Tuesday 26 May 2015

Magna Carta

There were several reasons for us spending a couple of days in Lincoln on our way down to Aldeburgh.   First of all it is my home city and I do love to go back.   We always stay at The White Hart Hotel, which is within sight and sound of Lincoln Cathedral.   As I went to the High School, which in those far-off days was situated very close to the cathedral, it is all familiar territory.

Secondly, it is three hundred miles from here to Aldeburgh and I - rightly as it happened - judged it was too far for the farmer to drive in one day.

Thirdly it enables me to see some old friends - I still have a few down there and meeting up with them this year was lovely

Fourthly - and such an exciting reason - the Magna Carta is on show in Lincoln Castle and we were able to see it.   Signed of course by King John at Runnymede in 1215, Lincoln Cathedral has one of only four remaining copies.   It was in amazing condition - the "ink" was sheep's gall, pale brown but still, after all this time, eminently readable (if you could read Latin of course.)   The writing, done with a quill pen, was incredibly neat - a little work of art really.   And part of the seal made of beeswax and resin still survives on Lincoln's copy.


 I love wandering round Lincoln Castle.   It was a lovely day, so we wandered together and then I sat in the sun while the farmer walked the ramparts.   He doesn't like heights but, camera at the ready, I managed to catch a distant view of him.

One other thing - as a child my bedroom window looked over Greetwell Church, not all that far away, maybe a mile and a half, but separated by the River Witham.   I had always wanted to go and have a look at it and as we passed it on our way to see our friends we called - a beautiful building, parts of it dating back to the eleventh century.   Sadly it was locked (a sign of the times I suspect as it is in a very isolated place) but just standing outside was enough and really added a lot to the day.

10 comments:

A Heron's View said...

Ah' King John he who historians have described as "distasteful, even dangerous personality traits", such as pettiness, spitefulness and cruelty. Fortunately he was not on the throne for many years and died of dysentery.

Heather said...

That must have been a rare treat to see the Magna Carta and so nice to visit friends and old haunts - that church is a little gem.

Maureen @ Josephina Ballerina said...

Europe is amazing.
:) m & jb

Hildred said...

Wonderful to have actually laid eyes on the Magna Carta, and I was so pleased to hear of your visit to Lincoln Cathedral Pat, partly for the wonderful childhood memories it must hold for you and partly because we found it a most important place to visit both times we were in England. As you know Charles was seconded to the RAF and the Airmen's chapel at Lincoln and the memorial to Bomber Command meant a great deal to him and to the rest of his crew.

Elizabeth said...

So lovely you were able to see the church - even if only from the outside!

Joanne Noragon said...

What a sense of history and place the site must convey.

John Going Gently said...

To me the church doesnt look english

jan jones said...

hello Pat I am a long time lurker but this is the first time I have posted a comment. I was born in Lincoln but spent much of my childhood overseas. We would come "home" on leave and always stayed at my grandparents house {which was where I was born in the front room!!} The back bedroom overlooked the Cathedral where we always went to look for the imp. I have wonderful memories of these times and later brought my own children for visits. Unfortunately my grand parents and my aunt and uncle, who lived with them in later years, have all passed and the house was sold many years ago. Last year I was in the UK and called into Lincoln for the first time in about 20 years. So many changes and yet still so much the same. Sadly the house in Longdales road had changed dramatically although no doubt for the better.
My mothers family are all based around Middlesborough, and I lived in Thornaby before moving to Australia so love to read of the beautiful Dales and villages you mention in your blog. I think I may be re-living my past happy times vicariously through your blog!! Thank you for keeping it so alive and rekindling so many memories.

Cro Magnon said...

The church looks very well maintained; not always the case with so many of our local medieval churches. Strangely, whenever I have returned to the village of my birth (Lingfield in Surrey) I've always visited the church, it seems to be the one constant in an otherwise changing world.

Rachel Phillips said...

I was looking at the church thinking it looks foreign, and see John said the same. I was also thinking "well that definitely isn't a Norfolk church". Funny how only around the corner in the next county a style of church can be so different.