Posted by: Blog Administrator
on May 17, 2012
Tagged in:
tradition ,
Salisbury Cathdral ,
Oak Apple Day ,
King Charles II ,
Grovely ,
Great Wishford ,
Grace Reed ,
forest ,
fete ,
Earl of Pembroke ,
bough ,
Barford St Martin
This unique event originates from the time of the restoration of King Charles II to the throne in 1660. Parliament declared 29th May, the King’s birthday, a day of thanksgiving for redemption from tyranny and the King’s return to London.
The public holiday was abolished in 1859 but the date is still celebrated in various parts of the country including Castleton where the church tower is garlanded, Upton-upon-Severn, Aston on Clun and Membury in Devon.
In southern Wiltshire the inhabitants of Great Wishford still follow the ancient traditions from ‘time out of mind’ on May 29th.
Posted by: Blog Administrator
on Mar 11, 2011
Tagged in:
WWII ,
woodlands ,
wooded ,
Wiltshire ,
vistas ,
virgin ,
unique ,
travel ,
The King’s Way ,
sweet fern ,
SSSI ,
Site of Special Scientific Interest ,
Severn ,
Selwood ,
Saxon ,
Savernake Forest ,
Savernac ,
Safernoc ,
Royal Forest ,
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Protector of Somerset ,
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Prince Edward ,
primeval forest belt ,
origins ,
Old English ,
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New Forest ,
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Melchet ,
Marquis of Ailesbury ,
Marlborough Castle ,
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King Athelstan ,
Jane Seymour ,
imprisoned ,
hunting ,
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hare ,
Grovely ,
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Forestry Commission ,
forest ,
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England ,
Edward Seymour ,
Clevendon ,
Chute ,
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Capability Brown ,
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Braydon ,
Arthur Mee ,
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty ,
AONB ,
acorn
“There is no place in England quite like it. Savernake is an epitome of every phase of beauty in our countryside”
Arthur Mee
If you travel down “The King’s Way” from Marlborough you will pass through Savernake Forest. Before WWII Savernake was ‘one of the largest areas of virgin forest land in England, having a continuous wooded area greater than the New Forest [2].
Posted by: Blog Administrator
on Apr 1, 2010
Tagged in:
United States ,
timber ,
tea-room ,
survey ,
stone mullioned windows ,
St Cyriac’s Church ,
smoke ,
rubblestone ,
parlour ,
pantry solar ,
old stable ,
Mrs Vaughan ,
Melksham from this spot ,
mediaeval ,
louvre ,
larder ,
Lacock ,
King John ,
Japan ,
hunting lodge ,
ghosts ,
forest ,
forays ,
Ela ,
Dorothy Treasure ,
Domesday ,
Documentary research ,
dining room ,
deer carcase ,
cruck hall ,
cross-frame ,
construction ,
Conqueror ,
buttery ,
building ,
Abbess ,
19th century ,
18th century ,
13th century
This week I was asked to look at King John’s hunting lodge in Lacock. As might be expected from its position next to St Cyriac’s Church this rather unprepossessing building, now a tea-room, was likely to be a building of some importance. Documentary research so far has been unsuccessful in establishing the early history, so it is not known for certain whether King John enjoyed forays into the forest of Melksham from this spot. Lacock was only a small settlement when the Conqueror took his Domesday survey. The village seen today is supposed to have been planted or planned by Ela, the first Abbess of Lacock, which itself was situated at this previous settlement.
The Hunting Lodge
The front of the lodge building is of earlier 18th century appearance in a comfortable, cottagey style, having a rubblestone construction with stone mullioned windows. The upper floor windows peep forwards from a deep tiled roof. The proprietor, Mrs Vaughan, lives in the Lodge and keeps her tea-room in the old stable at the rear. The stable itself is 19th century in date but the lodge holds all the early interest. A heavy timber cross-frame seen in the entrance hall is all that is left of 13th century two-storeyed timber building. One pointed-arched doorway of a group of 4 remains today. It must have once led into a now-vanished buttery or pantry, with the upper pair of doorways leading into bed-chambers or solar. The ground level has also since risen so one can imagine mediaeval ghosts passing through the doorway up to their knees in concrete, perhaps dragging a deer carcase into the larder.
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