Time for instalment number 4 of the great UK road trip. This post we're off to Gloucestershire , Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Northamptonshire, West Midlands and Shropshire.
Stop number 16
First place to visit is Gloucestershire. This county is mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in the 10th century. Originally the county included Bristol, became a county in its own right, in 1373. In more recent history, 2007, Gloucestershire suffered the worst flooding in recorded British history with the damage costs estimated at over £2 billion.
This is Chavenage House is an Elizabethan era manor house. The house is constructed of Cotswold stone and has a Cotswold stone tiled roof.
The next place is Beverston Castle which was originally constructed as a medieval stone fortress. In 1229 the castle was founded by Maurice de Gaunt. Originally the castle was pentagonal is shape and later in the 14th century a small quadrangular stronghold and a twin-towered gatehouse was added.
The next stop is at Berkeley Castle, which origins date back to the 11th century. The first castle was a motte-and-bailey and was built around 1067. The castle has Been in the Berkeley family since they reconstructed it in the 12th century, although there was a period of royal ownership by the Tudors. The remainder of the castle was built in the14th century. The castle is believed to be the scene of the murder of King Edward II in 1327.
The next stop is at a rather beautiful location, Gloucester Cathedral. The Cathedral originated around 678 with the foundation of an abbey dedicated to Saint Peter. It was originally built as an abbey church, with additions in every style of Gothic architecture. A \central tower was added in the 15th century. The south porch is in the Perpendicular style. The most notable part of the structure is the canopied shrine of King Edward II. The cathedral has been used as a location for filming the first, second and sixth Harry Potter films and the Christmas Special of Doctor Who.
The stop is the wonderland at Westbury Court Garden, a Dutch water garden laid out in 1696 to 1705. The garden was created by the owner of Westbury Court, Maynard Colchester. Colchester died in 1715 and the garden was left to his nephew and heir, Maynard Colchester II. Colchester II demolished the original late Elizabethan manor house in the 1740s and replaced it with a Palladian mansion. By 1967, with the manor house gone and the garden derelict, the National Trust took on the restoration task.
Last stop is Tyndale Monument, a tower built a top of a hill in North Nibley. The tower was built in honour of William Tyndale, a translator of the New Testament. The 34m tall tower was constructed in 1866. It is possible to enter and climb the 120 step spiral staircase to the top of the tower.
Stop number 17
Here we come Herefordshire, watch out! From 1974 to 1998, Herefordshire was part of the former county of Hereford and Worcester. It was then reconstituted both as a new district, in 1996 and as a new county, in 1998.
Here the first place to visit is Hampton Court, a castellated country house dating from 1427. Sir Rowland Lenthall built the original house on an estate which had been granted to him some by King Henry IV. The house was a built originally in a quadrangular courtyard house, even with numerous renovations the house has retained its basic shape.
Next is Dore Abbey, a former Cistercian abbey. It was founded in 1147 by Robert fitzHarold.
Off to Berrington Hall, a neoclassical country house designed by Henry Holland in 1778 to 1781 for Thomas Harley.
Last stop in Herefordshire is Wigmore Castle. It is a ruined castle founded after the Norman Conquest, around 1070, by William fitzOsbern. Parts of the walls were built/rebuilt in stone in the late 12th century or 13th century, with further work carried out in the 13th century.
Now it's time to visit Worcestershire.
First stop is Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings, an open-air museum of relocated rescued buildings. The museum was founded in 1963 and opened in 1967. Under the demolition, there are more than 27 buildings and structures which have been relocated from their original sites.
The Anglican Worcester Cathedral is the next stop. It was built between 1084 and 1504 representing every style of English architecture from Norman to Perpendicular Gothic.
The next place of worship to visit is Great Malvern Priory. It was originally a Benedictine monastery, from 1075 to 1540, and is now an Anglican parish church. The Priory is able to boast the largest display of 15th century stained glass in England.
Up next is Witley Court, a spectacular ruin having been destroyed by fire in 1937. The court was built by Thomas Foley in 1655 on the site of a former manor house. Additions were made to the design by John Nash in the early 19th century.
The last stop is Hanbury Hall, an 18th century house built by Thomas Vernon. It is believed that Hanbury Hall stands on the site of the previous mansion, Spernall Hall.
Stop number 4 is in Warwickshire. The first documented reference to Warwickshire was in 1001. During the English Civil War Warwickshire played a key part with the Battle of Edgehill and other skirmishes taking place in the county. During the Industrial Revolution Warwickshire became one of Britain's foremost industrial counties.
The first grandiose place to visit is Charlecote Park, a grand 16th century country house that is surrounded by its own deer park. The Lucy family has owned the land since 1247 with the house being built in 1558 by Sir Thomas Lucy. In 1760 the grounds were landscaped by Capability Brown.
The next grand property is Compton Verney House, an 18th-century house. It was built in 1714 by Richard Verney and first extended by George Verne in the 18th century. It was again remodelled and the interiors were redesigned by Robert Adam in the 1760s. Today the house is an art gallery.
