Today began at our 'Fawlty Towers hotel with a very nice breakfast but when it was time to check out and settle the bill they had no idea what we owed and it took a while to get it all sorted.
We had a nice long walk by the river Avon and through some pretty parkland.
Not exactly the sort of spring weather we are used to.
Views up to the old churches were impressive.
There had once been a huge Abbey 3rd largest in Britain at the time) here until it was destroyed in Dissolution. It was built in the 8th century. All that is left now is a few walls, a bell tower, 2 churches and the the 14th Century Almonry which now houses the museum
We spent some time in the museum which was very good for a regional museum. The old Almonry building was interesting in itself.
Model of what they think the abbey looked like
We then went looking for the site of the battle of Evesham where Simon de Montfort was defeated and slaughtered Simon de Montfort, was an Anglo-Norman nobleman who led the rebellion against King Henry III of England during the Second Barons' War of 1263–4, and subsequently became de facto ruler of England. During his rule, de Montfort called two famous parliaments. The first stripped the king of unlimited authority, the second included ordinary citizens from the towns. For this reason, Montfort is regarded today as one of the progenitors of modern parliamentary democracy. After a rule of just over a year, Montfort was killed by forces loyal to the king in the Battle of Evesham. We tried for an hour to find the memorial but to no avail.
On the way to Wales we went looki g for Richards Castle which according to family sources was built by our family! I always knew I came from genteel stock! We found it in the town of Richards Castle behind a very old church St Bartholomew. Yesterday just a commoner- now I have a castle, a town and a church! See the details from Wikipedia
Richard Fitz Scrob (or Fitz Scrope) was a Norman knight granted lands by the Saxon King Edward the Confessor before the Norman Conquest, in Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire as recorded in the Domesday Book. He built Richard's Castle before 1051. The castle was a motte-and-bailey style construction, one of only three or four castles of this type built before the Norman conquest. Most were built after the conquest. Richard was last mentioned in 1067. His castle passed to his son, Osbern Fitz Richard, who married Nesta, the daughter of King Gruffydd ap Llywelyn of Wales.
Osbern died around 1137 and was succeeded by his grandson, Osbern Fitz Hugh (md to a sister of Rosamond Clifford), who died in 1187. Richard's Castle then passed to his marital brother-in-law, Hugh de Say, who died in 1190, leaving the barony to his son, another Hugh Say. Thus the castle passed out of the line of descent of Richard Fitz Scrob. In 1196 this Hugh fought at the battle at New Radnor and was probably killed there, his castles eventually passing to Robert de Mortimer of Attleborough. In 1264 his son, Hugh Mortimer, was forced to surrender himself and Richard's Castle to Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester. His grandson, the last Hugh Mortimer of Richard's Castle, was poisoned to death by his wife in 1304. The castle then passed to the Talbots, through Richard Talbot's marriage to Joan Mortimer. On December 3, 1329, Joan late the wife of Richard Thalebot, had noted in the Patent Rolls that she planned to leave Richard's Castle to John de Wotton, chaplain, and William Balle of Underlith, in fee simple.[1] The Talbots were still living there in the late 14th century. By the 16th century it was in ruins.
My church
Then it was onto Wales to the next part of our adventure. We passed the village of Kerry and Geoff had proposed to take a picture of me under the sign like last time but thankfully the sign was gone!
We arrived at Castell Forwyn a little late having got lost. It is so nice to see them all again. We had a lovel tea and stayed up late chatting.
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