

A 1/2 mile walking path from the car park brings you to the gates of the home.

Built in the 1700's it sits on approximately 1,500 acres.

Miles of rolling woodlands interspersed with beautiful formal gardens.

Kate holding court at Gunby Hall

Strolling thru the massive gardens

Another day we took a trip to Tattershall Castle.  Another National Trust property.  Built in the 1200's and expanded in the 1400's, it is a fine example of medieval brick construction.   It was primarily a home, not a fortress, although its moat and battlements would have made it a tough place for the local hoodlums to loot.    It's great construction expense was basically a way for the owner to show off his great wealth.

One of the subsequent owners, and one who greatly expanded the grounds was Lord Cromwell, the Treasurer of England under Henry VI.   Life was good if you held the nations pursestrings.

Inside the castle

Dogs are allowed on the grounds, but not inside the castle, so Craig & Vicki watched our mutts as we went inside.   At first I had no plan to climb all the stairs as my knees were bothering me from all the stairs they'd been doing the last couple of weeks, but once I started, I kept going, and going, and going...

C&V sitting with the dogs

Before I knew it, I was 149 steps higher, up on the roof.

Up on the roof...

Then a good climb up the tower deserves a good lunch stop so our next destination was the Petwood Hotel

During WWII, the hotel was requisitioned by the government and served as the home of the 617 RAF Squadron, who became famous as the Dambusters, due to their daring raid to destroy German dams and flood the industrialized Ruhr Valley.

The hotel "squadron bar" has remained exactly how it was during the war.   Unfortunately a private event was taking place during our visit, so we were unable to view it.     Like so many, it was another dog friendly day and all 4 pups seemed to have a nice time relaxing while we ate.   After lunch we strolled the gardens and eventually worked our way back home.

The next day we drove an hour to the city of Lincoln.    There is much to see there and all it within a short walk of each other.    We had reservations at a pub for lunch so first it was another dog friendly lunch then we were off to see the sights.

Our pub was just down the street on the right

First on the list was the impressive and beautiful Lincoln Cathedral.   Construction started in 1072.  Originally a Catholic Church, it was stolen by Henry VIII during the dissolution of the monasteries, and is now an Anglican Church.

the choir

There is a hidden "Imp" on one of the columns.  For the price of a few coins, you can get a spotlight to turn on and show you where he is.      

According to 14th-century legend, two mischievous imps were sent by Satan to do evil work on Earth. After causing mayhem elsewhere in Northern England the two imps headed to Lincoln Cathedral, where they smashed tables and chairs and tripped up the bishop. An angel appeared in the Angel Choir and ordered them to stop. One of the imps sat atop a stone pillar and started throwing stones at the angel whilst the other cowered under the broken tables and chairs. The angel turned the first imp to stone, allowing the second imp to escape. The imp that turned to stone can still be found sitting atop his stone column in the Angel Choir. 

We purchased an Imp in the  gift shop and he will be positioned above our door in Tucson when we get back there.

the Lincoln Imp

Next stop is practically across the street from the Cathedral.   The Lincoln Castle and inside it - the Victorian Prison.    The Castle was constructed by William the Conqueror in the 11th century.

The prison is from Victorian times.   It was constructed to provide total isolation of prisoners from each other.   the thought being that if they did not talk to each other, they would not sharpen their trade while in prison and might even reflect on their misdeeds and reform themselves.

Overcrowding soon saw more than one prisoner placed in a cell.

The prison was the filming site for Downton Abbey.   If you remember when Bates was sent to prison....   well it was here.

Remember this from Downton?

I could not leave Lincoln, without a couple more photos of the Cathederal.

Wales

Our 4 days flew by and on Weds the 7th, we were back on the road heading Southwest across England and into Wales.    Or destination being a small village called Pont-faen.   Just 5 miles outside of the market town of Brecon, it takes about 15 minutes to get to town due to the tiny tiny single-track roads we take for the whole way.   

Our several hundred year old stone cottage

The road to our village

Our cottage had these thick stone walls.   They would hold in the cool of the previous night if we closed the windows before it got too warm out.   At night with the windows open, we had the sound of the river behind us, tumbling over the rocks on its way downstream.

