Newsletter #38 - March 4 to 11, 1960

                                        Newsletter #38
                                        March 4th to March 11, 1960
                                        England, Scotland and Ireland

Greetings,

Today [March 5] again finds us wandering over more of England's interesting countryside. After leaving Exeter this morning, we drove to Torquay, a large seaside resort set on seven hills around the red cliffs and blue waters of Tor Bay. This is a very noted and exclusive holiday town and has earned the title of "Queen of the English Riviera" because of its excellent beaches and picturesque cliff walks. We also saw Compton Castle, a 15th century fortified mansion nearby.

Our next city of interest was England's most famous naval port of Plymouth. It was from this harbor that the Mayflower sailed to found a colony in the New World and now we have seen from where they sailed and where they landed. Plymouth is just another large port city with modern docks and congested traffic. We had to ferry across a body of water which put us into quite a traffic jam.   

Next we drove to Falmouth, a place very familiar to Meredith since the Army used their amphibious ducks in this area when practicing. Falmouth has a deep water harbor and is a noted yachting center as well as a year-round resort with a fine sandy beach surrounded by the charm of the richly wooded banks of the River Fal. The position of Falmouth, on the peninsula jutting into the sea where the Gulf Stream enters the Channel, makes it the first English town to get the stream's benefit. Here we saw only the ruins of Pendennis Castle which was built during the reign of Henry VII. This must have been a wonderful place to live because the view from these ruins is really unusual since it is on the very edge of the peninsula.

From Falmouth we drove to Helston, then Penzance and next out to Land's End. This is the most westerly point in England with only a population of 500. The coastal scenery here is a mixture of great rocks of fantastic shapes and beautiful bays. However, it was not clear enough for us to see Scilly Islands which we had hoped to see. Tonight [March 5] we are staying in a town called Grantham. We are in a very old inn furnished with elegant antiques. This inn once lodged King John and his court back in 1213. This morning [March 6] we had a long drive through the Bodmin Moors. They were rather uninteresting to me and divided into many small hamlets. However, when we came to Barnstaple at Bideford Bay, the drive 

was a bit more interesting to Meredith and myself. We used roads which the ordinary tourist never uses since they are off the scenic route. However, Meredith was quite familiar with about 35 miles of this coast since this was his staging area and home for several months while in England before D-Day. We went to such towns as Croyde where we saw lovely Croyde Bay, Woolacombe (also along the coast) and then Ilfracombe. They were all very interesting to us but probably not to many other people. From here we began to drive inland and our next place of interest was the city of Taunton which possesses a 12th century castle and a famous church built in 1508. This church has a most elaborate and unusual tower. Taunton is in an agricultural area and has some interesting outdoor market places. 

The next city was Bridgewater - another market town - and then we had a long drive to Bristol. Bristol is a large manufacturing center where we saw several interesting churches and a suspension bridge over a gorge which provided a spectacular view. Later we drove to Bath, a beautiful, well planned city, with a wealth of Georgian homes and many lovely parks. Bath is noted for its old spa which has the only hot springs in Britain and these were discovered by the Romans.

From Bath, we drove to a typical English town called Chippenham where we have a room in a very old inn furnished with unusual antiques. I'm a bit late writing tonight as we watched TV which had several good programs plus an excellent panel where Ed Morrow interviewed three former ambassadors. (Perhaps you heard this same program.)

Another day [March 7] finds us on the road again and viewing such cities as Marlborough and Newbury where we saw a fine race course and some exceptionally nice Elizabethan homes which date back to 15 and 1600. We then drove on to the city of Reading which is a prosperous manufacturing town on the Thames. Then we went to Ascot, the famous racing town whose racecourse was founded in 1771. This racecourse is really beautiful and located in an unusual section in that the town of Ascot only has a population of 3,500. Racing season at Ascot is in June so we had to be content to see only where all the pomp and ceremony is performed. From Ascot we drove through the picturesque and beautifully wooded Windsor Great Park. This drive lasted about fifteen miles and then we arrived at Windsor Castle. Of course, Windsor Castle is the chief residence for royalty since Norman times. This unique and beautiful castle was built by William the Conqueror, but each monarch which followed him has left his mark of distinction typical to the era in which he lived. During the summer, the Queen's State Apartments are open to visitors, but never during March, April and May since she always stays in this castle during these months that is, unless she's traveling. We did walk about the grounds and gardens, which are beautiful, and we also saw the St. George's Chapel which is on the castle grounds. These wonderful castle precincts are open daily throughout the year which really surprised us.

