The museum tells the story of the Bombardment of the Hartlepools, which took place on Wednesday 16th December 1914, when the guns of the battery were engaged in ship-to-shore combat with the German navy.
The site of the Heugh Gun Battery has been a military position since the 17th century. Now the Heugh Battery Museum sits on the site of the only First World War battlefield in Britain.
The museum boasts a large and eclectic collection of military artefacts and artillery pieces from throughout history.
Tags: 5.25 inch MkII Coast Defence, Chieftan FV4201, Cleveland, Hartlepool, Heugh Battery Museum, Rapier Surface to Air Missile, The Bombardment of Hartlepools, Vacation
After lunch on Saturday we headed off to Ludlow for the afternoon where Mr C had it in mind to visit the castle. On our way there I suggested we had a quick look inside the Church of St Laurence. I was keen to see how it looked now the Victorian pews had been removed. To my dismay I had learned on our previous visit to the church that the Victorian pews were about to be removed.
On stepping inside the church I was amazed at the transformation. The church looked light and airy with my eye being drawn to the building structure and stained glass windows whereas before the pews dominated the setting. Mr C was inspired to explore the church including the opportunity to climb up the bell tower.
We decided there wasn’t enough time to do the castle justice and that we would leave it for another day, although we visited to the castle shop to see if there were any interesting books. We came away empty handed as we did on our subsequent visit to Castle Bookshop.
Then it was time to seek out a tea shop for a naughty cake. We has almost given up hope of finding the ‘perfect’ teashop, then we saw Carvell’s The Art of Tea. The tea shop was inviting with china cups set out on the table and a cabinet of interesting cakes to tempt. We choose to share a wedge of courgette and avocado cake, it was delicious. I was so busy enjoying the experience that I forgot to take photos. Visiting the castle will be a good excuse to go back and sample some other tasty delights and maybe I will remember to take a photo or two.
Tags: Cake, Carvell's The Art of Tea, Church of St Lawrence, Ludlow, Naughty Cake, Parish Church of St Laurence
After lunch I enjoyed a lovely sunny drive to Attingham Park. On arrival at Attingham I realised that I had forgotten to pick up a scarf. It was rather windy so I visited the shop to see if there was something suitable, there was.
My walk took me past the few remaining snowdrops and through the walled garden before walking through the woodland where after a while some of the signposts petered out. I had started my walk in the middle of the afternoon and knew that the walled garden shut at 5pm, but I wasn’t sure what time the park closed. The lack of signposts left me unsure of the quickest way back to the stable courtyard so I decided to retrace my steps because I knew I could walk 3 miles in just under an hour.
With seven miles under my belt I was back in the stables courtyard, warmed to the core with my new scarf blowing in what had now become a gentle breeze.
Tags: #walk1000miles, #walk1000miles2020, Attingham Park, Deer Park Walk, Walled Garden, Woodland Walk
The abbey of St Mary and St John the Baptist was founded at Egglestone between 1195 and 1198 for Premonstratensian canons. St Norbert had founded the Premonstratensian Order at Prémontré in France in 1121, adopting the rule of St Augustine and borrowing from the stricter Cistercians’ rule. The founders of Egglestone were the de Moulton family, whose title passed to the Dacres by marriage in 1314.
The endowment of Egglestone was so small that early in the 13th century the Abbot of Prémontré deputed three of his English abbots to hold an inquiry to decide if the status of the abbey should be reduced to that of a priory.
It remained an abbey, but poverty beset the canons throughout their history. They suffered particularly when the Scots ravaged Yorkshire in 1315 and at other times of war, receiving frequent remissions of taxes to maintain them.
After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the site was granted to Robert Strelley in 1548. He converted the east and north ranges into a mansion and installed a kitchen in the west range.
In 1770 Sir Thomas Robinson sold the abbey to John Morritt of Rokeby Hall. Morritt’s descendant placed the ruins in the guardianship of the state in 1925 and later returned a notable collection of architectural stonework, including the tomb of Sir Ralph Bowes of Streatlam (died 1482), which was re-erected in the church crossing.
Tags: Barnard Castle, Durham, Egglestone Abbey, English Heritage, Vacation
