Authors, Kings and Charming Villages
Posted on: July 29, 2018
- In: History | Travel
- 87 Comments
I wrote about my recent visit to Winchester Cathedral here, the final resting place of Jane Austen and King Canute as well as other notables. I spent a couple of days in this enchanting part of the UK with friends who took me on drives full of pleasant surprises.
Winchester itself is an interesting city full of history and stories. It was made the capital of England during Saxon times by King Alfred The Great. Whether he let the cakes burn or not is debatable but when I read that story as a child, I was always intrigued by this man. In the center of town is a statue of one of my childhood heroes and the only monarch in England to be called Great.
Winchester is a perfect place to wander around, with many historic buildings and interesting shops, including many bookstores.
I love the boot above the Clark’s Shoe Shop
At the university sits a bench dedicated to Jane Austen and Phillis Wheatly displaying the importance of literature to this city. It was at the University of Winchester that I attended a writer’s festival that weekend.
Driving through the New Forest made me think of days of yore and those who would have traveled by horse and buggy down these same paths.
And then we came upon a thatched-roofed village – right out of a book!
The village of Wherwell
Can you imagine living in a house like this?
Later, on the way to a pub for dinner, we came upon a wonderful old church with an awesome graveyard. Since I have this fascination with cemeteries, I had to take a few pictures.
And to my delight, we passed through yet another thatched-roofed village. My friends were kind enough to stop so I could take pictures.
The charming village of Monxton
The following day we went to the seaside city of Bournemouth, a place I had not been to before. I loved the casual elegance of the place and the lovely gardens in the center of town.
Bournemouth seafront
A fabulous building housing a LUSH store
Lovely gardens in the middle of the city
A huge lilac bush with the cathedral in the background
I discovered that Mary Shelly, although she never lived there, is buried in Bournemouth.
St. Peter’s in Bournemouth where Mary Shelly is buried, along with her parents.
Yes, that Mary Shelly, the author of the novel, Frankenstein, and wife of Percy Shelly. Did she ever imagine there would be a pub named after her?
We stopped for an ice cream and had a stroll along the seafront before I was dropped off at the airport. A perfect couple of days with good friends.
Making memories with friends.
87 Responses to "Authors, Kings and Charming Villages"
July 29, 2018 at 4:45 am
Been to Winchester once only, specifically to see the Gurkha Military Museum which my wife, being from Nepal, was interested in. The soldiers there were fascinated to meet her being the first woman from Nepal to get a PhD! It looks a very interesting place especially with its Saxon history. Do you know about Æthelflæd who was Alfred’s eldest daughter? She was actually Britain’s first Iron Lady, not Boudicca and not Thatcher for quite different reasons. Just been some major celebrations about her https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Æthelflæd
July 29, 2018 at 5:57 am
Fascinating! Thanks so much for the link to Æthelflæd. How wonderful that your wife is the first woman from Nepal to get a PhD! I´m sure the Gurka Military Museum would be interesting to visit.
July 29, 2018 at 5:20 am
Great post, Darlene. Are you going to post about the writers’ conference? How was it?
July 29, 2018 at 5:28 am
I guess I should. I didn´t take many pictures for some reason. Thanks again for the suggestion, these posts are because of you!!
July 29, 2018 at 8:03 pm
Oh, I don’t think it matters if there aren’t many pictures and I’m sure others would love to know about the writers’ conference and how it went.
July 29, 2018 at 5:23 am
We went to Winchester several times, but we didn’t see Wherwell. What a beautiful village! I loved this account of your visit with friends.
July 29, 2018 at 5:29 am
Thanks, Anna. Wherwell is located on a small road on the way to Andover, where my friends live. They took this road so I could see the village. It was a surprise!
July 29, 2018 at 5:30 am
Recognised some of your pics, as lived on the edge of the New Forest for 10 years, before retiring to Spain. Very lovely part of the UK.
