Northern Italy 2013

Spent the morning in the ancient town of St. Albans with Roman ruins and old English village.

Met Richard Hunt and Alison who drover us on tour of the countryside to the west in the Chiltern Hills.

Had a brief stop in the town of Henley-on-Thames. This is very pretty with the river and famous rowing club.

Then stop in Dorchester on Thames which is an attractive and prosperous Thames-side village with a number of fine period buildings which give the village its special character. Two coaching inns remain in the village out of the original ten, where the very old George Inn was seen. and there were antique shops in the High Street. We did not stop, but the edge of Dorchester is the site of an Iron Age settlement and also the site of the Roman town of Dorcic. we went by and briefly looked in Dorchester Abbey, which was a former Augustinian abbey. The Abbey is now just the parish church.

Ewelme: The church of St. Mary the Virgin tower is 14th century although the remainder of the church dates from the 15th century. Next to the church is a covered passage that leads to the Cloister - a square courtyard surrounded by thirteen red brick almshouses which were established in 1437. The almshouses are the oldest brick buildings in this part of the country. Next to the Cloister is Ewelme school which was founded originally as a superior grammar school. Now the school is a state primary school and is the oldest school building in the country to be in use as a state primary school. The School is a fine rectangular red brick building two storeys high.

Had dinner at the Three Horseshoes in High WycombeLes mer