Funny to hear sheep baa-ing as we wake & go to sleep. Keep hearing "sheep may safely graze" the Bach cantata tune, in my head. (posted a link to a rendition in the left hand side of the blog). We walked into Winchcombe today & then to Belas Knap -- a Neolithic barrow that held some 38 individuals -- way up on the Cotswold escarpment. The altitude gain was 700' (so paltry, but it made me huff & puff). Lovely views across the valley -- Sudeley castle & St Peter's in the village.
Belas Knap looks roughly like 1/2 pear, where the pear is 40-50'long and up to 20'high. One guidebook said -- 15,000 man-hours, v. fine dry laid stone, so demonstrated advanced organization. I keep thinking, what would possess people to build such a thing? Someone's ego trip.
Sudeley castle v. damaged in civil wars & largely rebuilt by Victorian textile tycoons. The lovely little church of St. Mary's is almost entirely a Victorian reconstruction (I learned after reverently photographing the effigy of Catherine Parr). Poor lady only lived a bit over a year after marrying Semour -- died of purpureal fever at 36.
The exhibits weren't that substantive -- mostly costumes from a TV version of the 6 wives of Henry VIII -- so largely Philippa Gregory land. Gardens v. pretty - I only spent an hour in the whole place, and 15 min was getting & drinking a pot of tea, since S stayed outside.
We trudged back to the house (so maybe 8 miles total that day) and scurried into Winchcombe to pick up laundry. Dinner at the Indian restaurant, followed by S investigating the coop supermarket to compare prices with the US.
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