July 29, 2018 at 6:01 am
Thanks, Sue. I didn´t know you lived by the New Forest. I love this part of England.
July 29, 2018 at 7:43 am
Charming indeed and a part of England that I have never visited. I always seem to get drawn to the North!
July 29, 2018 at 7:49 am
There are many parts of Canada I have never visited either and still parts of Spain I need to explore. So many places, so little time. The North is great too.
July 29, 2018 at 9:31 am
So glad you have been to my present home town ( nearly fourteen years in Bournemouth ). There is also the Shelley Theatre, restored now, built by Percy Florence Shelley at his home to entertain his friends. It is good you looked up, not everyone does, the church spire is lovely and many interesting buildings which must have seen many changes to their ground floors! Beales department store opposite the church was bombed during the war, the present building dates from the fifties I think.
July 29, 2018 at 10:14 am
How wonderful that you live in this delightful place. I didn’t know about the Shelley theatre. I loved the combination of old and new in the buildings. I stopped in at Waterstones to introduce myself. They were so nice there and said my books could be ordered from their store. I was happy to hear that.
July 29, 2018 at 11:06 am
I’ve seen thatch-roofed houses but not whole villages. How gorgeous.
July 29, 2018 at 11:39 am
How wonderful to explore soaring spires and other fabulous architecture with friends. As I write this, I’m listening to the melody from your earlier “Winchester” post. Love all of this – thanks, Darlene!
July 29, 2018 at 5:24 pm
Thanks, Marian. Pleased you are enjoying my time in Winchester and area.
July 29, 2018 at 5:17 pm
Thank you for the memories, Darlene, I have family in Winchester and spent many happy holidays there as a teenager. Love your photos they are beautiful 🙂 xx
July 29, 2018 at 5:24 pm
So glad I brought back fond memories for you. What an ideal place to spend your holidays!
July 29, 2018 at 5:50 pm
You certainly bring back happy memories, Darlene. I too was fascinated by the postcard-pretty thatched cottages in Hampshire when I first arrived and Bournemouth was my home for 10 years. 👍💖
July 29, 2018 at 8:01 pm
What a great place to live. Lucky you.Glad to bring back some happy memories for you.
July 29, 2018 at 7:09 pm
Darlene, I live in Bournemouth just few minutes walking distance from the pier. I would have loved to have met you, but heyho maybe next time?
July 29, 2018 at 8:02 pm
Oh, my goodness. Definitely next time we will meet for a coffee or an ice cream!
July 29, 2018 at 7:56 pm
Oh shivers, Bournemouth. I spent unconscionable hours in the Winter Gardens as a teen, having been to some rock concert or film in town. My family moved to the New Forest in 1970 and I lived there until Uni in 1975 but they are still there. It is a beautiful part of the country though as a teen I couldn’t wait to get to the brights lights. Lovely reminder of all that’s good with a place from my past (my ears are still ringing after Deep Purple…)
July 29, 2018 at 8:07 pm
After reading your book about your family, I realized I had been in your home territory. I can just imagine your mother’s wonderful garden that she loved so much. We never appreciate where we came from until years later. I too couldn’t wait to leave the farm/ranch and move to the big city. (It was my British hubby who introduced me to Deep Purple) Thanks for commenting and glad the post brought back good memories.
July 29, 2018 at 11:45 pm
What lovely pictures, Darlene. It brought back very old memories for me. I had a great-aunt who lived near the New Forest and when I was a teenager I travelled all the way from Edinburgh on the bus to have a holiday with her. She took me to visit Winchester and Bournemouth. It looks like you had a great trip.
July 29, 2018 at 11:48 pm
I had a wonderful trip and I’m glad you enjoyed the post, Anne. I am surprised at how many of my readers have spent time in this area.
July 30, 2018 at 1:09 am
What a beautiful place! Thank you for these photos, Darlene. Love everything from the thatched roof houses to the cemetery. 🙂
July 30, 2018 at 3:04 am
The world is full of beautiful places and it was my grade three teacher that inspired me to search them out!
