Musings on England at the end of a year

The usual greeting is Hi or Hello are you well? It takes me by surprise, but is really not too different then our Hi, how are you?

Winter is a nice time to take scenic drives through the English countryside because most of the hedge rows have lost their leaves and you can actually see the view through them.

One disadvantage no matter when you take a trip all of the bridges and over passes have high stone sides so you can’t see the stream, railroad tracks, cannel, or pathway you are crossing. Of course most of these bridges are hundreds of years old and are made of stone, thus the sides.

The English are always early even delivery people. If they say they will be there at 3, start looking for them between 2 to 2:30.

Everyone is very polite. Where Americans would get impatient and crabby the English are calm and well mannered.

Village life is very friendly.  Everyone greats you as you walk through the village.  I’ve had teenagers on the other side of the street say good morning to me. Amazing.

Shop keepers end transactions with “Cheers love“ even ASDA which is England’s branch of Walmart.

The attitude in the country is “it could be worse.”

If a lot of people are waiting, a queue will automatically form.  No one has to direct this event, and everyone will patiently get in line and take their turn with no complaining.

Weather reports are interesting. Remember it’s like being at the Oregon coast here. A typical report is something like: Today will be cold with warm spell, sunny with some rain.  Yesterday our report was partly cloudy for the morning and partly sunny for the afternoon.  The morning was a brilliant blue sky and the afternoon had threatening clouds rolling through.

The Post offices in villages are privately owned, like Oregon liquor stores, and sell cards, stationery, wrapping paper, and you can have a savings account there.

Common phrases heard “get it sorted”, “sort it out”, “I sorted it.”

Sugar in the Us is granulated or powdered.  Here it could be granulated, caster sugar, icing sugar, pickeling sugar, canning sugar, or preserves sugar.  I may buy some of each just to see the difference.

Roche Abbey

Built for the White Monks, as Cistercians were known, the abbey was founded in 1147 and is located at the north end of the area once covered by Sherwood Forest. It is said Robin Hood went to mass here. The transepts still stand to their full height and are quite impressive. 

Gate house
 

 Limestone from the cliffs that line the valley supplied the material for building. 

Limestone from these cliffs used in the builtings.

Kitchens and the abbot’s quarters were built on the other side of the beck (stream).  The footbridge that accessed them still stands. 

Maltby Beck

The monks had latrines which were over Maltby Beck so the running water took the waste away.  Accounts tell of 14 monks and an unknown number of novices at the time of dissolution in 1538.

 

Hodsock Priory

View of Priory Snowdrops in lawn

 Built in the 1100’s the house is not open to the public, but the woodland and gardens are open in Feb and March for the blooming the snowdrops the first flowers of spring. The formal gardens are also open and a nice stroll.



Woodlands with snowdrops at Hodsock
 



Close up of snowdrops
 

Old Gainsboro Hall

Our area of England was a hotbed for religious puritans in the 1400 to 1600's.  One wealth family with such sympathies owned the manor of the in the near by town of Gainsboro.


View of North side- Tower left end and kitchen right end

West wing of house that was rented- lower section ale house upper living accomendations

The old hall was built in the early 1400's and added on to over the years.  The center section of beams and plaster is the original building. The round section of stone was added next and the brick kitchen and tower were added last in the late 1500's.  It is a marvarlous example of midevil architecture.


Holes near base of wall are to hold bee hives

Type of beehive that would be found in the wall holes.

kitchen - roasting fireplace

                         The family regularly held banned religious services in their great hall.

Great hall- Small square hole in end wall is spy hole from room on floor above

They knew the pilgram fathers and helped the pilgrams, who came to America, to leave England and avoid inprisonment.