Another lovely day

OK campers, if you can guess who this is, you will know where I went today.

 

If you guessed William Tell, go directly to Jail, do not pass Go, do not collect $200.  If you guessed Robin Hood, go to the head of the class. Yes, spent the day in Nottingham about 30 miles from Harlaxton, and what a beautiful day it was, sunny and in the high 50s. Travelled with one of my colleagues, Dr. James Larner from Marian University, a music professor and director of our Harlaxton choir among other things.

We spent most of the day in the castle, the outer bailey wall of which you can see behind the statue of Robin Hood. There is a series of bronze reliefs mounted on the wall, including this one, depicting Robin's last bow shot fired from his death bed to determine where he would be buried or so legend has it, but since just about everything about Robin Hood is legendary at best, why spoil a good story by demanding proof.

The castle was first built by, you guessed it, William the Conquerer during the harrying of the North referred to in previous posts--I told you there would be quizes--on a high outcropping of local sandstone which has a particularly soft consistency making it susceptible to easy tunnelling, more about which later. Over time it was expanded to include an outer and inner bailey, each with a dry moat ditch, and a single entrance through here.

The castle withstood a number of sieges and storming attempts, particularly during the Civil War of the 1640s when it was held for Parliament. However, the commander fell out with Cromwell in 1651 and while Oliver was up north stomping on his erstwhile ally the Scots, the bulk of the castle was knocked down so it could not be used by Cromwell to control the area. The ruins were sold to William Cavendish, First Earl of Newcastle in 1663 in reward for his support of Charles I and his son, now King Charles II. Cavendish had spent part of the Interregnum in exile in Italy, and rather than rebuild the castle, he put up a palace in the Italian style inside the ruined walls.

In 1831 the good citizens of Nottingham, enraged at the Earl's descendant who had led the fight against the Great Reform Bill in the House of Lords, sacked the palace and burnt it to a bare shell. The Earl got 21,000 pounds compensation for the place, but refused to rebuild it. In 1878, however, it was finally restored and opened as a gallery and museum which it has remained to this day.

However, the very best part of the castle you can't see from above ground. As I mentioned, it is built on an outcropping of a peculiar kind of sandstone that is easily excavated, so the whole town of Nottingham is honeycombed with caves and tunnels, all man-made, some dating from the Middle Ages, and the castle is no exception. Some of the tunnels begin with brick archways, such as this one

but quickly give way to solid sandstone, such as this one, known as Mortimer's Cave

And who was Mortimer, I hear you cry? Not Mortimer Snerd, I can assure you, but Roger Mortimer. He was the lover of Isabella, "Shewolf" of France, wife of Edward II. Together they deposed Edward and murdered him in a most foul manner--really, really foul. Isabella's son became Edward III but was not yet of age and kept in the background while Mom and Mortimer ruled the kingdom from Nottingham Castle. Three years later, Edward III struck back. Mortimer was dragged and kicked down this tunnel, probably a hundred and fifty or so steps. You can get the idea of how far that was from this photo taken from the bottom of the tunnel.

 

Mortimer was sent to London, hanged, drawn and quartered.  Edward was gentler with his mother, but she spent the rest of her life under house arrest.

Anyway, after the tour of the castle and the tunnels, it was off to what claims to be the oldest inn in England, Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem at the base of the castle outcropping It purports to date from 1189 the year Richard I, the Lionheart, ascended the throne upon the death of his father Henry II, he of the Lion in Winter. Of course, Richard immediately went on Crusade--hence the "trip to Jerusalem" theme.  Those of you who know me will understand that this was an absolute must. Had an excellent pint and a Scotch Egg for lunch.

 

After that, Dr. Larner and I walked around in the center of Nottingham to the Market Square where there was a full display on. And, it was stunning in its variety of foods, German Wursts, Italian Chocolates, Caribbean Jerk, Spanish churros, you name it.

There is no question that the UK is one of, if not the most diverse countries in Europe. Certainly London is the most multi-cultural.

After this a somewhat leisurely trip back to Grantham via the railway, and not by choice. Train never left the station because of mechanical issues. Had to transfer to another which took its sweet time covering the 30 miles back to Grantham. Ever since the Tories privatized British Rail in the 1990s, things have never been the same. Classic example how the private sector does not do certain things better than government. Of course, the British railway system was almost the only one in Europe built by private companies in the 19th century and was only nationalized after World War II.

Anyway, all in all, a wonderful day.