The Last Five Days of the Trip to England

So sorry I took so long to add the end of our journey...thanks for your patience.



September 20, 2016
Overcast day, but no rain. We drove about an hour north and visited two beautiful National Trust properties today.

Our first was Knole House, a very old 15th Century home that was once a royal palace. It has so many building that people refer to it as a village. This huge house has been in the Sackville family for the past 400 years. And they retained the right to live for 200 years after they deeded it to the National Trust. It was the birthplace of Vita Sackville-West but she could not inherit the property because she was a women. She later purchased Sissinghurst that we visited on the 15th. She was the writer who wrote in her castle. Knole House was also owned by the Archbishops of Canterbury, until King Henry VIII decided he wanted the Knole House as one of his palaces.

We then went to Ightham Mote. A beautiful old Tudor home that is surrounded by a moat. It is 700 years old and at one time an American heiress lived there with her family and entertained lavishly with famous people of the day including the Novelist Henry James. He was inspired by his visit and wrote "The Turning of the Screw" after he left. More beautiful gardens and then home. We stopped along the way and picked up fish and chips which we enjoyed at home.

September 21, 2016

We woke to a bright sunshiny day today, our last full day at Leeds Castle. We lingered over breakfast making plans for today and tomorrow. By ten o'clock we were over the hill on our way to the castle for one last visit. We passed the first group of Segway passengers on their way around the park.
The castle was nearly empty, we strolled through the rooms at a leisurely pace compared to last Sunday. Several rooms that had been changed for the wedding were back to normal, a tapestry that had been our for cleaning in the Chapel was back on the wall but the yellow drawing room was closed for some work. Oops.....the one painting that Jim wanted to see again was in that room.
He asked a guide but she said no. As we neared the end of the tour Jim started talking to another guide and he went to the room and asked the curator who was restoring one of the walls if he could bring Jim into the room to see the painting by Teipolo the Elder of clowns. He was invited into the closed room and twenty minutes of conversation ensued while I stood around waiting. But the guide who got Jim in said he'll probably be awhile and offered me a chair. But, I stood there and he told me stories about Leeds Castle and the family of Lady Baillie.

The door had florist blocks (green Styrofoam) and he told me they would be filled with flowers for the upcoming Flower Celebration this weekend.

Soon we were back at the cottage for a bit of lunch and then on the road to visit The Friars. It is a Carmelite Priory that was originally built in 1242 but closed by King Henry VIII in the 15th century. It was reopened in 1949 and is once again a place of pilgrimage with over two hundred thousand people a year coming to this place of peace and prayer. It was very peaceful walking through the various chapels and buildings

Then we drove back into Maidstone, our nearest city, and located the All Saints Church. Built in 1395 with a large house for the Archbishop...which now houses public offices; and a large stable along with many other buildings. The property is now split by a major highway and the stables are a Museum of Carriages. The church is the largest parish church in England. It is the size of a cathedral.
Back to Leeds where I walked back to the Maze and enjoyed finding the center without any help. Then a boat ride across the lake and beautiful vistas in the park on the way to the cottage including meeting the peacock on the path.

Tomorrow we return the car to Gatwick Airport and then plan to take the bus into London for the afternoon. Friday we fly home.

September 22, 2016

I woke early this morning and pulled back the heavy Tapestry drape that covers our Dutch door during the night and saw a dawn full of fog and a surprise on the pond. A white swan had come to visit. I opened the top of the door, a split glass window; and watch her and the sun rising on the horizon. As soon as the sun broke free of the surface...my swan slowly swam away towards the castle.

Soon we were finished with breakfast, packed and out the door by 9 am. Within an hour my trusty navigator app on my phone had us back at Gatwick Airport with the gas gauge below a quarter of a tank. We'd decided to come in empty, hopefully not on fumes.

Enterprise is in south terminal and we rode the transport to north terminal and walked across the street to our hotel. Checked in and then headed back to the south terminal where we purchased a one day travel pass in time to catch the 11:20 am train into Victoria Station in London.

