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Our European Adventure 2018
  • DeanandLindasTravels
  • DeanandLindasTravels

Our European Adventure 2018

A 6 month trip on a shoestring Leer más
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  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Viajero

    Fountains Abbey

    23 de julio de 2018, Inglaterra ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    These ruins are of the largest Cistercian Abbey in England, founded in 1132. Cistercian monks were seeking a simpler existence. The abbey was wealthy due to the amount of land given them and the number of sheep they raised. The abbey was beautiful and hearing about the monks' lifestyle was interesting. Their life was composed of work, prayers 7 times a day, and only 1-2 meals a day, depending on the season. The abbey was whitewashed and undecorated. Also on the grounds were the abbot's house, guest houses, and an infirmary.

    When King Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries, any materials of value were taken, including the slate roofs, partly to reuse them, and partly to prevent the monks from returning.    Leer más

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  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Viajero
    It rains a lot, so the boys would have needed raincoats.Dean is reading up on a name to find out what happened to the boy.The Deer ParkSt Mary's Church in the Deer Park

    Fountains Hall and the Deer Park

    23 de julio de 2018, Inglaterra ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    Another part of Studley Royal Park is Fountains Hall another Elizabethan style country manor. Some of the stone from the abbey ruins was used in its construction. After this manor became part of Studley Royal Park, it was used for other purposes. In the 1930s, it was opened up as a Settler's Society. Boys aged 14-17 left their families to live in the camp, work the land and enjoy a better quality of life. The boys were trained in a range of skills, from gardening and forestry to general estate work and domestic service, to help them find jobs in the future. Then during WWII the manor and other estate buildings were used to house evacuees.

    The Deer Park on the estate contains St Mary's Church from 1870.    Leer más

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  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Viajero

    Nostel Priory

    24 de julio de 2018, Inglaterra ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    We are staying in Leeds between housesits, so we can visit Jacob in the nearby town of Ackworth. We visited for a couple of hours and then went together to Nostel Priory, another country manor. The manor wasn't open, which was too bad. But Jake and his Dad visited in the courtyard of the old stables complex while I walked around looking at the gardens. Then we went to a pub for lunch. It was great to see him.Leer más

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  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Viajero
    Yorvik Viking Museum
    Yorvik museum: example of a houseTudor buildingThe ShamblesYork MinsterStonemasons' work

    York: A Historic City

    25 de julio de 2018, Inglaterra ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    York is a very interesting city with lots to see. It was founded by the Romans in 71 AD, and the city is almost entirely encircled by walls from that period. After the Romans left in the 400s, it was occupied by Anglo-Saxons until it was taken by the Vikings in 866. The Yorvik Viking Museum was really well done, showing how the city would have looked, sounded, and smelled, as well as many archeological finds. It was surprising how advanced they were.

    The oldest buildings left in town are Tudor, and they are really crooked! Many streets are narrow and cobblestoned including the Shambles, which has lots of fun shops to explore. York chocolates are made here.

    York Minster is another huge cathedral--we didn't go inside as we had only one day and too much to see. It is being refurbished, and we saw the stonemasons' work area, where they are carving figures to replace some that have broken.    Leer más

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  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Viajero
    The middle section has a new entrance where none was before.
    Medieval Great Hall--Mr Green removed the upstairs floor here.The ParlorA beautiful inlaid mahogany and brass desk, placed so guests could admire all sides.King Edward VII's roomThe Garden, where people can relax or enjoy croquet

    Treasurer's House, York

    25 de julio de 2018, Inglaterra ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    This was the residence of the treasurer of York Minster cathedral until the Reformation of the English Church in 1547. It was owned by various people, then divided into three units. Finally the units were bought by a wealthy industrialist, Frank Green. He rehabilitated it into his vision of what it might have been, and it's not entirely accurate, but at least the building was saved.Leer más

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  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Viajero
    The Main Entrance
    The Gatehouse leading to the back entranceThe Rotunda--courtyard entrance, back of the houseTeresa, Lady BerwickEntrance HallDrawing Room

    Attingham Park, Shrewsbury

    26 de julio de 2018, Inglaterra ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F

    This country house was owned by the same family since it was built in 1785. Some of the earliest lords were not careful with their money and had to sell off much of the furniture and art. The 8th Lord and Lady Berwick (Thomas and Teresa), who lived there from 1920-70, had a strong interest in preserving its history. Teresa was Italian, and much of the manor reflects her heritage.

    The Entrance Hall looks like it has Italian marble statues, but they are painted on the walls.    Leer más

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  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Viajero
    The Gallery
    2Lady Berwick's parlorThe former Dining Room, set up for college lecturesThe college officeCollege Library

    Attingham Park Becomes a College

    26 de julio de 2018, Inglaterra ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F

    From 1948-1976, Teresa lived on one side of the manor, and Shropshire Adult Education College used the other half for residential education courses. Since 1952, the Attingham Trust has operated courses for the study of historic houses and collections.Leer más

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  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Viajero
    Servants' Dining Room
    Housekeeper's quarters

    Attingham Servants' Quarters

    26 de julio de 2018, Inglaterra ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F

    Here are the servants' quarters: dining area, kitchen, pastry kitchen, housekeeper's quarters, and part of the huge silver set.

