Tuesday 19 March 2024

LITERARY PUBS: THE LEATHER BOTTLE, COBHAM, KENT

 Fans of Charles Dickens will be aware that there are a number of pubs around London which were frequented by the famous writer.  However, Dickens did not confine his imbibing to our capital city.  He got about the country a fair bit, and no doubt found suitable watering holes wherever he went.

One particular part of the country with strong Dickens associations is the county of Kent, since he spent part of his life living there, first as a child, then later, following his separation from his wife Catherine, buying a house in Higham, between Rochester and Gravesend.  Near Gravesend is the village of Cobham, with the picturesque Leather Bottle inn, dating from around 1629.  Dickens used to enjoy rambles in the Kentish countryside, and he often stopped by here for liquid refreshment.

The 'Leather Bottle', Cobham - geograph.org.uk - 2209048. Photo by Roger Smith, via Wikimedia Commons.


Not only was the pub visited by Dickens himself, but it featured in one of his most famous works, The Pickwick Papers.  There is a scene in which Pickwick enters the pub with his companions Winkle and Snodgrass, to find another character Tracy Tupman, recently dumped by Rachel Wardle, sitting there with a magnificent feast before him.

In 2012, the BBC website carried a story about a single hair from Dickens’ head which had taken pride of place in the pub.  The hair was raffled to raise money for the restoration of the ‘chalet’ in Rochester where Dickens wrote many of his works.

Map of the area.


Wednesday 13 March 2024

A BONNIE BIRTHPLACE FOR A POET: ALLOWAY, SOUTH AYRSHIRE

 

One of the most famous poems by the Scottish poet Robert Burns is Tam O’ Shanter, written in 1791.  The poem was written by Burns while he was living in Dumfries and it features Ayr and the village of Alloway on the town’s southern outskirts, an area familiar to the poet since Alloway was where he was born.

Tam O’Shanter charts the progress of the Tam of the title as he makes his way home from a visit to the market which extends to a protracted stay in the pub.  The action takes place in Ayr and Alloway, Ayr being described as “Auld Ayr, wham ne’er a town surpasses//For honest men and bonie lasses”.  Incidentally, the nickname given to the Ayr United football team is “The Honest Men”. 

As for Alloway, it is the Auld Kirk (old church) that plays a central role in the poem, described as “Alloway’s ault haunted kirk...whare ghaists and houlets nightly cry”.  Riding past the church, Tam takes a look through the window and sees witches and warlocks dancing a ceilikh, with the Devil playing the bagpipes.

Auld Kirk Alloway - geograph.org.uk - 1213335. Photo by Mary and Angus Hogg, via Wikimedia Commons.

 

Alloway makes the most of its Burns connection, with BurnsCottage, a museum with self-guided tours, and with displays which include the bed in which Burns was born.  Admission also allows entrance to the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, displaying original manuscripts and offering audio of songs and poems.  The Poet’s Path has a number of sculptures, and there is a Burns Monument and Gardens.

Burns Cottage - Alloway. Photo by DeFacto, via Wikimedia Commons.

 

The remains of the Alloway Auld Kirk lie near the River Doon at the south-western end of the village.  Burns’ father and sister are buried in the graveyard.  The church was already a ruin by the time Burns was born, which must have given it a spooky appearance.  Small wonder, then, that Burns made it the scene of supernatural shenanigans.

Map of the area.


Sunday 4 February 2024

HERO OF ERYRI: MR BATES VERSUS THE POST OFFICE

 

I am not an emotional person, and I do not tear up easily.  This is especially true when watching TV dramas and films (one notable exception being Titanic).  However, the ITV drama Mr Bates Versus the Post Office had me blubbing like a baby, partly out of rage at the sight of ordinary, decent, blameless people being wrongly convicted, bankrupted and in some cases driven to suicide following what was described as the biggest miscarriage of justice in British legal history, and partly out of joy at the end, when the Court of Appeal overturned the convictions of some of the subpostmasters (those still alive to see justice) and the ensuing scenes of jubilation outside the Court, all as the result of the tireless efforts of Alan Bates to get justice not just for himself, but for all his fellow subpostmasters..

