There is more to Beaulieu than the acclaimed motor museum. The footprint of the Cistercian Abbey church can still be seen next to the cloister and chapter house. One can only wonder what the building would have been like. One of only four monastic buildings to survive in tact is the Refectory which became Beaulieu Parish Church.
Another building that survived in tact is the Domus. This was used as the living quarters for the lay brothers.
The Palace House, which is one of the best stately homes that I have visited houses houses a fine portrait gallery and retains its original medieval features.
Just a short walk from the house is the Victorian’s garden which was created as a tribute to the Victorians’ immense contribution to our knowledge of plants and our enjoyment of gardens.
Within the garden is a sundial that was commissioned to mark the 50th birthday of Lord Montagu’s eldest son and his wife Ailsa, in 2011.
On significant dates, the shadow of the sphere will track along one of the curves crossing the hour lines. The dates are:
Winter solstice (purple), Ailsa Montagu’s birthday on 9th November (blue), Ralph Montagu’s birthday on 13th March (red), their wedding anniversary on 16th April (gold) and Summer solstice (green).
The sundial does not always agree with the clock. There are three reasons for this. First, Longitude: the sun takes four minutes to pass over one degree of longitude. Beaulieu is 1 deg 27′ West of the Greenwich meridian. The difference in longitude between Beaulieu and Greenwich makes a sundial at Beaulieu 5 minutes and 48 seconds slow to one at Greenwich. Second, the elliptical orbit of the earth round the sun and the tilt on the earth’s axis cause slight variations in the day length. This effect is known as the equation of Time and has a different value each day which makes the sundial up to 16 minutes fast for 15 minutes slow depending on the time of year. Finally, in summer clocks go forward an hour but sundials do not. The combined effects of the Equation of Time and longitude mean that the sundial at Beaulieu will be a maximum of 10 minutes fast in November and 20 minutes slow to the clock in February. The sundial will agree with Greenwich Mean Time in mid-September and mid-December.*
*from an information board next to the sundial
Tags: Abbey, Beaulieu, Palace House, Sundial, Vacation
…from her latest travels.
One year later our aborted 2013 trip to Oxford went ahead. I will be posting more on my Oxford travels soon…
Tags: Bridge of Sighs, Oxford, Weekend away
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:18
Tags: Cherie's Place Thought, Inspiration, Life
The first car to officially set a Land Speed Record in excess of 400mph and the last to be wheel driven. Bluebird CN7 was one of a long line of speed machines associated with the Campbell family. Donald Campbell already held the Water Speed Record now his goal was 400mph on land. Technical support and backing came from British industry.
Tags: Beaulieu, Hampshire, National Motor Museum, Vacation
1917 Vickers-Clyno – 5/6hp machine gun outfit
Clyno built large numbers of motorcycles for the British Army throughout the First World War. The majority were side car outfits designed to carry a Vickers machine gun. Each carried ammunition, cooling water and spares for the gun together with petrol and spares for the motorbike.
An outfit like this would have been accompanied by two others; one carried extra ammunition and the other was a spare gun carrier, brought into use if the first bike broke down.*
1942 Norton 16H
Norton supplied 100,000 motorcycles for military use during World War Two, mostly the 16H model. Following successful performance in War Office tests during 1935, orders were placed for 16Hs every year from 1936 to 1945. It was used by all British armed services and was also issued to Canadian forces. Although a dated design, the 16H’s mechanical simplicity and rugged construction meant it was well suited to military use. A few remained in service until the late 1950s.*
*From an information plaque next to the car.
Tags: Beaulieu, Hampshire, Motorcycle, National Motor Museum, Vacation, WW1, WW2, WWI, WWII
Rover experienced financial difficulties from 1927, as its reputation waned and the Great Depression approached.
In 1933, the 12hp Rover Pilot was upgraded to 14hp. The Speed Pilot of the same year had a longer wheelbase, as did the Rover 14, introduced for 1934.
This example was owned by Mrs G Pringle for 45 years. Marrying a naval officer posted to Sri Lanka in 1953, her car was shipped over by aircraft carrier. There it negotiated mountain roads, as younger cars boiled. Two years later, the Rover returned to England on the deck of a cargo vessel, braving heavy seas.
Cylinders: in-line 6 – Capacity: 1577cc – Maximum Speed: 70mph – Valves: Overhead – Power output: 48bhp @ 4500rpm – Price New: £320
*From an information plaque next to the car.
Tags: Beaulieu, Hampshire, National Motor Museum, Vacation
Peel were the Isle of Man’s only production car manufacturer. The fibre glass single-seat P.50 weighed just 130lbs, the equivalent of about 60 bags of sugar. A single door on the nearside allowed access and a lever behind the driver started its 49cc D.K.W. motorcycle engine. Lacking reverse gear; a grab handle at the rear facilitated this manoeuvre. Built without indicators, hand signals were required through the offside opening window.
The makers claimed, “Parking problems solved, arm chair seating, saloon car protection, lively performance, powerful breaking, ample parking space”. In reality, it is almost impossible to fit even a shopping bag into it.
Cylinders: 1 (2 stroke) – Valves: Not applicable – Capacity: 49cc – Power Output: 4.2bhp @ 6,600rpm – Maximum Speed: 40mph – Price New: £149*
*From an information plaque next to the car.
Tags: Beaulieu, Hampshire, National Motor Museum, Vacation