The city of Windsor is quite charming and is on the Thames River. It is linked by a bridge to the city of Eton, home of the famous Eton College. Here we saw chaps of all ages roaming about the campus and gardens of this wonderful college dressed in pin stripped trousers, cutaway coats, stiff white collars, etc. Even the boys on the athletic fields, who were flying model airplanes, were dressed as if they were ushering for a royal wedding.

From this college town we drove on for fifty more miles until we arrived at Oxford, an ancient and picturesque university on the rivers Cherwell and Thames. The many colleges scattered throughout the town were founded at various dates from 1299 on and the list of men educated at Oxford includes many of Britain's most illustrious scholars, soldiers and statesmen. The university church has a beautiful 13th century tower and spire and the entire city is most unusual.

We next drove to Banbury where Banbury Cross, the name of the famous nursery rhyme favorite, derives its name and where the cross is located. Banbury cakes are still being sold at a shop over three centuries1 old. Only 25 miles from Banbury, in a typically Tudor town, is unusually and well preserved Stratford-on-Avon, a shrine to England's greatest poet William Shakespeare. While we were here we saw the old grammar school where Shakespeare was educated and the home in which he was born. Both of these were very interesting. This entire town is unique, even down to the smallest swan floating upon the Avon which is midst the lovely meadows of Stratford-on-Avon.

We next visited Shottery, a town one-and-a-half miles west of Stratford where we saw 'the charming thatched roofed Anne Hathaway cottage. It looks exactly as I've often seen it in pictures except for the garden which was lacking flowers and color today. I do believe I could elaborate and expound on Stratford-on-Avon and this particular area of England for several more pages, but I'll just say we were thrilled and delighted and leave it go with those words. BUT, I do want to remind you to put it on your list of "musts" if you ever get to England.

Our next traditional place was Warwick where we saw some attractive timbered Elizabethan houses and the East Gate which is the remaining relic of the town walls. The greatest attraction of Warwick is the Warwick Castle, a wonderful medieval baronial castle with foundations dating from Norman times and walls and towers of the 14th century.

Tonight [March 7] we are staying at Kenilworth, an interesting town dating from 819. This city is famed for its castle and its Norman tower of 1180. The castle figured prominently in Scotts' novel "Kenilworth". Our home tonight is a quaint hotel dating to the Elizabethan era and is opposite the ruins of the castle I've just mentioned. Precious antiques and antique furnishings are artistically arranged in this hotel called the "Queen and Castle". We are quite comfortable here except for the drafty rooms. The heat comes only from the fireplaces and every room seems chilly.

Another day [March 8] finds us in Coventry which is an important industrial city and suffered considerable damage during the last war. Its literary fame stems from the legend of Lady Godiva whose statue now stands in the center of the town. (In case you've forgotten, she rode a horse through the streets of Coventry unclothed, but fortunately she possessed extremely long hair ...)

After Coventry, we drove to Rugby, a noted hunting area, and the place where Rugby football originated in 1823. This is also the city where the famous Public School was founded in 1567. Rugby has several old churches of repute among its famous buildings. Our next city was Northampton which is an industrial center famous for manufacturing boots and shoes and has a number of interesting old churches and houses.

We next drove to Cambridge which is noted for its architecture, particularly the University buildings which are on the banks of the River Cam. The lush meadows on one side form a pleasing contrast to the buildings on the other. We saw Fitzwilliam Museum and some of the following colleges of the University: Christ's, King's, Pembroke, Corpus Christi, Trinity, St. John's, Jesus and Magdalene.

From Cambridge we drove to Ely where, as you approach the town, you see the harmonious and graceful lines of its large and magnificent Norman Cathedral. This small town has several other ancient monuments and relics. Oliver Cromwell lived in Ely for ten years. Our next town, Peterborough, is another fine old cathedral city and is almost entirely of ecclesiastical origin having grown up around a 7th century monastery. The cathedral here is of Gothic architecture on the front and has a Norman nave.