The horror brought on by this shocking story is offset by the beauty of some of the locations used in the series, particularly the scenes filmed around North Wales.  The seaside resort of Llandudno, where the real life Alan Bates was a subpostmaster, puts in an appearance at the start.  The shop containing the post office was in the Craig-y-Don part of town, and St David’s Hospice on Queens Road was used as the location for it. 

 

Llandudno, looking towards the Great Orme.

After the Post Office terminates Bates’ contract when he is wrongly accused of accounting errors, he and his partner Suzanne move to a house in an idyllic location in Snowdonia.  The real life house which serves as their home is in the Nant Ffrancon valley in Eryri National Park. 

There is a pub in a beautiful riverside location which features in several of the scenes.  This is the Saracen’s Head in the Snowdonia village of Beddgelert, reachable both by road and via the Welsh Highland Railway, which runs between Caernarfon and Porthmadog.

Bridge at Beddgelert, Gwynedd - geograph.org.uk - 2630855. Photo by Peter Trimming, via Wikimedia Commons.

Llandudno is a typical seaside resort with a long promenade and a pier, but what sets it apart from other resorts is its magnificent setting, dominated by the Great Orme, which can be ascended on foot, via the Great Orme Tramway or via cable car.  The mountainous area surrounding it is a National Park, formerly known as Snowdonia, but now with its Welsh name Eryri.  Beddgelert is in the heart of the National Park and is very popular with walkers and other outdoor enthusiasts. 

Map of Gwynedd.


Wednesday 17 January 2024

THE EXQUISITE WORLD OF ELIZABETH BENNET: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE 2005

Back in 2013, I did a piece about Lyme Park in Cheshire, which was where the famous ‘lake scene’ was filmed for the 1995 TV production of Pride and Prejudice, with Colin Firth as Mr Darcy emerging from the lake with diaphanous wet-through clothing.  This Christmas TV viewers have had the opportunity to see the 2005 film of this classic tale by Jane Austen, starring Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet and Matthew Macfadyen as Mr Darcy.

The action kicks off with Elizabeth strolling towards the Bennet family home, Longbourn.  This scene was filmed at Groombridge Place, a moated manor house near Tunbridge Wells, Kent.  Inside the home, the family are discussing the new occupant of nearby Netherfield Park, Mr Bingley.  Later on the Bennets pay a visit to Netherfield, and as they depart we catch sight of its imposing exterior.  The real-life property standing in for Netherfield is Basildon Park, Berkshire. 

Basildon Park (4739480359). Photo by Jim Bowen, via Wikimedia Commons.

There are a number of scenes involving the local village of Meryton, including the one in which soldiers arriving in the area go marching down the street, to the delight of the  young women of the village.  These scenes were filmed in the picturesque market town of Stamford, Lincolnshire.  During the filming horses used as part of the marching scene were seen outside the Arts Centre, while the churchyard in the square was filled with sheep. .Near Stamford is another imposing property, Burghley House, which is used in the film for Rosings Park, home of the de Bourgh family.  Anne de Bourgh is expected to marry Darcy.

The clergyman Mr. Collins, a distant cousin of Mr. Bennett who has designs on Elizabeth, lives in a vicarage which in real life is in the village of Weekley in Northamptonshire.  Haddon Hall near Bakewell in Derbyshire also puts in an appearance, with the banqueting hall acting as the interior of the Inn at Lambton. 

Naturally, the most imposing property of all in the story is Pemberley, the home of Mr Darcy.  The Chatsworth estate in Derbyshire is used for Pemberley in the 2005 film.  This is not the first time Chatsworth has played the role of Pemberley.  The TV drama Death Comes To Pemberley, aired in ...., also made use of Chatsworth.  Meanwhile, Pemberley’s drawing room was filmed at Wilton House near Salisbury.

Chatsworth House, Derbyshire - geograph.org.uk - 2481560. Photo by Christine Matthews, via Wikimedia Commons.