By noon we were strolling through the British Museum enjoying the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon, Assyrian treasures and the Rosette Stone along with many other priceless antiquities.
Out the door to darkening skies we were soon on the Underground again to St. Paul's Cathedral by 2:30 pm. Jim has never been inside and I've only been there once with my sister in 2009. Such a majestic building full of history. We each had an audio/video player that kept us moving after first climbing to the top of the dome. Yes, we both did 528 steps up and another 528 down. So peaceful sitting in this church soaking in the classical architecture of Christopher Wren.

By 4 pm we were both exhausted and decided to call it a day and head toward Victoria Station for our train ride back to Gatwick.  By 5:30 we were safely back in our hotel. Tomorrow we fly to the USA.

September 25, 2016

Hello Friends and Family....
Yes, we've crossed the pond and are safely back in California at Jim's sister's home in Newport Beach. Visited St. Martin's yesterday afternoon in Yorba Linda with Jim's sister at their annual Octoberfest; and saw most of the children who were all there participating in various booths. We enjoyed the activities and mass before heading back to Newport. Good to be home. Must say as we entered the airport on Friday morning...my camera was packed or I would have taken a photo, a group of about a dozen young men as they arrived each wearing a different suit with matching shoes, etc. of flower gardens! pinks, blues, greens, etc. It was a stunning group! And they were oh so happy. Later we saw another group in the airport where one of the men was dressed in a tutu complete with fairy wings (but he'd forgotten to shave) and waving a wand as he lead his group who all were regularly dressed and had matching tee-shirts.

Life is good and thanks again for joining us on our journey to England through the wonders of Facebook.   To those that are reading my blog…thanks for being patient with me as I was always behind a few days in copying and pasting the journey into Armchair Travel With Martha.

Another five days in England...this time in Maidstone at Leeds Castle

September 16, 2016

This was a day off so no new castles or gardens to show you. 

Thanks to my friend Florence Lovejoy Hannigan, I realized I'd forgotten to show you the Sissinghurst Castle and gardens. They really are spectacular and a must see on English Garden Tours. Enjoy these few photos and put it on your bucket list. It was late when I posted yesterday....we played cards before I did my tasks...
Walked from our cottage to the castle tonight after the rain stopped. Nice evening walk before dinner.

September 17, 2016
Today the promised clear skies were still drizzling off and on but we were on schedule and out the door by 9:30 am to our first National Trust home called Stoneacre. We took the shorter route on the byways and enjoyed multiple villages and didn't hit any of the mirrors on cars parked on the narrow roads. I just close my eyes and pray...
We arrived at 10:30 am and discovered both the gardens and the house were closed until 11 am.
We walked up the hill to the house in light sprinkles but about 15 minutes later a couple walked up and opened the gate. We followed through exclaiming how happy we were that the gardens were actually open. They explained that no, they were volunteers arriving for work; but they invited us to tour the garden early as we were the only ones there. As we reached the back we met the tenant/caretakers and had a conversation with them about the property. Alex was very friendly and he and Jim kept up a running conversation most of the time we were there. It has been in the National Trust for almost a hundred years and has been surprising and delighting visitors ever since. It's a typical medieval timber-framed yeoman's house hidden away in Kent. Began in 1480, it has seen many owners and changes. In 1920 it was practically a ruin when it was purchased by Aymer Vallance, a writer and designer, who returned it to its original splendor using original materials available from the many great homes being torn down at that time. A jewel hidden in the woods.
We left about noon and headed for Chartwell, house, gardens, studio and estate of Winston Churchill. We'd made a reservation online last night for a 2:15 pm entry to view the house. We arrived at 1 pm and squeaked into the 1:30 que early. No photos inside, but a beautiful family home where they raised their children in the 1920 and 1930s. And retired to in later life after friends gathered and purchased the estate for them with the caveat that it be given to the public after their death. It is now a museum for their personal mementos, his awards and gifts along with a massive collection of his paintings. When it was turned over to the National Trust, his wife requested that Winston's private bedroom not be opened to the public. It is rumored that it will soon be opened since all of his immediate family have passed away and there is a high demand for the opening. They do have photos to show the visitors now when requested.
Another great day. We did follow the GPS and took the faster but longer way home on the freeways....arrived by 4 pm and enjoyed dinner in our cottage.

