September 28 - Long drive south to Chester
Beeston Castle visit
View of Beeston Castle on hill in distance (from Wikipedia photo)
Field trip for primary kids, one left his backpack at the castle walls so I returned it and then caught up with Jean
We are above the outer castle walls, it's quite a walk up
View towards the castle
Great views of the countryside
View West towards the Welsh border
Castle was started in 1220
Next, we head for Chester and our B & B
We are in an annex like a small motel left of the house, very nice room
Walked a part of the old town wall, then visited the Grovesner museum before it closed
Stones used in the Middle Age to extend the Roman town walls included many tombstones that were well preserved - these were discovered in the 1880's
Roman lead plumbing pipe - with identification
End of the street at the wall is a clock tower monument to Queen Victoria
We eat at a nice Italian place and head back to the hotel - view above from the clock tower
The 1897 Clock for Victoria's 60th year as queen
Sunset through stained glass windows
September 29 - to Coventry
We pass through Stratford-upon-Avon and stop to visit Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethian Garden
The building in the distance is Leicester's Gatehouse, built specifically to house Queen Elizabeth I for a visit in 1575 - he (Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester) was a favorite suitor of Elizabeth.
There was a special exhibit in the gatehouse about their relationship including a painting of Elizabeth
A wood spiral staircase - most are stone in castles
Ruins of the castle, founded in the 1120's
Many student field trips - we had lunch outside this large stable, now a restaurant.
Graffitti from the past
Close by we stop at Baddesley Clinton, a moated manor house where priests were hidden in the 1500's
There were several hiding places, they were used at least once
Beautiful gardens at this manor house (photo from web above)
We stay in a B & B that night in a very small and hot room.
