September 20, 2018

London, Brooke Street, EC1 – St Alban the Martyr

A day in London, with breakfast on East Midlands Trains. For my Crich project on “The Carriage of Parcels and Mail by Tram” I needed a few hours in the Archives of the National Postal Museum – transport of postmen and women on the trams in Glasgow and Portsmouth, mail bags in Mansfield and Kettering, and letter boxes on the trams in Coventry. I then visited their museum – website – and had a ride on Rail Mail. I had visited this when it was still in operation, and was prepared to be a bit sniffy about it as...
Categories London/Railway History/Trams Comments: 0
September 19, 2018

Northernvicarwalks – Nuneaton, George Eliot, and Astley Book Farm

On Saturday 4 August I was a little bit shattered after a long drive yesterday, but Julie decided she wanted a day out. One does not argue with my wife – read her blog. Northernreader said we were going to Nuneaton to see what they have about George Eliot. Her MA consultation is with Elizabeth Gaskell’s House in Manchester, so it’s always good to get some ideas. The Museum is well signposted, and we parked nearby – nice park too. Website here. We started in the café, then the George Eliot gallery, then the art upstairs, then the local...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Railway History/Warwickshire Comments: 0
September 19, 2018

Northernvicarwalks – Manchester buses, trams, metro and a signal box

Friday 3 August 2018 – Happy Birthday Me. Having left northernreader with our friend Sue, I caught the train from Northwich into Manchester, and the tram north to Queen’s Road. I walked along to Boyle Street bus depot, and photoed the War Memorial on the front, before going to the Greater Manchester Transport Society Museum at the back – website. Julie and I are both doing the MA in Public History and Heritage at Derby University –  website – and my Public History Consultation is to put together a paper for the National Tramway Museum at Crich – website...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Manchester/Railway History/Trams Comments: 0
September 18, 2018

Derwent Valley Heritage Way 4 – Baslow to Calton Lees

On Thursday 2 August I finished my 55th year with a good walk – the next bit of the Derwent Valley Heritage Way. I parked at Baslow – SK 257722, crossed the Bar Brook, walked passed the thatched cottages and into the Chatsworth Estate – there is mega kissing gate as you enter to allow wheelchairs in. A blue plaque to Joseph Paxton, and some lovely views of the house. I shouldn’t admit that we’ve been in Derbyshire now for two years and have still not visited – website. I passed Queen Mary’s Bower. Tradition has it that this was...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Derbyshire/Derwent Walk Comments: 0
September 18, 2018

Dronfield, Derbyshire – St John the Baptist

The parish church of St John the Baptist, Dronfield is at SK 353783. It just above the railway line, not far from the station. The village was mentioned in Domesday, but the first Rector, Oscot, is mentioned in the Pipe Roll of Henry I, and building may have begun under him in about 1135. At that time the living was held by the Brailsford family, then it was sold to Beauchief Abbey, not far away in Sheffield (we are in the very north of Derbyshire and the Diocese). The tower was added in 1360, and it was completed in...
Categories Derbyshire Comments: 3
September 17, 2018

Newstead Abbey, Nottinghamshire

I visited Newstead Abbey last year when I did a Heritage Bus Tour, and Helen our tutor has mentioned it to Julie as a place she ought to visit as she writes about literary links – Newstead was the home of the poet Byron. We went on Saturday 21 July 2018. It is at SK 542537, and has a website. The Priory of St Mary was founded by Henry II between 1164 and 1174. It was the Augustinians, the Black Canons. It was dissolved in 1540 and handed to Sir John Byron of Colwick. He dismantled the church and re-used...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Nottinghamshire Comments: 0
September 16, 2018

Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire – St Mary Magdalene

Various churches have not been written up over the summer (I am typing this on 16 September). Be patient, I’ll get there. On 17 July we spent several hours in the Civil War Centre at Newark – website – which is well worth a visit (it also incorporates the town’s museum). Displays from the Newark Torc, through the Civil War (General Monk’s wheelchair), through to the Suffragettes. It also incorporates the theatre café (and is fully accessible). Then we went into the church of St Mary Magdalene – SK 799539. It is just off the Market Place, and open...
Categories Nottinghamshire/World War 1 Comments: 0
July 30, 2018

Apedale Light Railway, Staffordshire – Tracks to the Trenches 3

Sunday 15 July was a Sunday off! Julie went shopping with Sue and Ella, I chased trains with Jeremy and Alex. I apologise we are so predictable. The Apedale Light Railway – website – is based in Newcastle-under-Lyme, grid reference SJ 823484. They are next to the Country Park, and the Apedale Heritage Centre looks worth a visit too – website. The system is run by the Moseley Railway Trust – website. This is the third ‘Tracks to the Trenches’ gala, and it was superb. I know a little about the role of railways on the Western Front, and...
Categories Railway History/Staffordshire/World War 1 Comments: 4
July 29, 2018

Blickling, Norfolk – St Andrew

Blickling Hall is one of my favourite National Trust properties – website. The parish church of St Andrew is on the right of this top photo, right at the entrance of the Hall – grid reference TG 178285. There is a sign outside it, and another lovely welcome as you enter – but it is rather hidden from the main NT entrance, courtyard and café (and the biggest second-hand bookshop in the country). The first task is to sit down with the Property Team and see if there can be some better signposting – a greater percentage of visitors...
Categories National Trust/Norfolk/World War 1 Comments: 4
July 24, 2018

Grimston, Norfolk – St Botolph

The church of St Botolph in Grimston is at TF 723 218. It is part of a ten church benefice, with this website, and there is a good church history here. There is also a village site, with a church page here. Apparently St Botolph visited the village in the C8. I know that Colchester Town station was called “St Botolph” when I was a lad – Botolph and his brother Adolph were young Saxon nobles living in the C7. They were educated at a Benedictine Abbey in France, Adolph rose to be a Dutch bishop, whilst Botolph came...
Categories 1,000 mile walking/Norfolk Comments: 0