G & J away from home

Sunday, 5 June 2016

Since our plans had had to have an adjustment to enable us to attend the Monica Edwards event on Saturday we found we had a very lazy start to our Sunday as Arundel Castle grounds didn't open until 10am and the rooms until midday.  (Probably a good thing we had such a gentle start to the day what with poor sleep, 50% of the party down with headaches, and an unnamed person recovering from taking a swan dive into her bath!)

In the end we left a little earlier than planned and turned up exactly at 10am - which was perfect as there was a surprising amount to see on the outside of the buildings, and a fair bit of walking involved.

I'm not sure I could identify the road we approached Arundel on but if it wasn't the one Rosamund took with Jandy Mac it was one with as good a 'reveal'.  We came around a corner and out from some trees to see the castle on the high ground ahead of us.  What a sight!  Our cameras were (regrettably) not at the ready at that moment but they certainly got a work-out for the rest of our visit.

The Abbey Girls at Rosamund's Castle

Gary was very patient taking the photo since I changed position twice before settling for being on the high point of the slightly sloping ground.  (Never used to think I was particularly short until I started seeing the photos of me with Beth and Marianne!)  As can be seen by the background the weather was absolutely perfect for photos of the castle.

We followed the map around, visiting the rose garden, the Fitzalan chapel, the white garden, the Collector Earl's Garden, and cutting gardens, all while walking along lovely paths in a beautiful setting that was made more attractive (in my opinion) by having un-mown wildflower zones.

Although it's a little early for the roses enough were out that their scent was noticeable as we approached the area - probably helped along by the heat of the morning.

Photographers in the rose gardens

(Click on any photos to enlarge.)

While the others were off visiting the chapel I found a shady spot to read and here's my usual record of what I could see when I looked up from my reading:

View from my reading spot

After he Fitzalan Chapel stop we all sauntered down to the rest of the gardens, particularly enjoying the Collector Earl's Garden with its view of Arundel Cathedral.

Arundel Cathedral

A kind gentleman with a camera leapt out of view so I could take this shot:

Fountain in the Collector Earl's Garden

We continued through the gardens until it was midday and then headed back to the castle where the main rooms were now open. (There might have been a stop at this point for a very nice snack of sandwiches and drinks - just to keep us going.)  While Gary and Marianne headed up the castle keep (lots of stairs), Beth and I wandered through the castle rooms where, sadly, no photographs are allowed.

From the top of the keep Gary took some photos down over the larger part of the castle enclosure:

The 'tilting yard'

The smaller enclosure

As we toured around Arundel we were often trying to recall specifics mentioned in the Elsie Oxenham books set at the castle - not always successfully.  Perhaps more homework was required.  But we found it easy to imagine the moment when the girls went up to the battlements to look down over the dancing.

From Arundel we drove north-west to our hotel near Bath (right beside the Kennet and Avon canal), checked in (not without some drama as Beth and Marianne had to be relocated as their room had no power) and had a very quick dinner.  Practically running out of the restaurant Beth, Gary, and Marianne headed off to Holcombe Old Church for an evening service taken by Clarissa, whom we will be visiting tomorrow.

The church 'has late Saxon-early Norman origins and was rebuilt in the 16th century' and is mostly unused now, though still visited as its graveyard contains the memorial (on his parent's headstone) to Scott of the Antarctic.

Robert Falcon Scott

 It turned out to be a long journey with detours on the way there (straightforward) and back (exceedingly long, possibly getting a little l-o-s-t) due to a traffic accident.


A note about editing: I do go back and add things to posts, change photos, add in missing posts, etc., so it's worth flicking back through older posts every now and then.

Reading:
Nice Class of Corpse by Simon Brett (Jane)
Rosamund's Castle by Elsie J Oxenham (Marianne)

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