Finally made it out of London -- a two hour slog in stop and go traffic at 1:00pm -- not fun! Cambridge ws my next stop -- somewhat disappoointing but it has potential. Disappointing in that I didn't get to visit any "tourist" attractions -- for whatever reason, on the day I tried to visit I kept finding either "CLOSED" signs (on days theye were supposed to be open -- or "Hours Changed Today" signs when I got there later in the day or too early and couldn't return.
Cambridge has a real split personality -- quaint, charming university grounds and buildings surrounded by 1970's and later housing and apartment buildings -- they really seemed to clash. The colleges that make up "Cambridge" are primarily religious-based schools (Church of England) and have an excellent academic reputation -- extremely difficult to get accepted. The downside is that the schols have a bad reputation for being overbearing and full of themselves that doesn't sit well with the locals or the British in general. The university "runs" the town for it's own private advantage and the students are perceived as feeling "entitled" when they graduate which doesn't make them popular with most anyone other than other alumni and the students' parents.
I did, however, get to do something that was on my "must-do list". I'm a fan of the English painter John Constable and I was able to visit his hometown of Flatford where he painted many of his works. The entire village is a preserved site and looks pretty much just as it did a couple of hundred years ago -- which meant I could actualy stand in the exact spot where he stood when he painted many of his paintings -- that was amazing! They have converted an old cottage that sits on a mill pond into a tea shop and cafe (Bridge Cottage) -- just sat there for over an hour with a pot of tea and a scone while it rained outside -- looking at the world he lived in through the raindrops and mist -- the pond, the bridge, the canal locks, the farmhouse, the mill, the fields, etc.... -- so peaceful and lovely -- one of those once in a lifetime experiences.
From there it was on to a place in Coventry to visit some well-known castles. Warwick Castle was first on the list and I should have skipped it completely -- Madame Tussaud's is running it and they've turned it into a "cheesy" 1960's style amusement park. Built on the site of an existing Danish wood fort in the 11th century, Warwick was built to be a "castle's castle" -- grand, imposing, heavily fortified. It played a role in every English war and major uprising until the late 1600's by which time the extensive use of gunpowder made castles obsolete for defensive purposes -- hosting the likes of William the Conqueror, Edward IV, Richard III. and numerous others -- treachery, palace intrigue, imprisoned kings, beheaded "challengers" -- it saw it all -- until it became an amusement park!
The battlements can still be walked and some of the building toured, but with the constant blare of music, fake trumpeting, vendors dressed in ridiculous costumes selling hot dogs and impersonators "hamming" it up and dumbing things down to the level of a five year old, it was extremely disappointing!
Kenilworth Castle on the other hand was a "gem" -- one of the truly magnificent medieval castles in England. Built in 1120 under the guidance of King John (think Robin Hood), it was the site of the longest seige in English history -- holding-out for six months and outlasting its attackers. It was also made famous as the setting for Sir Walter Scott's novel "Kenilworth" about one of Queen Elizabeth's most scandalous affairs. Today it's been partially restored and is a wonder to explore -- it's huge and has character -- spent almost three hours wandering its halls, climbing its towers, exploring its dungeons. I've been to well over 25-30 castles and this is in the top two.
From here, it was off to check out Robin of Locksley (aka Robin Hood) and Nothingham Castle appropriately located in the town of Nottingham. I purchased my ticket and entered the castle grounds, only to be greeted by a sign reading "Notthingham Castle no longer exists, it was dismantled in the 1600's" -- well, thanks a lot!) After overcoming my surprise and disappointment, the experience turned-out to be quite a good one.
The 12th century castle indeed was gone but had been replaced by a 13th century one that supposedly was even grander. The original castle was built next to a 10th century bailey and mott Norman castle -- the Normans found a hiilltop,
Kenilworth Castle on the other hand was a "gem" -- one of the truly magnificent medieval castles in England. Built in 1120 under the guidance of King John (think Robin Hood), it was the site of the longest seige in English history -- holding-out for six months and outlasting its attackers. It was also made famous as the setting for Sir Walter Scott's novel "Kenilworth" about one of Queen Elizabeth's most (alleged) scandalous affairs. Today it's been partially restored and is a wonder to explore -- it's huge -- spent almost three hours wandering its halls, climbing its towers, exploring its dungeons. I've been to well over 25-30 castles and this is in the top two.
From here, it was off to check out Robin of Locksley (aka Robin Hood) and Nothingham Castle appropriately located in the town of Nottingham. I purchased my ticket and entered the castle grounds, only to be greeted by a sign reading "Notthingham Castle no longer exists, it was dismantled in the 1600's" -- well, thanks a lot!) After overcoming my surprise and disappointment, the experience turned-out to be quite a good one.
The 12th century castle indeed was gone but had been replaced by a 13th century one that supposedly was even grander. Today's castle consists of battlements approximately 150 yards by 150 yards square with corner towers and gate houses, a huge stone "castle" or mansion (now a museum), assorted stone buildings and large grass lawns and gardens.
The exhibits were well done and educational but the best part of the visit was a tour of the underground passages (tunnels) -- seems the hill, on which the castle is built, is honeycombed with miles of "secret" tunnels -- if you stand below the castle on the river side and look up, the cliff looks like a hunk of swiss-cheese!
Mortimer's Hole was the most interesting -- it was built to allow goods to be brought into the castle from the river below. A couple hundred feet in length, it rises at an almost impossibly steep grade -- if you lost your footing at the top you would tumble all the way to the bottom -- mules were used to haul the goods up to the top. Today, it's a steep staircase with a few short non-staired sections.
At the Tower of London in England they had an exhibition of torture devices with story cards stating that torture was rarely if ever used in Medieval days -- that would be "news" to many of the tour guides in the other castles that I've visited -- each one seems to try and top the others with a tale of what happened in "their" castle. Nottingham's story started in their castle and ended elsewhere.
SKIP THIS NEXT SECTION IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SCARRED FOR LIFE!
Seems the Lord of Nottingham Castle was betrayed by his wife and a lover, and quickly dipatched. One of the Lord's sons, seeking to avenge his father and become Lord himself, entered the castle at night years later thru Mortimer's Hole and took the "lover", now Lord, prisoner. He moved him to another castle where he was eventually tortured to death by repeatedly having a red-hot poker shoved up "where the sun don't shine" -- slowly cooking him to death from the inside -- then for good measure, his body was drawn and quartered with his head stuck on a pike on the castle walls. (Documented story.)
After I left, it occurred to me that Robin Hood was never mentioned anywheres in the castle -- except they had a cheap t-shirt with his name on it in the gift shop next to the plastic swords and the "glow-in-the-dark" eyeballs!
