Hedingham Castle and Gardens

Hedingham Castle has one of the best preserved Norman Keeps in the country and belonged to the De Vere family. Aubrey de Vere was one of William the Conqueror's most favoured knights. After the Battle of Hastings he was given land in many counties including Middlesex where he owned Kensington and Earls Court. His son Aubrey II built a huge castle at Hedingham c.1140 using the Archbishop of Canterbury as his architect. Aubrey III was created Ist Earl of Oxford by Queen Matilda and the castle remained the stronghold of the de Veres for 550 years and is still owned by a descendant. The Norman keep with its magnificent banqueting hall and minstrels' gallery is now the only remaining evidence of this great medieval castle and its later extensive Tudor buildings. The immensely rich and powerful de Veres were one of the most important medieval families who, as Lord Great Chamberlains, gave loyal service and military leadership to their kings and queens for over 500 years. Hedingham had many royal visitors including King Henry VII, King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I.

The Earls of Oxford were great crusaders and Aubrey, 2nd Earl fought with Richard Coeur de Lion and Robert, 3rd Earl was one of the barons who forced King John to sign the Magna Carta in 1215. The following year Hedingham Castle was besieged by King John, and again by the Dauphin of France in 1217. The de Veres were commanders throughout history and featured at the Siege of Caerlaverock and the famous battles of Crecy, Poitiers, Agincourt and Bosworth. John, 15th Earl took part in the Battle of the Spurs and accompanied King Henry VIII at the Field of the Cloth of Gold, and as Lord Great Chamberlain bore the crown at Anne Boleyn's coronation. John, 16th Earl escorted young Elizabeth from Hatfield to London for her coronation in 1559 and his wife Margery became her maid of honour. In 1561 Queen Elizabeth I aged twenty-eight stayed at Hedingham from August 14th-19th, and Edward,17th Earl, became one of her favourites and was acclaimed to be the best of the courtier poets.

At this point be are about to walk across the now dry moat to enter the keep (all that is left of the castle)

Passing some birds of prey

As in most castles the walls are so thick there has to be steps up to the 'windows'

Lots of visual information in all areas 

The Chapel

lavatory - filled with aromatic herbs

Looking down into the Banqueting Hall from the Minstrel's Gallery containing the largest arch in Norman domestic architecture

The Pecking order of the Falconry on the way in

How the keep would have looked

The top floor 

children come here to study

On leaving we shall be walking around the lovely village where we will have lunch in the next post

It is September so nice reminders of Summer

The Home of Charles Darwin

As we are still paddling through water in the garden
lets return to August and complete the days visits
Having left Lullingstone Roman Villa and our lunch and walk around Eynsford village we are now at Downe House, the family home of Charles Darwin the Victorian scientist.
I am not here to discuss his theory of evolution but to get some insight into his family life

Charles Robert Darwin was born on 12 February 1809 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire into a wealthy and well-connected family. His maternal grandfather was china manufacturer Josiah Wedgwood, while his paternal grandfather was Erasmus Darwin, one of the leading intellectuals of 18th century England.

Darwin himself initially planned to follow a medical career, and studied at Edinburgh University but later switched to divinity at Cambridge. In 1831, he joined a five year scientific expedition on the survey ship HMS Beagle.

The front of his house

and the back

surrounded by extensive gardens and orchards

Do you see the gentleman snoozing on the chair to the left of the picture? He was in that supine position for the whole of our visit!

The gardens and surrounding landscape were Darwin's 'outdoor laboratory' and provided much of the inspiration for his work

Here and above we see his famous 'thinking path' - the Sandwalk

We are now inside the house and looking at his collection of clocks

and information about his 9 children

the children's home made slide on the back stairs that would be used by staff

A fossil of a Giant Ground Sloth from Patagonia 

A replica of  HMS Beagle where Darwin spent his life at sea 

A life size replica of his cabin on board ship

Darwin

His study where he wrote his revolutionary book 

On the Origin of Species

A recreation room

Dining room

Sitting room

I do like this little reading table with the books below on a turn table

Of course it's time to make for the tearoom before driving home