Queen's Sconce

27th May 2021

Newark

Built by Edward I to defend the strategic town of Newark at the meeting of the Great North Road and River Trent, the Queen's Sconce is a defensive earthworks.

Broadly a square with elongated corners for the siting of Canon, it helped to defend the South of the town from Parliamentary forces during the English Civil Wars. 

Newark was a Royalist stronghold during this time and raiding parties were sent out from the castle to engage with the Parliamentarians.

This gives the town its motto "Trust In God and Sally Forth" (which is included on the modern representation of a Canon at the Sconce).

Art Solver Allover Bolsover

29th May 2021

Bolsover Castle.

Excellently preserved Keep and grounds of an original medieval castle in Derbyshire.

Rebuilt in 16th and 17th centuries it was the home of the 1st Duke of Newcastle, William Cavendish.

He was a lover of the arts and favoured poetry, writings and pictures.

Just behind the fountain in the second picture is a Cavalier who told us about the type of person Cavendish was.

His rooms in were full of art with talking points. As there was no TV in 16th century, conversation with guests centered around the pictures and tapestries on the walls.

Quite often (and in accordance with the sense of humour of the host) these would contain deliberate errors or changes which the guests would be encouraged to spot.

This policy was extended into the gardens with the fountain containing hidden water features below ground level which are not visible from the path.

The rooms are wood panelled and hide many secret cupboards and entrances and carvings in line with the humour.

Looking around such a building gives an insight into how castles actually operated. More informative than looking at a shell with an artists impression from the guidebook.

The castle contains the well preserved Riding House, an indoor equestrian area. It was used by William Cavendish (who was riding master to the future King Charles II) to train horses imported from as far away as Turkey and North Africa. 

The copper beech tree is very large and very impressive.

Guardian of the Trent

May 27th 2021

Newark Castle, Nottinghamshire. 

Impressive water side defensive wall and fairly intact gatehouse. 

The place where King John (all round baddie in the Robin Hood story, played by a lion in the Disney film) drew his last breath. 

On his way back to London from wherever he'd been, he felt ill and stopped off at Newark which is 

near to Nottingham and Sherwood Forest. 

Not sure if King John deserves all the bad press thrown his way from the Merry Man's publicity department. 

He did sign the Magna

Carta which allowed certain freedoms and rights to the wealthy Lords and Barons. 

He also signed the Charter of the Forest which isn't as well known, but potentially more important than the Magna Carta as it recognised and gave freedoms to the 'normal people' of England and not just the elite landowners.

Plus, he built the outer wall around Scarborough Castle in the early 13th century. 

Well, not him personally. 

He got others to do it. 

He was the King. 

Interestingly, Lincoln Castle (earlier photos) is the only place which has complete, original copies of both the Magna Carta (1215) & the Charter of the Forest (1217).

(In the days before printing, several copies were written out by hand and distributed across the land to be read out to the public).

Although on display, photographs were banned which, was a bit mean of them. 

Ancient Graffiti, Getting Cross & Proof George III Was Up The Pole.

June 2019

Lincoln Castle. The original dungeons are accessible via a ladder. I guess if you were to be a resident, the ladder would be removed once you were in. 

Not much to do after that to pass the time, so some took to defacing the walls which have now become preserved pieces of art. 

Bit like a medieval Banksy.

Eleanor of Castile, wife of Edward I, died near to Lincoln. 

Her body was carried all the way back to London and each place that the party rested en route was marked with an 'Eleanor' cross.

The final one being at Charring which is how Charring Cross gets the name. 

George III was supposedly mad. 

In Lincoln Castle grounds there is proof positive that he was, in fact, up the pole. 

Literally. 

The gigantic bust was placed on an even more gigantic column as a sort of land lighthouse. This could be seen for miles over the flat countryside and act as a guiding point for travellers. 

International Bomber Command Centre.

June 2019

Just outside of Lincoln, at Canwick, is the IBCC. A memorial and museum to the Allied Airman from all nations who served in Bomber Command during the Second World War. 

Lincolnshire is known as 'Bomber Country' due to the amount of Bomber Command airfields in the county. 

RAF Scampton of Dambusters fame is just up the road. 

The main sculpture is a spire which is the same height as the wingspan of a Lancaster. The gap in the base is aligned to frame Lincoln Cathedral in the distance, which was often used as a navigation aid by bomber crews heading home. 

(The photo of Lincoln Cathedral was taken from the castle which was a lot nearer. ). 

A Barrred Ham(mock in) Lincoln

June 2019

Trip to Lincoln and a look around the castle. This was used until fairly recently as an operational prison (the Red brick building inside the castle grounds). 

Now a museum it demonstrates the luxury that the crims were afforded.

The prison had used the Separation System, with the crims being forbidden any form of contact with other inmates. This extended to the prison church with individual cubicles in order to prevent contact. Crims filed along the rows, into a booth and closed the door behind them ensuring isolation from all but God.

Or his spokesperson. 

Certainty a shock as you walk down to the front, turn round and see all the heads looking at you. 

Once the isolation era finished, Crims were put behind bars with several (!!) other inmates. 

From one extreme to the other. 

Remember Scarborough.....

December 16th 1914.

At around about the same time as Kolberg was shelling Whitby, two other German battlecruisers, Von Der Tann and Derfflinger flung shells at Scarborough from the bay. 

Causing damage to the town and Castle (the Bastards). 

Killing civilians in the process, these were the first domestic casualties of the First War. 

Photos from The Crescent in Scarborough show blast damage from the attack still evident on the properties. 

Whitby Abbey.

My favourite Abbey. 

Sculpture Trail.

Whitby's Town Sculpture Trail. 

Not sure how many there are or where they are supposed to be. 

There are at least 8 as we found numbers 2, 7 & 8. 

The others didn't have any details, so who knows..... 

Will hopefully find them all over the next couple of visits. 

All linked to the maritime heritage of Whitby, although I'm not sure what the one with the camera has to do with fish.

(In the third photo from the top, the sculpture is the one on the right. Not easy to tell in that one).