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Our European Adventure 2018
  • DeanandLindasTravels
  • DeanandLindasTravels

Our European Adventure 2018

A 6 month trip on a shoestring Read more
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  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Traveler
    The Campground below the Mill site1When refrigerator delivery is just too expensive!

    Houghton Mill on the Great Ouse River

    August 19, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

    Various mills have occupied this site since 969. The current Mill was built in the 17th Century and enlarged in the 19th Century. It has 10 pairs of grinding stones. The mill was decommissioned in the 1930s, and after WWII it became a Youth Hostel. When the lease expired, the town bought it and gave it to the National Trust. It now operates again, grinding flour from wheat raised on other NT properties as a fund-raiser.

    The last picture is of something funny we saw when driving home from the Mill!    Read more

  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Traveler
    Wardown House (Museum)
    There are many, many different ways to braid straw!Fountain and Lake in Wardown Park

    Wardown House, Luton

    August 20, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

    We went to Wardown park, which surrounds a Victorian mansion that has been converted into a Museum. A large part of the exhibit is about the hat-making industry, which caused Luton to grow.

    Before the Second World War, people wore hats most of the time. The hat symbolized social status and work trade, such as the bowler hat being worn by civil servants. Luton was a center for the hat industry, which started with straw plaiting and hat making in the 1600s. Women and girls would plait the straw into long lengths at home, and then bring it to the factories where it would be sewn into hats. This was actually a good-paying job for the times, and many women made more money than their husbands.

    In the later 1800s, factories started making wool felt hats, which expanded after WWI. After WWII, styles changed and fewer people have been wearing hats, however, there are still some factories in Luton.    Read more

  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Traveler
    SundialVenus FountainEros Fountain1Waterlily Pond

    Ascott House and Gardens

    August 21, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

    This manor is from the 16th century. It is owned by some of the Rothschild family, and used by them as a summer house. Much of the house is private, and not open for tours. The parts that are open cannot be photographed as their personal belongings are not put away. But it is open just in the afternoons, to let the public view their collections of paintings (Dutch Masters and others), and oriental porcelain.

    The gardens are beautiful! There are fountains, flowers, and hedges trimmed artfully, even a sundial made of boxwood hedges.    Read more

  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Traveler
    Narrowboats approaching the lock in Leeds
    The boater can use the electric lock on his own.Families like to help the lock keepers operate the locks.All swans in the UK belong to the Queen

    Canal Locks

    August 22, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    In our travels around England, we have enjoyed visiting the canals and their locks. Locks began to be developed in the 10th Century. Over time, many types of locks have been developed to deal with Great Britain's challenging landscape. There are narrow locks, wide locks (for two boats side-by-side), single locks, and double locks (two locks next to each other. Some are powered by hand: you need a crank to open the water valve, and the gates are pushed open. Some are electric, with a code to operate them. Some have operators and others are do-it-yourself.Read more

  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Traveler
    Part of the staircase of 10 locks
    Going into the top lock, near the lock keeper's house, and stable for resting the horsesWaiting area between the sets of locks, so other boats can go the opposite wayWater flowing out of a lock into a side pondJunction of two canals, and a walk bridge available to cross overWhere the wife or child would do the shopping while Dad went up or down the locks

    Foxton Staircase Locks

    August 22, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    Created for steep gradients, staircase locks are made of numerous locks in a row and appear like stairs in the landscape. The top gate of one lock will also be the bottom gate of lock above. Foxton Locks was built in 1814 at a junction of two canals, has 10 locks and takes 45 - 60 minutes to move through the 75 foot gradient difference. There is a pond in the middle of the staircase, for boats to wait if another boat is in the staircase going the other way. And there are ponds at the side of each lock for water to flow into and out of the lock. In the shipping days, while a boat was going through the locks, it would be an opportunity for the shopping to be done (quickly!).Read more

  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Traveler
    The control centerHow the lift worksPlayground next to the boat lift. The maze is made of counterweights.

    Anderton Boat Lift

    August 22, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

    Boat lifts were used if there wasn't enough room for a staircase lock to be built. This one, called Cathedral of the Canals, was built in 1875 between the river Weaver and the canal. It has two caissons (tanks) of water in which the boats float. Then the lift brings the boat 50 feet to the next level.Read more

  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Traveler
    Former Reading Room, now the Tiled Hall CafeArt Gallery next door to the library

    Leeds Central Library

    August 23, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F

    We were exploring Leeds today, and had heard the Central Library was worth seeing. It was opened in 1884, and includes lots of marble columns, tiled floors and walls (some tile from the Ironbridge area that we had visited a few weeks ago), stained glass, and carved limestone.

    The Tiled Hall Cafe used to be the Reading Room. The ceiling had been covered by a dropped ceiling in the 1950s and the walls were hidden behind shelving. It was all rediscovered during restoration.

    From the Tiled Hall Cafe, we wandered into a small exhibition some of the earliest paintings owned by the art gallery, with busts of the people involved in spearheading the idea of the gallery, to improve people's lives.    Read more

  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Traveler
    Alf Wight with his dogs in the Yorkshire Dales
    The author's home and veterinary practiceThe dining room was mostly used as the office; with meals here only on special occasionsHe dispensed medications hereThe breakfast room, used as a hub of family activity, and sometimes animal surgery!