July 30, 2018 at 11:47 am
How wonderful! Is that the same teacher who introduced you to classical music (Grand Canyon), or was that your fifth grade teacher?
July 30, 2018 at 9:20 pm
That thatched roofed village is just adorable Darlene. Definitely straight out of a fairy tale. 🙂
July 30, 2018 at 11:34 pm
Wonderful post, Darlene! I’ve never visited Winchester, but now I want to! Thatched cottages are aplenty on the Isle of Wight, especially in Godshill. In Freshwater there’s a thatched church too, very quaint.
July 31, 2018 at 1:04 am
A Thatched church would be wonderful to see. I didn’t see all the wonders of the Isle of Wight when I visited so I must return one day. Glad you enjoyed the post.
July 31, 2018 at 3:44 am
The photos are awesome. Thank you for sharing. Travelling is inspirational.
July 31, 2018 at 3:45 am
It really is. I always come home with so many ideas!! Glad you enjoyed the photos.
July 31, 2018 at 3:58 am
I am so envious, Darlene. What a fantastic place to visit. I really enjoyed your photographs and the virtual visit with you.
July 31, 2018 at 4:07 am
You would just love it. Perhaps you can make a thatched roof house cake!!
July 31, 2018 at 6:56 am
What a fun trip. There’s so much to like in your pictures. I have never been to England but it is on my travel bucket list. Thanks for this peek.
July 31, 2018 at 7:41 am
And I have never been across the US on a train! You would love England as the history goes so far back.
July 31, 2018 at 10:17 am
Great pictures. So much history.
July 31, 2018 at 8:10 pm
Thanks for visiting my blog! There is a lot of history in this part of the world.
July 31, 2018 at 11:14 am
What a great trip. Triggered memories of my visit there in 1997. I loved the tiny villages and thatched roofed homes. I visited so many churches, I became weary. They are stunning. Loved your photo journey.
July 31, 2018 at 7:58 pm
Yes, too many churches at one time can get a bit much. I try to spread the visits out if I can. I recall my 8-year-old daughter saying, after visiting yet another old church on one of our trips, “Mommy, I’m tired of looking at all these dead people.” I took her to a fun park then. Pleased you enjoyed the pictures of the thatched roofed villages and that they brought back good memories.
July 31, 2018 at 12:49 pm
What an awesome trip and as you say wonderful memories to treasure. Thanks for sharing at Senior Salon
August 1, 2018 at 1:12 am
A lovely post recounting what was obviously a lovely time, Darlene. I confess that Winchester and the New Forest are two of my favourite places. Alfred is reputed to have burned the cakes while hiding in the marshes of Athelney, in Somerset; as you do. A pub named the Mary Shelley is, of course, a frightening prospect.
August 1, 2018 at 1:17 am
So pleased you liked the post and I hope I got the facts right. It is a fabulous part of Britain. I didn´t even venture into the Mary Shelley pub and stumbled upon it quite by accident!
August 1, 2018 at 11:47 pm
It sounds as if you had a lovely time and Winchester looks an interesting place to visit. I don’t know it, or Bournemouth, at all, but I can see they both have attractions. That lilac bush is gigantic, I’ve never seen one that big.
August 2, 2018 at 12:03 am
It is a lovely part of England. But you have some beautiful parts of Scotland to that I would love to explore. The lilac bush was amazing!!
August 2, 2018 at 9:00 pm
There are wonderful pieces of history in almost every village city or town in England. Lovely post and pictures.
August 2, 2018 at 9:07 pm
Thanks for visiting and commenting. I like to pick one area and have a good look around instead of the whirlwind tour of England many folks do.
August 2, 2018 at 9:18 pm
I live near Lavenham Suffolk, if you google it you will want to come.
August 2, 2018 at 11:34 pm
This is a dream vacation for me! Love your photos and can’t wait until I visit. 🙂
August 3, 2018 at 1:00 am
I do hope you get to visit this area soon. I know you will just love it! Thanks for stopping in.