Next for us to check out is Compton Wynyates, a Tudor period house. It is constructed of red brick with a central courtyard. It is castellated and turreted in parts. After the Civil War, half timbered gables were added to replace damaged parts of the building.
Next is the English Tudor country house, Coughton Court. Coughton estate has been owned by the Throckmorton family since 1409 which was acquired through marriage. In 1946 the National Trust took over ownership.
Time for something totally different, we are checking out the Heritage Motor Centre. It is a British motor museum and research centre. The collection was developed in the 1970s which houses a collection of important vehicles that celebrate Britain's motoring heritage.
Last stop is Warwick Castle, a medieval castle developed from an original built by William the Conqueror in 1068. The original wooden motte-and-bailey castle was rebuilt in stone during the 12th century.
Northamptonshire is next on the 'to see list'. Early human occupation is sparse in population with relatively few finds from the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic periods. George Washington was born into the Washington family who had migrated to America from Northamptonshire in 1656.
First we are off to Boughton House. Originally the house was a monastic building but when Sir Edward Montagu purchased it in 1528 he began to convert it into a mansion. Most what you see today is work of Ralph Montagu who inherited the house in 1683.
This one is sort of my family home - my great, great, great, great x a bazillion grand father was Sir William Cecil. It's Burghley House, a grand 16th-century country house. The house was built for Sir William Cecil between 1558 and 1587 and modelled on Richmond Palace. It has featured in The Da Vinci Code, Pride & Prejudice and Elizabeth: The Golden Age. So here is where I could be living, hehe!
This is Cottesbrooke Hall, a Grade I listed country house and estate believed to be the inspiration for Jane Austen's Mansfield Park. Cottesbrooke is a near-perfect example of Queen Anne architecture. It is constructed in red brick with ashlar dressings and has lead and slate roofs. Building work was begun in 1702 and finished in 1713 by Sir John Langham. Today the house remains largely unaltered.
Next on the list is eerily gorgeous Kirby Hall, an Elizabethan country house. Building began in 1570 and was expanded in the classical style over the course of the decades. Today the house in a semi-ruined state and many parts roof-less. The Great Hall and state rooms remain intact. The gardens, with statues and urns, have been recently restored.
Next is a visit to remember those that helped shape the free nation that we live in today. Naseby Field is the location of the Battle of Naseby, a battle of the English Civil War, which resulted in a disastrous royalist defeat. Today a plaque and obelisk marks the battle ground.
The last visit for this county is the oddly shaped Rushton Triangular Lodge. It is a folly, designed and constructed between 1593 and 1597 by Sir Thomas Tresham. Alternating bands of dark and light limestone was used for the construction. It has three walls, each 33 feet long and have three triangular windows. It also has three gargoyles, three floors upon a basement and a triangular chimney.
The second last county stop is in the West Midlands. The modern county has only existed since 1974, but settlements of the West Midlands have long been important for commerce and industry.
The first place on the list is Aston Hall, a Jacobean-style mansion. Construction on the Hall commenced in April 1618 and was completed in April 1635. Today Aston Hall is now a community museum.
We're now off to smell the roses at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. The Gardens were designed in 1829 by J. C. Loudon and opened to the public on June 11th 1832. There over 7000 different plants in the garden and it is home to The British National Bonsai Collection.
The next stop is Coventry Cathedral. The city of Coventry has had three cathedrals throughout history. The first was St. Mary's, a monastic building which only a few ruins of which remain. The second was St Michael's, a 14th-century Gothic church, the ruined shell still remains after bombing during the Second World War. The third is the new St Michael's Cathedral.
Perrott's Folly is next. This is also known as The Monument or The Observatory, it is a 29-metre tall tower built in 1758. J. R. R. Tolkien lived nearby as a child and it has been suggested that the towers may have influenced references to towers in his writings.
The last stop in this county is Wightwick Manor. It is a Victorian manor house and is one of only a few surviving examples of a house built and furnished under the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement. The manor was built in two phases, the first was completed in 1887 and the house was extended in 1893.
The final county for this post is Shropshire. The origin of the name "Shropshire" is the Old English "Scrobbesbyrigscīr". The county was a central part of the Welsh Marches during the medieval period.
The first stop is another tower, this one is Flounders Folly. It was built in 1838, is approximately 24 m tall and 4.9m square.
Haughmond Abbey, a ruined medieval Augustinian monastery is the next stop. It was built around 1135.
The next ruin is Hopton Castle. The Castle has been a ruin since the early 18th century and it was partially restored between 2006 and 2011.
Time for another ruin, this one is Moreton Corbet Castle. The ruins are from two different time periods: a medieval stronghold and an Elizabethan era manor house. Both buildings haven't been used since the 18th century. It is said the grounds are haunted by the ghost of Paul Holmyard.
This is the last ruin I promise, well at least for this post. This time we are off to Wenlock Priory, a ruined 12th century monastery.
Last stop for this county is at St Laurence's Church. It was construction then expanded and rebuilt in 1199 to accommodate a growing town population.
Until next time
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