Our bedroom

This is sheep country.   All day long we would hear them talking to each other:   "hey buddy, nice haircut".   We arrived on Weds and all the sheep were long and shaggy.    The next morning they all had been cut.    Space invaders must have come in overnight and stole their fleece.

Our neighborhood

Our neighbors

As I mentioned earlier - the dogs are really getting settled in together.

5 Miles, and about 15 minutes away is the Market Town of Brecon.  It is the hub of the area and where we would go to do our shopping and people watch.   Plus with the River Usk running thru it, there were real nice walking trails along its banks.

One of the parks along the river.

A view of our street.  Our house is out of sight to the left.   At the end of the street is a crossroads of about 5 one-track roads.    The village had perhaps a half dozen homes.

The view out of our bedroom window.    The bridge in the background is the road that took us into Brecon.

Another view of the 1-lane roads.   Driving here is a team sport.   People have to move over, back up, or do whatever in order to keep moving.

We took several scenic drives thru the Brecon Beacons National Park.   The above treeline scenery reminded me of places like Colorado and Alaska, above the treeline.  The big difference is the green green fields below.

On our last day, we visited the Brecon Canal Boat Basin.   There is a big Canal boat industry here.  You can rent them and travel all over the country, thru locks etc.    Each night stop in a different town and tie up and get dinner at the local pub.

A canal boat coming down the canal.

One of the best things about travel are the people we meet along the way.   A walk down the canal and then a chance meeting and all of a sudden we are having this great conversation with Hailey and Steve.

They were traveling in a Caravan and we shared travel stories, dog stories etc.    We must have hung out for over an hour.

Finally we were back in the Boat Basin.   They had a nice outdoor area with shops and cafes.   We had ice cream cones while we (and the dogs) watched life go by on the canal.

Soon we headed back home as it was time to start packing up and planning to move tomorrow.

Well tomorrow is now today.  Its Weds evening and we've moved to our next port of call.   A 3-night stay at an AirBnb in Fishguard Wales.    On Saturday we will catch the Ferry for a 3.5hr crossing of the Irish Sea to Ireland.    Tomorrow the dogs go to the vet for the required worm treatment before we enter Ireland.

Lucy will have to get her export certificate just like we did in the US, but it is easier to do here.  Annie has an EU pet passport (Ireland is in the EU) so no paperwork is needed other than the worm treatment.

So our next post should be from Eire.   Kate with her new Irish Passport will be returning home.

Canterbury

 Well it's time to bring you up to date with last weeks travels.   We told you about our newest addition Annie, who we picked up while we were in Canterbury, but I haven't told you about Canterbury.

After dropping off our luggage in Southampton, we turned east and drove several hours east, past London to the village of Bridge, just a few miles outside of Canterbury.

Our VRBO for the next week is a converted schoolhouse turned into several cottages.  A nice backyard, shared game room, plus several bathrooms, and washing machine. 

Having arrived later in the day on Sunday, after getting settled in we headed down the street about 500 yards to the Bridge Arms Pub for Sunday Roast.     For those of you who might not know - a tradition in many of the pubs is to put on a Sunday Roast.   For a fixed price you get an option of meat and fixins.   Usually served with Yorkshire pudding, potatoes, and vegetables.

A pint and a roast.

Kate opted for the Beef

And I went for the Pork and Cracklings.

Our big green backyard

Each night around dusk a large Pheasant showed up and strutted around the garden for an hour or so.  His loud call accompanied by the flapping of his wings interrupted the peace and quiet and let everyone know he was in town.

Our downstairs - a large open plan dining/living area.

Monday was spent doing some odd shopping.   Groceries, plus some pet supplies in anticipation of Annie's arrival later in the week.   

On Tuesday we went into Canterbury for a walking tour of the old town.   Narrow cobbled streets turned into pedestrian zones, made it a very nice place to walk around and enjoy the day.

At the end of one of the streets we came upon Westgate Gardens.   Workers were busy planting flats of annuals in anticipation of the summer months.    This garden has been around for hundreds of years, being started in the 15ht century.

Lucy enjoys the last of her peace and quiet before the arrival of Annie

Another must see while we were here was a trip to Dover Castle.    Overlooking the town and harbor from its perch high up on the white cliffs, it sets a dramatic and foreboding vision.   

Built, partially destroyed, and re-built over the years, the current castle originates from from the mid 1100's and Henry II

Inside the great room.