September 18, 2016
Sunday morning we drove to St. Francis Church in Maidstone for mass and then back to the cottage to fix our breakfast before we walked over the hill through the field to visit Leeds Castle. It's about a 10 minute walk but very pleasant. Many people but not too crowded. We strolled through at our own pace and could take as many photos as we wanted. We'll probably go again during the week with less people. Weather was overcast and cool but no rain.
There is a wedding at 4 pm in the castle today...must be a very expensive venue. We saw the bride arrive at 1:30 in a beautiful old white Rolls Royce...the dress was carried in behind her. Staff was concerned about some hovering helicopters and there was much excitement. Would love to know who they are.
From there we walked towards the Falcon area for the 2 pm show. Early so we walked towards the area where they keep the birds of prey. The area is directly behind the maze so I took Jim on a shortcut. Oops....we got lost for a long time and Mr. Jim was more than a little upset. I love the challenge but he tells me he has NEVER gone into a maze because there is too much unknown. This one was really difficult and we finally located the exit under the grotto in the center! But we did make it out with some help from the staff.
We then walked around the maze to the bird area and enjoyed their birds of prey that are used in the show. Walked back to the show field in front of the maze and found a bench to sit on during the show. Jim was startled when a Harris Hawk on his way to the handler flew so close that he felt his wings ruffle his hair! It really startled him as it happened so fast. Great show with six different birds and two handlers.
We walked back across the castle grounds and found our neighbors in the Keepers House enjoying the sunshine which finally popped through the clouds about 2:30 during the show. They left for home just before dinner and we are alone again by the duck pond. Another wonderful day. Fixing dinner soon and then we'll enjoy chocolate with our daily game of hand and foot cards.
Remember the wedding today...it's now 9:30 pm and just as we were going to bed the fireworks started over the castle. I had to turn my camera back on and go outside in my pajamas to get these photos. Great ending to a marvelous day. The dark area to the right in the photos is the weeping willow tree outside our cottage over the pond. Good night everyone.

September 19, 2016

We decided to ignore much advice about not going to Dover and left on the M20 this morning to see Dover Castle known as the Key to England. This was never bombed because Hitler wanted to celebrate victory in this castle when he took England.
We toured both of the underground tunnels. One was used for the Operation Dynamo which was the evacuation of Dunkirk. The other was an underground hospital. These tunnels actually go back hundreds of years and were used in the French vs England wars.
We climbed up and down the 100 plus stairs in the old castle and visited several of the other sights.
Finally decided to call it a day and headed back on the M20. It was traffic free both ways.
We arrived home to two black swans on our pond and freshly cut grass and trimmed hedges. We're walking up to our castle at dusk to see the lights on the castle at night.
I thought you'd enjoy my photos I took this evening of our Leeds Castle with the lights on. It was very dark for the walk home but we had flashlights with us to light the way home.


September 20, 2016
Overcast day, but no rain. We drove about an hour north and visited two beautiful National Trust properties today.
Our first was Knole House, a very old 15th Century home that was once a royal palace. It has so many building that people refer to it as a village. This huge house has been in the Sackville family for the past 400 years. And they retained the right to live for 200 years after they deeded it to the National Trust. It was the birthplace of Vita Sackville-West but she could not inherit the property because she was a women. She later purchased Sissinghurst that we visited on the 15th. She was the writer who wrote in her castle. Knole House was also owned by the Archbishops of Canterbury, until King Henry VIII decided he wanted the Knole House as one of his palaces.
We then went to Ightham Mote. A beautiful old Tudor home that is surrounded by a moat. It is 700 years old and at one time an American heiress lived there with her family and entertained lavishly with notables of the day including the Novelist Henry James. He was inspired by his visit and wrote "The Turning of the Screw" after he left. More beautiful gardens and then home. We stopped along the way and picked up fish and chips which we enjoyed at home.

