Elizabeth Comes to Visit

Breakfast time for the birds this morning

The mystery guest was Elizabeth from About New York. Elizabeth came over to my house and had lunch and tea on Wednesday. I first met Elizabeth through her Marrakesh blog as she was living there at the time. She is now back in New York but was here visiting family in London.

We had an enjoyable and interesting day and talked non-stop for 5 hours plus our time in the car travelling too and from the train station. We found we had much in common and she and my husband Alan had plenty to talk about over the lunch table too. Elizabeth is a well travelled and down to earth, practical and friendly lady who had many interesting stories to relate.

If you have not already done so then do visit her blog. She is also an excellent photographer and this comes through in all her posts. You will also find a link there to her Marrakesh blog.

Elizabeth and Barbara

Elizabeth in the garden between the heavy rain showers

Barbara

That was a short break in my Yorkshire posts. There are still 3 more to go. I'll be glad to finish, I'm getting bored with the one subject even though I love Yorkshire. Caving and a little gentle climbing still to come.

I have done a lot of wild blackberry picking this week. The wet weather has brought an abundance of fruit.

Fountains Abbey Church, Yorkshire Pt.15

St Mary’s Church, located in the deer park, is one of the most richly decorated churches of the Gothic Revival, designed by William Burges in 1871 and considered to be one of his finest works. This church was commissioned by the Marquis of Ripon to become the Parish Church. The church is one of a pair, the other, in the nearby village of Skelton was commissioned by Lady Mary Vyner (cousin of the Marquis) to commemorate the murder of her youngest son in Greece.

It was worth walking 2 miles through the deer park in the pouring rain to see the stained glass windows, painted ceilings and walls, marble pillars amongst amazing gold leafed artwork and architecture. The solid brass door was a sight to behold.


I must apologise for the poor quality of the pictures. I did not have my tri-pod (always leave it at home!) and there was little light inside.

Outside Door

Inside Door

Ceilings

Windows and pillars

Spiral staircase

Fountains Mill & Fountains Hall,Yorkshire Pt.14

The only 12th century Cisterian Cornmill in Britain and one of only a few surviving in Europe.

I liked this roof

The history of the Hall is shrouded in mystery and many legends have sprung up about it, including it being a hiding place for Catholics during the Civil War, and being haunted by the Blue Lady.

Fountains Hall was built by Sir Stephen Proctor between 1598 and 1604, partly with stone from the Abbey ruins. It was built during the peaceful and prosperous final years of the reign of Elizabeth I. The building style has been attributed to the influence of the Elizabethan architect Robert Smythson, who designed Burton Agnes Hall and Hardwick Hall.

Proctor re-used sandstone blocks and a stone staircase from the abbey, but had fresh limestone cut for the windows and main façade. Still visible today, are Sir Stephen's initials and bade (an otter with a fish in its mouth) carved in stone over the impressive entrance.

In 1604 Proctor played host to the young prince destined to become the ill fated Charles I, during his first royal progress from London to Edinburgh.

After Proctor's death in 1619, the Hall eventually came into the hands of distant relatives, the Messenger family. They were Recusants [Catholics] but outwardly conformed to the Protestant religious settlement: this enabled them to lead quieter lives and may have preserved their finances, but they were still denied much social and all political positions.

The Entrance Hall

I'm having a blogging friend coming to lunch and tea tomorrow. She lives most of the year in a very hot country and spends the Summer in New York. Any guesses? Stay tuned and all will be revealed.

Studley Royal Water Gardens,Yorkshire Pt.13

Once a wild wooded valley in the grounds of Fountains Abbey, the water gardens are claimed to be one of the most spectacular gardens in England. They were created by John Aislabie and his son William. Disgraced by financial scandal in the 1700's they poured their energies into creating this great vision. Today you can wander at leisure along foot-paths that criss-cross the canal, past elegant ponds and cascades, discover follies hidden high in the valley sides and classical temples sheltered by woodland trees.

So come with me and see them for yourself. It's pretty steep walking up the hillside, but worth it.

Somewhere to shelter

We are at the top and can see the abbey in the distance. This area is called Queem Anne's seat. She obviously had a seat here in the distant past.

It's quite a long way down

The Monks obviously did not want to get caught out when they were out meditating in the grounds. Air conditioned too!

We are walking through a tunnel under the hill

Looking back

Nearly there - at least it's dry in here

Interesting tree roots

Fountains Abbey,Yorkshire Pt.12

Fountains Abbey is a World Heritage Site and well worth a visit.

In 1132 thirteen monks came to this valley from St. Mary's Abbey in York and set about building Fountains Abbey which included the monastery and abbey church.(It always amazes me the knowledge and skills that people had in those days without any of the technology we have today).

At the time this site was soon to become the richest Cicterian abbey in the UK and it survived the dissolution of the monastries by King Henry VIII. Today we see the passages, stair cases and towers of the largest monastic ruins in the country.The arches are amazing. Come walk round with me and you will be amazed at the layout. So let's walk in the footsteps of the Monks.
The estate includes an Elizabethan mansion, a medieval deer park and one of Englands most spectacular water gardens,Studley Royal. There is also the only surviving 12th century Cicterian corn mill in Britain, and a beautiful church. We actually made 2 visits in order to see it all so it will take several posts to cover.

On the domestic front, they even had their airing cupbords for drying clothes. Apparently a fire was lit behind a very thick stone wall and as the wall heated up, it dried the clothes.