Nottingham, with its castle built on the peaks of a rock which dominates part of the city, is another town which goes back to the times of the Normans and Saxons when the natives lived in the caves of Castle Rock. We could very plainly see these old caves today and also a surviving fragment of Sherwood Forest as it has been since the 13th century. This area is called the Forest Recreation Ground.

We next drove through Derby which is another manufacturing center and includes in its many industries today the Rolls Royce factory and the Royal Crown Derby Porcelain Company.

The next large manufacturing town was Sheffield which was also heavily damaged during the war, but today we saw many large and new plants that seemed to be quite busy. We also drove through Doncaster, another busy industrial town, with large locomotive works and many coal mines in the neighborhood. Here we saw Mansion House, a mid-l8th century Georgian building and Conisborough Castle which was the home of Athelstane in "Ivanhoe".

Today we also visited York, England. This is a very old, medieval city which is surrounded by its ancient fortifications. York ranks with Canterbury in ecclesiastical importance and the York Minster

is the largest medieval cathedral in England. It was built over a period of 250 years and has a gorgeous interior with notable stained glass windows which are lovely, but to us do not compare with the much-used cobalt blue of Canterbury's windows. The curfew bell, on the Tower of St. Michael's Church, near York Minster Cathedral, has tolled nightly, with few exceptions, since 1066. York is very musical, as is our own city of York, and has its York Symphony and a British Music Society. It also has a large art gallery, a lovely park called Bootham and a St. Maryfs Abbey. The town has two castle museums. One castle was formerly used as a female prison and this area has a large pillared building known as Assize Courts which was built in 1777 and a tall mound containing Clifford's Tower which dates back to 1258. We enjoyed this old city of York and feel we are named well as it is a city of an impressive number of beautiful old churches which I feel is also true of our wonderful city of York. We had snow flurries the entire time we were in this delightful city. From York we drove 32 miles to Northallerton, Yorkshire, where we are spending the night at the delightful Golden Lion Hotel.

This morning [March 9] we visited a lovely aristocratic city known as Darlington. Here there were many exquisite old homes. From here we drove through the towns of Bernard Castle, Appleby, Penrith and on to a larger town called Carlisle. This town is only eight miles south of Scotland. Here we began to see some of the Marathon Walkers who left John 0'Groats, at the extreme northern end of Scotland, and are in a walking contest which will end at Land's End, the extreme southern coast. We saw at least a dozen contestants, three of whom were women.

We are now in Scotland and the first town of any size which we saw today was Dumfries, an industrial town. In this city Robert Burns lived until his death in 1795. His grave, the house where he died and the church he attended may all be visited here by those who are interested. We drove on to the coast to the small town of Stranraer where we made reservations to cross the Irish Sea in order to visit Ireland. The ship, Princess Margaret, will be our hotel tonight as the car must be aboard by 4 A.M. Therefore, we plan to stay on this lovely ship tonight which sails at 7 A.M., at which time I hope we'll still be asleep. I'm writing this at a hotel in Stranraer where we enjoyed a very nice dinner this evening along with the comfort of their fireplace in their lobby. We cannot go aboard the ship until 10 P.M. and that is the reason we are biding our time in the hotel.

Today [March 10] finds us in Ireland after a very rough crossing on the Irish Sea. During breakfast aboard the ship we had trouble keeping our butter knife on the butter plate and all kinds of dishes were moving about and it was necessary to have the sides up on all the tables. We had a very comfortable berth on the ship, but I spent a rather restless night. Our ship docked at Larne, Ireland which is a town about 20 miles north of Belfast in Northern Ireland. Our "Little Princess" was soon on the road and we began our tour of Ireland.

We first went to Belfast, the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. Here we saw the lofty dome of the City Hall, the usual museums, churches, etc. Then we started down the coast to Dundalk which is at the entrance of Ulster Gap. From here we drove inland to Armagh which has been the ecclesiastical center of Ireland for more than fifteen centuries. St. Patrick founded his church here in 432 A.D. In Armagh, we saw the double-spired St. Patrick's Cathedral which consists of two churches - one Protestant and one Roman Catholic. This city is the seat of both the Protestant and Catholic Archbishops and is a city of many hills.

