Historical Days Out - Kent edition

   Kent is one of my favourite counties... and is probably one of the best counties for castles!

   1). Hever Castle

   Hever isn't really a castle, it is more of a stately home, however it is still wonderful and the grounds are gorgeous. Probably most famous for being the seat of the Boleyn family, it went to the crown after Anne's execution and Henry bestowed it upon Anne of Cleeves. When I visited in 2015 it was £15 a ticket, though judging by its website it is a little more expensive now - Click.

   2). St Augustine's Abbey, Canterbury

   St Augustine was sent by Pope Gregory to England in the late 6th century to convert the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity. It is not known if it was he that successfully converted the Kentish king: Æthelberht, or if it was the latter's wife: Bertha, however by the early 7th century Æthelberht was certainly a Christian. The building itself was consecrated in 613. Entry to the abbey is fairly cheap - (£7.20 each), and this includes an audio tour. 

   3). Chatham Dockyard.

   Unfortunately no pictures for this one as I was in primary school when I last visited (will need to again sometime!). There is a Victorian ropery, historical warships, and you can board the HM submarine Ocelot (I thought this was very cool when I was 10). 

   My next post will be about Bungay Castle.

Historical Days Out - Norfolk edition

   Here we go.

   1). Castle Acre (village and castle) - near King's Lynn.

   One of my favourite 'ruined' castles. Unfortunately, because I visited in winter, the priory nearby was closed... so I suppose it's another excuse to pay the village a visit!

   2). Museum of Norwich at the Bridewell. 

   In Norwich's city centre, this little gem of a museum is only £6.20 each and contains so much from a WWII pub to a WWII living room. I'll definitely revisit when I'm next in Norwich.

   3) Thetford (see a previous blog post).

Next up, Kent!.

Historical Days Out - Suffolk edition

   Like in the previous two posts, it was difficult picking just three.


   1). Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich.

   This was quite a discovery to be honest, and it is free entry! 

   2) Sutton Hoo

   Sutton Hoo is the site of Anglo-Saxon burial mounds (late 6th, early 7th century). One contained a ship-burial that is thought to have been the resting place of Rædwald, ruler of the East Angles - and this is what the site is most famous for. At around £13 for entry, it is relatively cheap, and if you pick a good day (like I did), you'll enjoy it immensely. 

   3). Orford Castle.

   

   King Henry II is behind this castle (building work began in 1165, concluding in 1173), and we have the Bigod family to thank for this remarkable keep as Henry wished to have a royal castle that 'outdid' the Bigod strongholds in Suffolk (including Framlingham). The keep is the only part of the castle left, but, believe me, it is the BEST keep i've ever been to. At around £8 each it is under-priced imo.

   Norfolk will be up next.  

Historical Days out - London edition

   This was difficult... but here are my three hotspots for London.

   1). The Imperial War museum.

   Breathtaking. The Holocaust exhibition was my favourite (recommended age to enter this specific exhibition is 14 and over, for obvious reasons!). Last time I went, I didn't have time to visit the WW2 section so i'm revisiting it tomorrow! (Free entry).

   2). The Tower of London

   This is quite expensive (£22 each last time I visited, although, that included the Agincourt exhibition in the White Tower), however, it is worth it. Constructed after the conquest, this stronghold was once a royal residence, housed a variety of animals including leopards, an elephant, and lions, and was a gaol by the Tudor period. 

   3). Westminster Abbey.

   Famously commissioned to be built by Edward the Confessor on the site of St Peter's Abbey, it was consecrated only a week before Edward's death, and Harold Godwinson was the first King to be crowned here. At £21 a ticket this is also expensive, but so worth it. 17 monarchs are buried here including Edward the Confessor, Edward III and Henry V, and writers such as Charles Dickens and Rudyard Kipling occupy 'Poets' Corner. 

   In my next post I'll do historical hotspots for Suffolk.  

Historical Days Out - Essex edition

   So, change of plan, instead of royal bastards this post will be about 3 historical hotspots in the best county in the country - Essex.

   1. Hadleigh Castle (in ruins)

   Overlooking the Thames estuary, the castle is in ruins and is free entry. Built initially in the 13th century, it wasn't until the 14th that it got the attention it craved (Edward III rebuilding it so he could spend quality time with his mistress Alice Perrers - probably!), and by the 16th century was in ruins. 

   Take my advice, though, visit after it's been sunny for a week (if that's possible), because it gets very muddy!

2). Colchester Castle.

   Although the castle itself is Norman, its origins date back to the Roman period. It is also considerably smaller now than it would have been 900 years ago. I first visited the castle as a child, and my last visit was a few years ago (around £7 for an adult ticket). 

   Be prepared for school trips though!

3). Kelvedon Hatch 'Secret' nuclear bunker.

   A few miles away from Brentwood, this bunker was built in 1952-53 as part of ROTOR and was maintained by the Home Office as emergency government defence. It is one of the very few nuclear bunkers left in the country that is open to the public... so if you ever find yourself in Essex then pay it a visit, please!!! (£7.50 for adult entry)

Royal bastard sons - Æthelred II edition

   Recently I haven't had the time to go on any historical days out, so I've decided to write a little post about Æthelred II's bastard sons.

   Technically, all of Æthelred's sons by his first wife (Lady Ælfgifu - historians have thought he might have had two handfast wives before his Christian marriage to Emma of Normandy), were bastards. The eldest was Æthelstan - died in 1014, then Ecgberht - died c.1005, then Edmund Ironside - died after the battle of Assandun in November 1016, then Eadred - died c.1013, then Eadwig - killed by Cnut in 1017, then Edgar - died c.1008. They also had several daughters, although only three can be confirmed - Eadgyth - who married Eadric Streona, Ælfgifu - who married Uhtred of Northumbria, and Wulfhild - who married Ulfcetel, an ealdorman of East Anglia. Out of Æthelred's bastard sons, only Edmund became king and that was mainly due to the result of Edward the Confessor's situation (exiled in Normandy), and, age. After the death of Æthelred in April 1016 and because of the threat of Cnut Sweinson, Queen Emma and her three children (Edward, Godgifu and Alfred) fled England and found shelter at her brother duke Richard's court in Normandy. Emma remained there until 1017 (she returned to England to marry Cnut), and her children took longer to return - Edward and Alfred in 1036 (Alfred was murdered, Edward briefly - not returning properly till 1042), and Godgifu after Edward became King.

   It is interesting to contemplate what might have happened had Edmund not died six weeks after the battle of Assandun. Was Cnut really happy for Edmund to have Wessex? Did he have a hand in the death of Edmund? Unfortunately, we will never know. However this is gold for the historical fiction writer as there is scope to introduce said various theories.

   In the next post I'll explore William of Normandy - the bastard son of duke Robert of Normandy, and his son, Henry I's numerous bastard sons.