FIVE DAYS IN BRIGHTON BEACH

September 10, 2016

This is our home away from home for our week in Brighton Beach. It's called the pool house because originally an above ground pool sat on the location. Karen is a delight and has spoiled us with many extras, especially all that we need for English Breakfasts in the mornings. We're enjoying a day off today and listening to the rain while we play some cards and catch up on details.

Our outing today was a drive through downtown Brighton Beach. The first thing we saw was a huge and very tall pole. Turns out it is the newest adventure and has just opened according to the article we found after returning home. We plan to ride it before we leave. Also the palace that was built in the eighteenth century was modeled after palaces in India. It is called the Brighton Pavilion now. Built by members of the royal family. It was used as a hospital for soldiers from India during WW II. Another of our planned tours for next week. We've enjoyed most of the day resting and catching up on planning. It's been raining since 3 o’clock.

September 11, 2016

Sunday morning began with 9:30 am mass at St Joseph’s church downtown. We managed to drive 3 blocks driving the wrong way on a single lane road.
Then we moved the car to a parking garage across the street from the British Airways i360 ride on the beach. Due to excess wind yesterday they'd been loading and unloading on the lower level...that's why we thought it was unfinished as we only saw the pole. A fabulous run up and down...much like the London Eye.
Once down we walked to the Brighton Pier and out to the fun zone. Very hot day but still fun.
From there we walked to the Royal Pavilion and did the tour of the old royal palace....but, no photos allowed. Extremely ornate but unusual in that it is done in India and Chinese decor.
Walked back to the car through twisting narrow walking streets full of shops but shady so was really good. A four mile day of walking.
Home by 3 pm and over to our neighborhood pub for a Sunday Roast. Delicious. ... a great Sunday.

September 12, 2016

Today was full of surprises. ... the Lewes Castle was so much more than we'd expected. It was recommended by the bartender at our pub. Thomas Paine lived in Lewes for a few years and Ann of Cleves owned property there resulting from her divorce settlement from Henry VIII. A fun hour visiting the town and climbing up and down some 250 steps in the castle after walking down and up a very steep street in the village.
Drove an hour from there to visit a National Trust property that we found in the book last night. Petworth House and Gardens. WOW... we were amazed by what we saw. The home was elegant and for over 900 years the occupants had collected a major art collection equaling any of your major museums in the world. More Turner paintings then we've seen in any museum. Van Dyck, Gainborough and a myriad of other old masters.
Difficult to leave but we did also enjoy the extensive servants quarters and kitchens in a separate building.
Home by 4 pm and Chef Jim is preparing pasta for us tonight. Another day filled with beautiful sunshine.

September 13, 2016

Took a late start but still had heavy traffic most of the way westward to the famous Historic Dockyard of Portsmouth. Took a wrong turn...one of many over the last five weeks, and saw the WWII memorial and the very new attraction called the Spinnaker Tower....similar to the i360 in Brighton Beach. It is 500 ft. tall and you can go up to enjoy the view. Snapped photos and went on to the dockyards.
Amazing, several very old ships and work in progress in the actual boathouse that we toured. The tent for a restaurant came in handy as we had a sudden five minute rainstorm that didn't cool us down but added a chance to sit for a few minutes.
Back on the highway we drove about half way back and stopped in Arundel to see the Castle that has been home to the Duke of Norfolk family for 900 years. This is the top Duke of all the Dukes according to our travel guide book by Rick Steves.  It is absolutely huge and per Mr. Jim has the very best art collection of old masters that we've seen.  But not as many of the Turner paintings that we saw yesterday.  One could easily do a whole day here.
This is their personal home and they have taken great pride in sharing their history with visitors. Many of the gardens and fields are open for residents and visitors to enjoy at any time. A few are reserved for the paying guests. If you are in the area this should be number one on your list. And it is privately run by the family and not part of any trust. It's literally a museum of their family history.
We ended the day in the village of Arundel, shopped in an Old Maps shop and enjoyed fish and chips for an early dinner at the Moat house Cafe.
Resulted in heavy traffic on the trip home but we relaxed and enjoyed the extra time together.