We arrived in Dublin early in the afternoon and, as usual, it was raining. We did some sightseeing and found a nice hotel. Dublin is the capital and largest city in Ireland and the real social center for the Irish people. The name Dublin means "dark pool" in Gaelic (Irish language) and it received this name because of the dark, peat-colored waters of the River Liffey which passes through the heart of the city. Here the buildings and homes are almost black with dirt and are in need of a real face-lifting. We saw such places as Dublin Castle - a relic of medieval times; St. Patrick's Cathedral where Jonathan Swift was once dean; Lord Nelson's Pillar' Guinness' Brewery - the largest in the world; the Royal Irish Academy; Abbey Theatre - world famous for its fine acting; Christ Church Cathedral which dates from 1O38; Trinity College and several other large impressive buildings.

This morning [March 11] , after another look about Dublin, we drove inland about thirty miles to a small town called Kildare. This town owes its origin to St. Brigid who founded a religious establishment here in about 470 A.D. In this small town we saw the ruins of an old castle, two lovely ancient cathedrals and a well preserved round tower. This tower was once used for refuge and storage during days of invasion. About three miles from Kildare, at a private estate which breeds race horses, we went to see a Japanese Garden which was absolutely "out-ofthis- world". The garden was started fifty years ago by Japanese artists, craftsmen and gardeners. A great lover of gardens and beauty was responsible for the inception and development of these gardens and it took four years to build the various parts of the gardens. The plants, trees, bridges, stones, lanterns, teakwood fencing, materials for the teakwood house and many other items were all transported from Japan. I can't begin to describe the beauty of this garden, but we did not see one to compare with it in Japan. The only other Japanese Garden which impressed me so much was the one displayed at the World Fair by Japen which was held In San Francisco about twenty years ago. The guide was as Irish as could be, but he gave a lovely story about the garden which described a Japanese man's life from the cradle to the grave and he did it most impressively. Each rock, stream of water, lantern and passageway was an era of a person's life and he gave the details of pitfalls and happinesses which occur during a lifetime.

Our next town was Cashel which lies in the fertile plain of Tipperary and is famous for its historical rock. It was here that St. Patrick preached when he used the trefoil shamrock as an illustration of the doctrine of the Trinity. On this famous rock

which is a hill 300 feet high, there is an ancient cathedral. King Cormac's Chapel and a round tower similar to the one we saw in Kildare. The entire hill is known as "The Rock of Cashel" and is a very beautiful place.

From Cashel we drove to Tipperary which is another small town with the usual churches and monuments. Our only reason for wanting to see the town was because of the song about Tipperary which originated during World War I.

Our next stop was in Cork, a southern Ireland port city only several miles from Cobh. Cobh is the port of call city for transatlantic liners. We took a drive along the Marina where we saw a lovely small castle along the waters' edge and several interesting cargo shops. Cork is Ireland's third largest city on the River Lee and has some interesting hills and scenery in the city suburbs. In order to visit Ireland's number one attraction - "the Blarney Stone" - in Blarney Castle, we had to drive several miles from Cork to the very small village of Blarney. We trudged through a nice downpour of rain for a good half mile from the parking area to Blarney Castle and then climbed hundreds of narrow winding steps to the upper tower of the castle. While the guide held our feet, we each took our turn leaning over backwards down a stone shaft to kiss the "Blarney Stone". This was to receive the "gift of gab" which the stone is known for the world over and which is to impart the "gift of gab" to those who are brave enough to kiss it. We were certainly plenty wet when we got back to the car -- we even had to kiss the Blarney Stone" in the rain.

Tonight [March 11] , the last night of another newsletter week, finds us in a small, ancient village with picturesque half-timbered houses with thatched roofs and some ecclesiastical ruins. There is also a beautiful manor house called "Adare Manor" which belongs to the Dunraven family. The ruins of a fine old castle are also seen nearby on the River Shannon.

We have discovered Ireland is a very expensive country in which to travel and we have been quite disappointed in its countryside. Perhaps it is because of the bad weather, but regardless, we are going to try to drive at least 300 miles tomorrow so that we can make the ship back to Scotland tomorrow night. Picture-taking is out because of the mist, rain and cloudy skies.

So, for another week, we'll close and "hit the sack" so that we can get an early start tomorrow morning.

We're still feeling fine in spite of all this nasty weather and certainly hoping we soon have some sunshine as this dampness is terrific when you are in hotels which have only fireplaces or small heaters for warming large areas.