Finally, there are a couple of outside scenes of note.  The scene which has Elizabeth standing on a precipice was filmed at Stanage Edge in Derbyshire.  Meanwhile, way down to the south, the stunning gardens of Stourhead in Wiltshire feature in the scene in which, in pouring rain, Mr Darcy first proposes to Elizabeth and is sharply rebuffed.  This scene takes place at a folly in the grounds known as the Temple of Apollo.

Stourhead Gardens - geograph.org.uk - 32663. Photo by Nigel Freeman, via Wikimedia Commons.

Groombridge Place is currently closed for renovation so cannot be visited by the public.  Basildon Park, an 18th century estate near the River Thames between Reading and Goring, is run by the National Trust and is open to visitors year round.  Burghley House is currently closed for the winter, but is due to reopen in March 2024.  Haddon Hall is open daily during the main season, and on selected dates in November and December.  Chatsworth House and its park are open year round, and is especially appealilng in the run up to Christmas.  

Stanage Edge lies in the Peak District, a couple of miles north of Hathersage, and is a gritstone escarpment popular with climbers.  The Temple of Apollo in Stourhead Gardens is a fine example of classical buildings known as 'follies' which were erected in the estates of the landed gentry of times gone by.  The gardens are run by the National Trust and are open year round.


 

Sunday 17 December 2023

LITERARY PUBS: YE OLDE CHESHIRE CHEESE, LONDON

There are a number of pubs in London with Charles Dickens associations, but the one all Dickens fans should visit is Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese at 145 Fleet Street.  Not only did Dickens frequent this quaint and atompheric boozer during his time working in the city, but it had a role to play in one of his classics, ‘A Tale of Two Cities’, set before and after the French Revolution.  There is a scene in the novel in which two of the main characters, Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton, head to a tavern to dine.  Although the tavern is not named, its location on Fleet Street and access ‘up a covered way’ have led to universal acceptance that Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese is the inn in question.  The fare on offer is described as “a good plain dinner and good wine”.  I can back this up, based on a visit some years ago, when as far as I can recall I had a perfectly nice Ploughmans at a surprisingly reasonable price for London. 

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Holborn, London. Photo by Adam Bruderer, via Wikimedia Commons.

Charles Dickens is not the only well-known literary figure to have frequented Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese.  Others include G. K. Chesterton, Mark Twain, Samuel Johnson, W. B. Yeats and Arthur Conan Doyle.  In 1927 another eminent writer, P. G. Wodehouse, told a friend that he had looked in at the Garrick (presumably either the theatre or the Garrick Arms) at lunchtime, “took one glance of loathing at the mob, and went off to lunch by myself at the Cheshire Cheese”.   

Cheshire Cheese Basement (15815848118). Photo by It's No Game, via Wikimedia Commons.

The original tavern was opened in 1538 on a site which formed part of a 13th century Carmelite monastery.  Like many of the capital’s inns of the time, it was destroyed by fire during the Great Fire of London in 1666, but was rebuilt the following year.  The authentic atmosphere inside the pub is enhanced by the sawdust on the floor, which is changed twice daily.  As well as the decent pub food, the bar dispenses beers and other drinks bearing the Samuel Smith label.

Map of the area.

Tuesday 12 December 2023

LOCATIONS FIT FOR A QUEEN-TO-BE: THE CROWN/SOMERLEY HOUSE, HAMPSHIRE AND YORK MINSTER

 

The long-awaited resumption of The Crown on Netflix is upon us, and the reaction to the latest instalments has been fairly negative for various reasons.  However, I am still enjoying it for the standard of the production, not least some of the sumptuous locations featured in the series.  Camilla is starting to come to the fore now, and there are two key events with her at centre stage: the 50th birthday party at Highgrove and the wedding of Charles and Camilla, which in real life took place in St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

For the birthday party scenes, Somerley House in Hampshire stands in for Highgrove, continuing on from earlier appearances in the series.  The festivities themselves take place in a large outdoor marquee, but there are lovely views of the exterior of the property.  Later in the series, when Charles and Camilla finally tie the knot, York Minster is used for the wedding scenes at St George’s Chapel, which could not be used for the filming.  The Minster was closed for five days in April this year, and crowds gathered outside hoping to spot some of the stars, although nobody knew at the time what event was being filmed.