    Note: Each servant was provided an ale allowance, 1 pint for men, 1/2 pint for women. If they did not want ale, they could have tea, and their cup was put on the small wagon on the table. They were "on the wagon".Leer más

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  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Viajero
    Watching a movie with Patrick

    Housesitting in Leighton, Shropshire

    26 de julio de 2018, Inglaterra ⋅ ⛅ 84 °F

    This evening we met the couple we will be house sitting for over the next two weeks. Their little dog's name is Patrick, and he is really funny--he barks at the birds in the trees, and tries to catch flies! We had a nice getting-acquainted visit over dinner, and spent the night. Here is a picture of the River Severn near their town, and some of the narrow roads, taken through the windshield.Leer más

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  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Viajero
    Museum of the Gorge
    Model of the Gorge--See the Iron Bridge?River TrowThe red line on the wall marks the highest flood waters.Painting of the Iron BridgeThe town of Ironbridge on the River Severn

    Ironbridge Gorge

    30 de julio de 2018, Inglaterra ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    It was here that Quaker Abraham Darby developed the technique of smelting iron using coke instead of charcoal, allowing a much cheaper production of iron. His grandson built the world's first cast-iron bridge as a symbol of the Industrial Revolution. It was completed in 1781, and is one of the few still standing.

    There are 10 attractions in this area, and since we are here for two weeks, we bought "annual passports" so we could see them all. It is a huge savings of £26.50 per person, compared to paying separate admission fees.

    Today we visited the Ironbridge Gorge Museum to learn about the history of the area. Ironbridge is on the River Severn, and is rich in all the materials needed for iron production. Materials were hauled in trows, powered by wind when possible, or pulled by horses. The river floods periodically, and in the museum, there is a high-water mark. You can see drains in the floors so the water can escape easily.

    The bridge is being worked on so it is covered by plastic. So I took a picture of a painting.    Leer más

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  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Viajero
    Exchanging money for Victorian coins (tokens)2

    1900 Victorian Town

    30 de julio de 2018, Inglaterra ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    Blists Hill was an actual working site with mines, blast furnaces, factories, and a canal, and some of those buildings are still there. There was never a town on the site, but the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust re-created one from buildings that were either transported here or built using traditional materials. It was fun to see people dressed in Victorian costumes and working as if it were really 1900.Leer más

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  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Viajero
    Ice-breaker boatIron cargo canal boat, pulled by horses

    Blists Hill Industries

    30 de julio de 2018, Inglaterra ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

    Some of the industrial areas on Blists Hill, and a portion of the actual Shropshire canal. The first boat is an ice-breaker: horses would pull it along from the towpath and teams of men would rock the boat side-to-side to break up the ice on the river or canal. The other boat is made of iron, and is pulled by horses.Leer más

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  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Viajero
    The School
    One of the two classroomsMission ChurchTourist children dipping candles

    Victorian Childhood

    30 de julio de 2018, Inglaterra ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    During the Industrial Revolution jobs increased and the need for cheap labor meant more children than ever before were working. Legislation to limit child labor started in 1833, and more laws were passed over the remainder of the 1800s, but many chose to get around them. By 1900, laws required children to be 12 or older to work, and also required schooling under age 12.Leer más

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  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Viajero
    Saggars containing unfired china are carried into the kiln on the workers' heads!Biscuit-firing is the first firing, before decoration is applied.These are jewelry, made the same way as decorations for a teapot.

    Coalport China Museum

    31 de julio de 2018, Inglaterra ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    Victorians loved their tea! This increased the demand for china. Coalport bone china was made in the Ironbridge area from 1795 to 1926. We saw so many beautiful original patterns, and learned how it was made.

    This is a bottle kiln. It is a chamber within a chamber, with coal fire pits all around the inside chamber. The clay pieces are put into containers called saggars; the saggars are then stacked into the inside chamber, and the fires lit. It a week to load the kiln, fire the china (1230 Celsius for the first firing), and let it cool. Then the pieces were dipped in a glaze and fired again. Finally they were decorated, fired at different temperatures for each color and fired once more after the application of gold. Of course, only the wealthy could afford to buy it!    Leer más

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  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Viajero
    Butcher shop tilesTiles for churchesA pubAnother pub example

    Jackfield Tile Museum

    2 de agosto de 2018, Inglaterra ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

    This is one of the ten museums of the Ironbridge Trust, housed in the old factory buildings. Decorative tiles were produced in Jackfield from early 1700s. We have always admired tile, and more so now that we understand some about the process. It was such a large collection of tiles, which were decorated in various ways, and we saw examples of how they were used. It became very popular in Victorian times as a way to make surfaces sanitary as well as decorative.Leer más

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  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Viajero
    Narrowboats for rent
    The River Dee

    Lovely Llangollen Canal

    3 de agosto de 2018, Gales ⋅ 🌧 70 °F

    This 46 mile canal is a very popular one, due to the Welsh scenery and the huge aqueducts that carry the canal over river valleys. The Pontcysyllte is the tallest navigable aqueduct in the world, at 126 ft above the River Dee. Completed in 1805, it is a cast iron trough mounted on 18 stone pillars. We walked the 1000 ft length of the aqueduct and back, for some glorious views, and got to see family groups guiding their rented narrowboats across. What a nice holiday adventure they were having!Leer más

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  • DeanandLindasTravelsOur European Adventure 2018Viajero
    Robot War starsMaybe this will be our rental car next time!Coracle-still in use in Western UK centuries after first builtThe Aga cooker

    Colebrookdale Museum: Enginuity

    4 de agosto de 2018, Inglaterra ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    This is another one of the Ironbridge museums we visited. It is an interactive museum of design and technology for children of all ages, even those in their second childhood! It was a fun morning; reminded us of children's museums we used to take the kids to.

    The Aga "cooker" (stove) in the last picture is like the one we are using at our current housesit, except the owners' is white. It was invented in 1922, is cast iron, and stores heat. It is used not just for cooking, but as a heat source, a clothes drier (racks are put on top of the cooker to lay clothes on), a toaster, and probably more. The top right oven cooks very quickly, so I have to check often to make sure the food isn't burning. The lower right oven works like a slow cooker, and makes good soups!    Leer más

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