Tuesday, 3^rd June                           TYSOE  -  ANGLESEY ABBEY  -  HINGHAM

We’re in Norfolk! Today was a travel day, and it all went pretty well as planned, which is always a good thing. Unfortunately, as often happens in the British summer, it was rainy, blowing a hooley and about 11 degrees. Not the summer weather you want or need, but often the summer weather you get! We got everything organised at Carol’s before leaving around 9 (still rainy) and the Google navigation took us through a spiderweb of country lanes. Apparently there was an accident on the A-something road and this was her cunning plan to get us around it.

We went through Edge Hill, site of one of the major Civil War battles, but there was nothing there to show where the actual battle was fought. It was quite close to Carol’s place, though, apparently there are some bullet holes in the church!

The Castle at Edge Hill - actually a 'mock' castle built in the 1740s, and now an inn and restaurant!

                                            From tiny country lanes to the major highways

As the trip to Norfolk itself was only going to take under 3 hours, and we couldn’t book in until 3 o’clock, we looked for somewhere to visit en route, and finally settled on Anglesey Abbey, in Cambridgeshire. We got there around 11.30, and had an early lunch in the café there before heading off to find the house. Today’s soup of the day was Roasted Pepper – nice enough, but a very small bowl served with an essentially stale piece of bread. I shall try something else next time, as that was about $14AUD and NOT good value!

Anyway, Anglesey Abbey is essentially a millionaire’s early 20^th century house, built to incorporate the remains of a medieval abbey. The millionaire in question was Urban Huttleston Broughton (yes, that’s a real name), the 1^st Baron Fairhaven. Although he was born in the USA he became a British citizen, fought in WW1 and was a career soldier before becoming a businessman and racehorse owner, and was made a Baron in 1929. The house is entirely filled with his collections and was given to the National Trust on the condition it should be left exactly as he had it. He had some amazing art: I saw works by Holbein, Constable and several original paintings of medieval monarchs. It was really interesting to see how the upper class lived in the 1920s and between the wars: the Queen Mother visited several times, and we saw the room she was always given. (No doubt they bonded over racehorses.) A fascinating house to visit.

                                             A Holbein of Lady Jane Grey's mother, Margaret

                                                              Drawing room

                             The bedroom used by the Queen Mum on her visits. Note the bedhead!

                                                                        That's a toilet!  

                                                                     Library

                                              Dining room incorporating some of the old abbey

The woodlands around the house were extensive, and ‘Lordy’, as he was known to the staff, had an extensive collection of statues along the forest walks.

                                                      'Lordy' in his Guards uniform

By the time it was nearing 1.30, we decided to head towards Hingham in Norfolk, where our Airbnb for the next 4 nights is located. It was a good drive up the A11. We stopped at the Sainsbury’s in Attleborough to get some groceries, then arrived here about 3.20. Holly’s Corner is a lovely little 2-bedroom cottage in the grounds of Steve and Diane’s house. It’s very roomy and spacious, except for the kitchen.

                                                       Holly's Corner

                                                          We have a lovely little courtyard out back

                                                          Kitchen as it looks on the internet

                                                            In real life....it's VERY narrow!

So far, the rain has cleared, and the sun has even shone a bit! Lex went for a walk around the village while I unpacked. We’ve found it’s really good when travelling like this to unpack on day one, then you don’t feel as if you’re living out of a port the whole time.

Tomorrow we shall be setting out to see Norfolk – family history wise, it’s the home of my Nanna’s ancestors, the Moores, so I shall be on their track in the next few days.