Somerley-House. Photo by Somerley Ent., via Wikimedia Commons.

 

Somerley House is a short distance to the northwest of Ringwood on the western edge of the New Forest National Park.  The house, located in an elevated position with lovely views of the surrounding parkland, is a Grade II listed Georgian building, though the original property, home to the Okden family, dated from 1653.  The house was destroyed by fire and a new one was built in its place.  The house and estate are not open to the public but hosts weddings, corporate events and festivals.

York Minster - geograph.org.uk - 2407484. Photo by Michael Fox, via Wikimedia Commons.
 

York Minster was founded in 627 and today operates as an Anglican cathedral.  Like Somerley, it fell victim to a fire, much more recently in 1984, with the South Transept suffering the bulk of the damage.  However, the damaged was repaired and restoration work carried out at a cost of £2.25 million.  The cathedral is open to visitors at a charge of £16.00 for adults, but is well worth the money.  It is one of numerous attractions in the city of York, along with the Jorvik Viking Centre, York Castle Museum and many other points of interest.  Aside from these, there are boat trips along the River Ouse and York is famous for its evening ghost tours.

Map of Somerley Estate and surrounding area.

Map of York.



Saturday 25 November 2023

A LADY ADRIFT IN LINCOLNSHIRE: KATHERINE BY ANYA SETON

 Katherine by the late American author Anya Seton tells the true story of a young woman born in France as Katherine de Roet whose gradual ascent up the ranks of society leads to her marriage to John of Gaunt, by which she becomes the Duchess of Lancaster.  The first half of the book covers her first reluctant marriage to the knight Sir Hugh Swynford, who has a manor in Lincolnshire.  Swynford takes Katherine off to live at the manor, which is in the tiny hamlet of Kettlethorpe, to the north-west of Lincoln.  Katherine struggles to come to terms with her new life in these rather austere surroundings, but while Sir Hugh is away fighting, her depressing existence is briefly alleviated when she is invited to spend Christmas at Bolingbroke Castle at the invitation of Blanche of Lancaster (John of Gaunt’s first wife) , for whom she develops a deep affection.  Unfortunately, things at Bolingbroke later take a tragic turn for the worse when the black death reaches the area.

Bolingbroke village and castle site, aerial 2014 - geograph.org.uk - 4058087. Photo by Chris, via Wikimedia Commons.

There is a none too flattering description of Kettlethorpe in the early part of the book, describing its geographical location and the fact that it owed feudal dues to the Bishop of Lincoln.  It is described as not very productive, with the soil only suitable for “the growth of hay, flax and hemp and such-like” and “most of the land being in virgin forest for the pleasure of its lords.”  By contrast, Bolingbroke is described as “a small fair castle set in meadowlands and encircled by the protecting wolds”, with “a gay and welcoming look”.  In Chapter XII Katherine rides into Lincoln with her faithful servant Hawise, who declares “Folk here must be goats!” – this undoubtedly being a reference to the aptly named Steep Hill, which leads to the upper part of the city.  The bustle of the city occasioned by the fact that it is market day meets with Hawise’s approval, and she describes it as “a deal better than those dreary fens”. 

Lincoln Steep Hill Cropped. Photo by Russell J Smith, via Wikimedia Commons.

A glance at the present-day Kettlethorpe on the map reveals that there is precious little there other than the Church of St Peter and St Paul and the Village Hall.  Kettlethorpe Hall is a Georgian property, but it stands on the site of the Swynford manor.  There is little left of Boliingbroke Castle, which is now managed by English Heritage and lies about 15 miles inland from Skegness, but the original outline can be clearly seen from the shape of the remaining foundations, and there is still water in the surrounding moat, a fact which English Heritage is at pains to warn visitors.  Entry to the castle is free.  Lincoln is one of England’s classic cathedral cities.  The cathedral and the nearby castle are both in the upper part of the city, making for an impressive sight from afar.  The city is known for its Christmas market.  Down below, boat trips are available on the city’s Roman canal, the Fossdyke.




Gateway at Kettlethorpe Hall - geograph.org.uk - 2577084. Photo by Jonathan Thacker, via Wikimedia Commons.