The view from the roof of the Great Tower.   You can see Dover harbor to the right of center, and an approaching ferry to the left of center.   In the distance, about 26 mile away is the French Coast.   On a clear day you could read the time of day from the village clock using a pair of binoculars.

View from Dover Castle Great Tower

The castles kitchen.

On Thursday, our last day of peace before the arrival of Annie - we headed back into Canterbury to visit the world famous Canterbury Cathedral.   Seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Cathedral really became world famous due to Thomas Becket.     

The short story on Becket is that he served King Henry II as Lord Chancellor, enforcing the Kings Revenue laws.   Later he was appointed as The Archbishop of Canterbury, the highest religious position in England.  It was Henrys hope that Sir Thomas's loyalties would remain with the state rather than the church, but as the weight of the office settled in, Becket got religion so to speak, and as Henry pushed against the church, his former ally pushed back.   Eventually the pushing back and forth got to a breaking point and a few knights, decided to curry favor with Henry, and on December 29, 1170, they separated Becket from this world.

A square near Canterbury Cathedral

Within 2 years, of his death, Pope Alexander III made Becket a saint and soon the Cathedral became a shrine attracting pilgrims from all over the world.   A shine grew in the Cathedral, and soon the riches held by the church grew to astounding proportions.

Preservation of the Cathedral

During the reign of Henry VII, and his dissolution of the monasteries, the riches of the Becket shrine were seized.   It is said that Becket was summoned to court to answer charges.   Becket, having been dead for about 400 years, obviously did not appear.   So, because he was a "no-show" that became the legal vehicle used to seize all the goods.   The shine was looted and destroyed, Beckets bones were destroyed and scattered, and all mention of Becket throughout the land was removed, including from religious books.

Henry VIII obviously did not want anyone held in higher esteem than himself.

Below, the exact spot where Becket was assassinated.

Kate stands on the spot talking to the docent

One example of the beautiful stained glass throughout the cathedral.

It's a truly impressive and beautiful cathedral.   I think the Italian Cathedrals are more impressive due to the Italians skills with stone working, but it is still beautiful and hard to imagine how they actually built things like that over a thousand years ago.

The candle marks the spot where Beckets Shrine once stood.

On the perimeter of the Cathedral are numerous other chapels pertaining to other things.  There is a French chapel for instance, and below is St Michael's Chapel.  AKA the "Warriors Chapel" it was established in 1439 (53 years before Columbus sailed) and pays homage to various military figures and regiments over the years.

St Michaels Chapel

Well, soon it was Friday and time for me to make a puppy run.    The plan was the driver would leave on Thursday and drive 13 hours from Barcelona to Calais.   I would take a taxi from our place, thru the Chunnel, to Calais, and we would meet at 1230 at a McDonalds.

We arrived a bit early, and like clockwork, at 1225 our driver pulled in from Barcelona.

On the train to Calais

Well we made the transfer, exchanged some chit chat, and soon he was headed south and we were headed back on the train to the UK.

Now Lucy has a little sister

As expected, the dogs are getting along fine.   Lucy as been a bit standoffish from this high energy furball, but as the days pass, she has gotten more used to it, and now they actually lay on the sofa together. 

The next day - Saturday - we had a 3.5 hr drive to our next stop, the Village of Blakeney, on the coast in Norfolk.   Since check-in time was not till 4pm, we had time to kill, so I added a stop at Hever Castle to our days travels.

Hever Castle is the childhood, and family home of the Boleyns.   Remember Anne Boleyn,  Henry VIII's second wife?  She grew up here.

Hever Castle

Hever Castle Moat and gate

The Castle was purchased in 1903 by William Waldorf Astor, son of the famous "Robber Baron" John Jacob Astor.  As a result of his purchase, much has changed inside and a lot of the displays are oriented towards him rather than the Boleyns.   It was slightly disappointing, but beautiful none the less.

There are beautiful gardens surrounding the castle which are a destination on thier own.

Sitting room

Dining Room

After a few hours visiting and giving the dogs a good workout, we got back on the road and headed north to our next destination.    We are now in Blakeney, on the coast in Norfolk, and already have been enjoying all this area has to offer.   Yesterday was a 5 mile walk to the next village and back.

But all that if for our next post.

Thanks for following along.  I hope you are enjoying the ride.