So where did I leave you all… that’s right being looked after by CL after a lovely ramble along the Pilgrims Way.
Did I remember to tell you the Pilgrims Way stretches from Winchester to Canterbury and Chaucer based his Canterbury tales along this track?
CL had taken the day off to be able to do a day trip with us to Leeds Castle. I love this castle, its grounds are amazing, the aviary is incredible. I had gone here a few years ago with my mate Luke, we had spent the whole day there, almost missing the castle because we spent too long chasing the ducks and checking out the aviary.
Karen and her little girl Zara were also meeting us there. We were planning a lovely girls day out with a picnic in the grounds first then a tour of the castle.
But first we wanted to show mum the end of the Pilgrims Way in Guildford. St Catherines chapel. So after another slow start I calculated we had just enough and I mean just enough time to drive to St Catherines. Check it and the view out and then hit the M25 for Leeds Castle… if the M25 didn’t become the car park its known to be.
So glad we took the time to show mum St Catherines. I forgot how nice it is up there, especially in spring with all the daffodils. It was a treat for CL and I to reach it by car and not struggle up, from the river, the giant sand dune cliff the chapel sits on.
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| St Catherines Chapel - Guildford |
It is thought by most that the chapel was built for pilgrims travelling the Pilgrims Way from Winchester to the martyr St Thomas à Becket’s tomb at Canterbury, so they could pause for worship and rest. St Catherine’s Hill was perfectly located for such a purpose as its at this point the Pilgrim’s Way drops down to the river Wey (the giant sand dune) where the travellers could call for the ferryman to row them across. The less romantic think that the chapel was built so as parishioners living some distance away from the Church of St Nicolas in Guildford could instead use St Catherines and only travel into Guildford for special occasions.
In my searching for the history of St Catherine’s and St Martha’s on the Hill ive found this local legend I just have to share with you…
St Martha’s on the Hill on the opposite side of the valley to St Catherine’s, was built by a giantess called Martha. The story goes that Martha constructed her church at the same time as her sister Catherine built hers, both with their own hands. The two sisters only had one working tool to share between them, an enormous hammer, which they tossed to and fro between the two hills as and when it was required.
Ok so its not quiet believable but still pretty cool!
So much legend surrounds St Catherines, it was the site of a five day fair until the Rector of St Nicholas in Guildford didn’t pay the license fee and the fair stopped in 1318, the chapel was a ruin then and was being used as a barn of all things. The local spring at the base of the hill apparently had healing powers. I could go on but don’t want to bore you.. lets get back to the story.
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| St Catherines Chapel - Guildford |
We got stuck in traffic on the M25, its almost a cliché it happens so often to people. But luckily for us it was just people rubber necking the crash on the other side, thank goodness we weren’t going to the other way, all lanes were closed. The queues stretched for miles. They were still stuck when we turned off to head towards dover and the ferries… people obviously weren’t getting told when they got off the ferry.
We felt like yelling at them driving past us when the queues ended to let them know that in a few minutes time they wouldn’t be going anywhere poor things.
We arrived 15 min late but luckily Karen had got caught in the slow traffic too so we hadn’t been too late. What we had forgotten, none of us with school age kids, was half term started today. Oops…
Luckily the grounds are big enough that once you dodge the strollers and ankle biters along the entry path there is enough room for everyone.
Zara loved the ducks.. well I loved the ducks as well. We were lucky enough to see a white peacock spread its tail feathers and strut around, such arrogance.
There was a peacock up in the tree and while I was entertaining Zara and answering her questions about the peacocks.. Karen raced ahead and positioned herself to get the perfect pic of the peacock flying out the tree. The cheek.
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| my quick attempt at capturing the Peacock leaving the tree |
It was the perfect girls day out, lovely and warm, with a lovely picnic in view of the castle. While mum and I were packing up in the morning, CL had gone out and bought some great stuff for a picnic, I always end up with the same boring stuff and get plate envy of everyone elses picnic wondering why I hadn’t thought of that.
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| Claire-Louise, Me, Karen and Zara at the spot of our picnic- Leeds Castle |
We then headed into the castle, having run out of time to fit the aviary in. Karen had to race ahead as reading history on the wall really wasn’t Zara’s thing.
CL and mum, this being one of mum’s first castles and CL not having seen many, checked out everything.
CL is fascinated with thought of secret passages and hidden doors in castles as we all are. And so when we read about a secret passage located in the drawing room, she had to find it. Mum and I had started to walk out when we heard the security lady ask someone what they thought they were doing? From her tone of voice she sounded like she was talking to a little kid. We turned around to have a look and there was CL behind the curtain in the corner, having crossed the rope into the out of bounds area, looking for the secret door!
The security lady threatened to kick her out , but the laugh in her voice gave her away. CL now has the honour of being threatened to be kicked out of Leeds Castle and St Martha’s on the hill! Can’t take her anywhere!
The history of Leeds castle is just way too much to tell you. So I wont bombard you with it all just a few little facts below.
Leeds Castle was built by King Edward the 1st as a present for his wife Queen Eleanor. (wow what a present). It was worked upon and added to by each different owner during the many years till its last owner an American; Lady Baillie who bought the castle in 1926. She redecorated the interior and during the early part of World War II Leeds was used as a hospital where Lady Baillie and her daughters hosted burned Commonwealth airmen as part of their recovery. What a lovely setting to get better in. She left the castle to the Leeds Castle foundation upon her death and it opened to the public in 1976.
After we finished with the castle and id had my dream of a library in my house enforced by the library in the castle it was time to say goodbye to CL and Karen and head onto Cambridge.
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| Leeds Castle - Kent UK |
Karen had a present waiting for me at her car as we were saying goodbye… a new suitcase! She was going to throw it out so what better, than to hand it to someone in need?
As we got in the car the heavens opened. It was a very long and stressful drive to Cambridge, I could hardly see the road.
Waiting for us in Cambridge was Georges mum Jennifer with a hot cup of tea and a lovely AGA (an awesome old fashion stove) to warm us up. She was nice enough to put us up for a few nights even though we had never met her. ( I used to work with George in London and he had spent a month or so with us in Australia while looking for a job.)
It was so nice to be in a home and by this stage I could hardly talk my throat was so sore. Jennifer introduced me to Beechams an English must when it comes to colds and I headed straight to bed after dinner.