    The World of James Herriot

    August 24, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F

    After a morning visit with Jake and Jodie, they left on an excursion to walk with Alpacas in the North Yorkshire Dales, and we went to Thirsk to see "The World of James Herriot" museum. James Herriot is the pen name of James Alfred "Alf" Wight, the veterinarian who wrote several books based on his years of practice. He had wanted to write but was hampered by his long working hours. Finally, challenged by his wife, he began writing at age 50, and his books have been best sellers, spawning movies and TV series. We really enjoyed getting to see the building where he lived and practiced.Read more

  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Traveler
    Baptismal Font with Cover1A knitted airplane!

    Thirsk, a Charming Town

    August 24, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F

    Alf and his wife, Joan, were married in St Mary Magdalene Church in 1941.

    Thirsk was a market town, and in the central plaza is a clock tower. It replaces a water fountain that had troughs around the bottom for animals, and above them were drinking fountains for people.

    In Thirsk there is a group of people who knit and crochet decorations for the town's celebrations, including this knitted model of an airplane for the 100th anniversary of the RAF!    Read more

  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Traveler
    This is the West side, facing the lake. The South side is still lived in by descendents.
    Ionic Rotunda in the Pleasure GroundsDoricTemple in the Pleasure Grounds

    Petworth: Art and Landscape Architecture

    August 27, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F

    Petworth House has been owned by the same family since the 17th Century. It is surrounded by a deer park designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown, which features undulating hills, beautiful views of the surrounding countryside, serpentine lakes, and clumps of trees. Closer to the house is the Pleasure Grounds, with temples, huge trees, and flower beds. His designs were supposed to look natural, and they do, so much that one wonders if it was God's plan, rather than man's. Capability Brown designed 700+ parks in his life.Read more

  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Traveler
    The entrance: Marble Hall
    The two larger pictures are Van DycksQueen Anne (never wore jewelry, as she was always mourning--none of her children lived)Queen Anne's Ladies in Waiting. Turner landscapes below them.

    Petworth Art Collection

    August 27, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    This house contains the finest art collection in the National Trust, including paintings by Van Dyck, Turner, and Gainsborough. We wish we knew more about art! Many of the rooms were not used often, but were mainly used for displays. For example, the dining table wasn't set up until they planned a dinner party.Read more

  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Traveler
    George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of EgremontElizabeth with her ChildrenElizabeth with her drawing of the cross-bar lever, and her silver medal

    Elizabeth Ilive, Countess and Scientist

    August 27, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    Elizabeth was the mistress and later the wife of the 3rd Earl of Egremont. She was a devoted mother, and also had a laboratory where she could study and experiment. She invented the cross-bar lever to make it easier to move heavy rocks, and won an award for this. She also did agricultural experiments and found better ways to grow potatoes. Elizabeth wrote for scientific publications, but due to the times, she didn't get all the credit she deserved.Read more

  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Traveler
    The Churchills played croquet with their family and friends.Churchill's studio

    Chartwell: Churchill's Home

    August 28, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    Chartwell was the much-loved Churchill family home from 1922. It is a peaceful country home in Kent, with beautiful hillside views. Churchill loved gardening, and created ponds and lakes on the property. Here are some of the views from the house.

    We were surprised to learn that he was also an avid amateur painter! He began to paint at age 40, and it was a source of relaxation and joy. He painted over 530 canvasses, and many are on display in his studio and in the house.    Read more

  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Traveler
    The Royal Pavilion (only 2/3 of it--the rest is covered with scaffolding)
    The Pier, with arcade games and amusement ridesThe chalk cliffs east of Brighton, at Rottingdean. Lots of funny names around England!

    Brighton: By the Beautiful Sea

    August 30, 2018 in England ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F

    Brighton is a seaside resort on the southern coast of England, only 10 miles from where we are house-sitting. In the Georgian era, the Prince Regent, later crowned King George IV, spent a lot of time in Brighton, and built the Royal Pavilion where he would host parties. We toured the Royal Pavilion and it was amazing! The inside is decorated with Chinese-inspired wallpaper, furniture, and statuary. The dining room has a huge chandelier held to the ceiling by a carved and gilded dragon, and there are dragon motifs everywhere. We were disappointed that photography was not allowed inside!

    Brighton Pier was added in the Victorian era, and has been copied in many seaside resorts around the world. Day trippers started coming from London when transportation improved. It is only about an hour's train ride.

    We took the bus East of town to see the coastline and the chalk cliffs.    Read more

  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Traveler
    The Regency-era Beach House
    Lawn bowling, or "Bowls"Along the shoreline in the distance is BrightonWorthing Beach

    Worthing: Another Seaside Resort

    August 30, 2018 in England ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    Worthing and Brighton were fishing villages before they became resorts. Then bathing in seawater began to be recommended as a cure for illnesses. Men and women used separate areas of the beaches. Bathing Machines were used in the 18th and 19th centuries; these were wheeled carts with sides and a roof, in which the bather would change into a bathing suit and then be wheeled into the water. They bathed with the cart protecting them from view of the shore.

    Worthing has a Beach House with a bowling green, tennis courts, mini golf, and playground for families, There is a pleasant promenade next to the beach. It was a very clean area, and quite enjoyable.    Read more

  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Traveler
    Southern Pavilion (at the south end of the pier)
    The pier, with fishing docks all around the Southern PavilionArtwork along the pierMore beautiful artThe large building on the north end of the pier is a movie theater1845 Walking Dress or Promenade Dress, when one wanted to see and be seen

    Worthing Pier

    August 30, 2018 in England ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    Worthing has a pier like Brighton, but instead of an amusement park, it has the Southern Pavilion, which is an Art Deco cafe in the daytime, and a venue for music and other events at night. All along the pier are glass panels to display art done by children and other townfolk.Read more

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