Mottisfont House,Hampshire

We paid a visit to Mottisfont House while in Hampshire recently.

Maud & Gilbert Russell found the perfect country retreat here when they moved in 1934, intrigued by this unique building crafted from a medieval priory.

The beautiful vaults and columns of the 13th century wine cellar

The boys room

sitting room

hall

dining room

out in the grounds

The meeting place by the fountain

In Saxon times, the village 'moots' or meetings were held by this natural spring. The combinations of the words 'moot' and 'font' is believed to be the origin of the name 'Mottisfont'.

The font is over 3 metres deep (9 feet) and despite recent dry summers has never been known to run dry. Until the 1940's it supplied water to the walled garden and several houses in the village.  

It was not the best day to visit here! There were 450 young school children visiting for the day studying wild life and history!

Romsey Abbey, Hampshire

Our walk is finished so time to enjoy the peace and beauty of the Abbey.

God has been worshipped here for over 1100 years and for almost 900 in this great Norman church.

The original Abbey dates from 907, being re-founded in 974 as a Benedictine Abbey of nuns.

It survived the monastic dissolution thanks to the faith and foresight of four "Guardians" of the Abbey who petitioned Henry VIII and bought the church for £100. 

The Abbey is a place of prayer and pilgrimage and contains many historical and architectural riches from across its history.

It is said to be not just a building, but living stones which speak of the majesty of God and the love of his Son Jesus Christ for all humanity. 

It's not often that you see the tomb of a child

Part of the original foundations

King John's House and Romsey, Hampshire

A stroll around Romsey with a visit to King John's house in the middle of town

Here we see The Corn Exchange in the market square which is now a bank

King John's house contains 750 years of history and there is a museum upstairs

The house was once the major building in a large medieval complex.

It is thought to be the hunting lodge that King John built in Romsey in 1206

There is a rare bone floor inside

Pre- eighteenth century plants flourish in the main garden, including a medieval style herber. There is a Victorian terrace to the south and a fountain courtyard to the north. They have all been designed to reflect the original buildings on the site.

Now on our way the tea room

after which we walked around the perimeter of the town and now passing the Abbey (later post)

which has a kind of mote around part of it

Having walked some lanes with cottages on one side and fields on the other we now come to the river 

before making our way back to the centre of town