Rye 30-31 May Canterbury, Sissinghurst, Bodiam Castle

It’s school holidays this week and we were lucky to spot a Park n Ride for our Canterbury visit.  The city was packed.  It is pleasantly pedestrianised.  And now for some history (we had a guided tour in the cathedral).

Note the empty statue niches

We ate our sandwiches in the herb garden.

Head of Henry Yeveley, stone mason, Cloisters

Cloisters c 1400

In 597, St Augustine came to Canterbury and soon established the first cathedral, which was rebuilt around 1070 by Archbishop Lanfranc.  After Thomas Becket was murdered in 1170, the cathedral became a place of pilgrimage for those seeking a miracle.

Place where Beckett was murdered (1986 Altar)

Quire 

Corona Chapel

By 1184, the Quire was rebuilt, Trinity and Corona chapels added (all as seen today).

Most of the statues and much of the stained glass was destroyed by Henry VIII and, later, Cromwell who stabled 300 horses inside. 

Tuesday was a lovely sunny day for our planned trips to Sissinghurst and Bodiam Castle.  Alas, Sissinghurst was disappointing – very expensive (A$20 x 2) for the small area of garden (we’ve seen far more in Italy – eg Tivoli Gardens) and recent history.  I think you need to be a keen English gardener or a Bloomsbury group addict to enjoy it (sorry, Muriel!).  The roses in Portuguese village gardens were at least equal to those in Sissinghurst.

 However, Bodiam Castle  was much better value.  It was half term this week and the kids, very well-behaved, were out in force.  If you don’t need to park,  the grounds become a free play area (also at Sissinghurst where we saw 4 small kids), complete with WW 2  pillbox, where heaps of children were romping.   For about A$4, anyone could shoot either arrows, paintballs or cross bows at various targets.  To enter the castle cost A$10 for adults, well worth it.

 

A scale model of a trebuchet was used to hurl a 3kg water bomb over 100m.  Spectators were moved way back in case of misfire.  Some ducks had unfortunate experiences when melons were used and the ducks gathered for a feed.