August 3, 2018 at 1:09 am
Great photos, I truly love the thatched cottages, they always have such an oldy-worldy image. The graveyard was also lovely… I have a thing about graveyards, I find them so peaceful and calming. 🙂
August 3, 2018 at 1:11 am
So I am not the only one who is fascinated by graveyards! Pleased you liked the photos.
lol Oh I love them. We almost bought a house that had a graveyard in the land attached, sadly the owner decided not to sell. I could walk through them for hours 😀
August 3, 2018 at 1:17 am
How cool would that be?? Even as a child I enjoyed spending hours at graveyards.
August 3, 2018 at 5:53 am
You certainly keep the company of wonderful friends, Darlene! I’ve been to England half a dozen times but have never visited the places you so beautifully captured by photographs. Makes me hunger for another trip soon. By the way, I love your butterfly blouse!
August 3, 2018 at 8:06 am
I do have some amazing friends! So pleased you enjoyed the photographs. For such a small country, there is so much to see and do in England. I picked up the butterfly top on my last trip to Canada and I feel very comfy in it. Thanks!
August 4, 2018 at 12:21 am
These are wonderful photos, Darlene. This is one of the joys of blogging. One gets to vicariously visit places one might never get to. I too love walking through cemeteries, especially old ones. There’s something soothing as well as sad about them and I love to imagine what the people’s lives must have been like. ❤
August 4, 2018 at 6:19 am
I am so happy to meet another person who enjoys walking through cemeteries. I too like to imagine the lives of those souls resting there. Blogging does let is visit a variety of places. So pleased you enjoyed this trip. Thanks for visiting my blog!
August 4, 2018 at 8:34 am
You covered it all…I am a history buff…architecture buff and fascinated by England (the Tisdale name originated in England). Great post…thank you for sharing!!
August 4, 2018 at 8:38 am
And just think of the painting ideas you could collect! England is a fascinating place with so much history around every corner. Glad you enjoyed the photos.
August 4, 2018 at 8:38 am
This looks amazing. Such beautiful photographs too. Thanks for sharing.
August 4, 2018 at 1:30 pm
Darlene it looks like you had a marvellous time exploring with good friends. Winchester seems fascinating both from a history perspective and architecture. The thatched roofs look like many we saw in Ireland.
August 4, 2018 at 5:38 pm
It is a very interesting part of the UK, as are many others of course. It is so cool to see the places I read about as a child. Those thatched roofs never cease to amaze me. They call them chocolate box villages!
August 4, 2018 at 2:47 pm
Wow, that village. Sigh, yes, I can imagine living in a house like that. I’ve “seen” Bournemouth on TV and would love to visit it one day. (And other seaside places in England. I think Dorset might be quite pretty, too.) Yet another wonderful trip, Darlene!
August 4, 2018 at 5:41 pm
It was wonderful and I am so lucky to be able to visit these places. English seaside places are wonderful and just as you see on TV or in movies. I do hope you get there one day. Lovely to see you here!
August 7, 2018 at 12:21 am
Winchester seems like a very charming place to explore and a perfect walkable destination, Darlene. Thanks for introducing this place to me and whetting my appetite for there!
August 7, 2018 at 1:17 am
Winchester is not very big and easy to walk around. The castle ruins are at one end of the main street and the cathedral at the other. It is an enjoyable place to visit.
August 25, 2018 at 7:45 pm
That’s an odd kind of honor, having a pub named after you. I wonder how she’d feel about it.
August 25, 2018 at 8:42 pm
I know, I thought so as well. But I imagine she would be OK with it.
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July 29, 2018 at 4:12 am
Ah, Bournemouth brings back fond memories. I lived in London for three months many many years ago and although I didn’t see much else than that fabulous city, I did make it to Bournemouth. These photos are gorgeous!
July 29, 2018 at 5:26 am
Happy to bring back good memories, my friend.