September 14, 2016

Our morning started with finding the laundromat which turned out to be across the street from the church that we attended last Sunday. Had we realized that, we would not have taken so many wrong turns. Then there was parking. Nothing legal was open and there were many cars parked illegally up on the sidewalk;  so we joined them temporarily. Jim watched the car while I loaded the washing machines. He left to look for a legal spot and the policemen was writing our ticket when he returned. He played innocent and sweet and we didn't get a ticket like everyone else was getting. He quickly moved the car to the new spot that he'd found!
After returning the laundry home, we headed east to find Monk's House. This was the home of the writer Virginia Woolf. Originally their weekend home but after their London home was bombed in the blitz they lived here permanently. Beautiful gardens and her writing hut in the garden was just what every writer needs. Jim was very happy.
As we finished we were told about her sisters home about eight miles away. It is called Charleston Farm. Her sister was Vanasa Bell, she along with Duncan Grant were pioneers of early 20th century British Art. They created the Bloomsbury period of art. Short lived but unique. They lived together with other notable artists and famous people from 1916 in this farmhouse. T.S. Elliot is one of the better known writers who spent time here along with Virginia Woolf.

September 15, 2016

We were packed and ready to leave Brighton Beach by 9 o'clock this morning. It took us nearly 2 hours to drive to the very old village of Rye that sits on the English Channel just east of Hastings. We visited the Mermaid Hotel that is very old. It was rebuilt in 1420 after the original one burnt down. I stayed there in 2010 when I visited with my sister-in-law.
We walked many of the streets, visited two different churches and the Castle. Before we left we even went to the weekly market which was in full swing while we were there today. It was a fun filled two hours.
Back in the car we headed north to our second destination called Sissinghurst Castle and Gardens. Originally a great Elizabethan home that eventually was rented to the government in the 18th century to imprison French sailors.
Early in the 20th century the ruins were purchased for a song by a wealthy English family. There was only one room in the tower that was livable and they basically camped there when visiting during the reconstruction.
Today it is famous for its gardens and fairytale towers. Vita Sackville-West wrote many books in her towers and there are tales about what happened during the many visits of her very close friend Virginia Woolf.
Back on the highway we made some wrong turns and GPS was not working well. It took us on a serendipity trip down country lanes to our new home on the grounds of Leeds Castle in the lush landscape of Kent. We had several brushes with the hedge rows but finally arrived. Our place for the next seven nights is a bit magical. See the second story I just posted.
Our day wasn't over....we moved in and then left to buy groceries. Lost again and the ten minute drive lasted three times longer but like always we eventually found a wonderful large supermarket when we stocked up for the week. And, we found the short way to home.
The rain is coming tonight and all day tomorrow so we're taking a day off. May walk over to see the Castle in the late afternoon....we have passes for the week so we can go every day!

Thanks to my friend Florence Lovejoy Hannigan, I realized I'd forgotten to show you the Sissinghurst Castle and garden photos on the post in Facebook. They really are spectacular and a must see on English Garden Tours. Enjoy these few photos and put it on your bucket list. It was late when I posted yesterday....we played cards before I did my tasks...

This is our last week and we are settled in to our cottage on the grounds of Leeds Castle near Maidstone. We are in a private area and have a duck pond outside our door. The building is actually several hundred years old but has recently been completely modernized inside. We even have the code to a private gate to enter the grounds 24 hours a day. We feel like royalty. We also have passes that allows us to visit the castle as often as we like during out week long stay.