Irene's Old UK Pages.

In Memory of Mack

The best dog ever.

03.02.2025

In Memory of Mack who will always live on in our hearts.

I'll miss him sneaking onto our bed in the middle of the night. Sometimes we didn't even realise he was there.

I'll miss his gentleness, his empathy and his friendly calm nature.

Mack, you will always be loved.

Catherine, Mack and the Kelpies.

Mark and Mack.

Mack loved the beach.

The whole family.

Catherine, Mark and Mack.

Mark and Mack.

The minions are here. - Callander.

On the River Teith. - Callander.

A visit with friends.

Peter, Catherine and Mack at the waterfront.

Catherine, Peter and Mack in front of the castle.

Waiting by the war memorial while I looked at the cathedral.

Plenty of seats for Peter in Culross.

Catherine and Mack by the River Allan.

Mack and the Kelpies.

Moth and Mack.

A meeting of minds and noses.

Catherine and Mack in Culross.

Cross the concrete bridge to loop back.

Catherine and Mack.

Mack doesn't like mud.

Small sandy beach.

Now the going is easier.

Bridge over Cock's Burn.

Catherine and Mack negotiating the mud.

They made it.

Catherine and Peter at the Bridge of Allan Brewery.

The walk goes through forests.

Catherine and Mack at Doune Ponds.

Doune Castle.

Catherine and Mack by the River Teith.

Catherine inside the abbey.

Mack watching a swan.

Catherine and Mack by the River Forth.

Sculpture to pose with.

Catherine with Mack.

Bear bench.

Catherine and Mack with a whale sculpture.

Me and Mack with a whale sculpture.

Farm animal sculptures.

Taking Mack the dog for a snowy walk.

Posted by irenevt 16:37 Archived in United Kingdom Comments (8)

Southend - London's Seaside Playground.

12.05.2019

Prittlewell Square. - Southend-on-Sea

Southend.

My husband is an obsessive Walsall F.C. supporter and every year when we return to the UK, he ends up going somewhere so that he can watch a match. If the somewhere is somewhere interesting, I tag along, we get a hotel room and see the town as well as the match. This year the somewhere Walsall were playing away from home was Southend. Neither of us had been to Southend before. It was a long journey to get there as we started out from Scotland. For the journey down we first travelled to Preston, overnighted there and then travelled down to London. We caught the train to Southend Victoria from Liverpool Street Station.

Busy beach on a sunny day. - Southend-on-Sea

Southend on Sea is a seaside resort town in Essex. It is located on the north side of the Thames Estuary about forty miles east of central London. In the summer it is a popular day trip location for Londoners and its beaches can get pretty busy indeed. Southend was originally the "south end" of the village of Prittlewell which was home to Prittlewell Priory. The land at the priory's south end, on the sea, was home to poor fishermen and farmers. Southend remained fairly undeveloped until the nineteenth Century when railway links between it and London were developed. In the same period the town's pier was constructed and the Clifftown area was created. Southend began to be a popular holiday destination. I found Southend to be a very pleasant place with beautiful views over the water, clean, fresh sea air, lots of parks and some interesting historical buildings. It has seven miles of beaches. The area along the longest stretch of beach is bordered by many pubs, restaurants, amusement arcades, shops etc. Although I had never been to Southend before it still brought back memories of the kind of seaside holidays I would go on when I was a child.

Here's where we stayed:

The Westcliff Hotel: Quiet Location.

We stayed in this hotel for one night. We arrived a little bit early, but were allowed to check in without problem. The receptionists were pleasant and friendly. Our room looked out over the Thames Estuary a very lovely view. The bed was comfortable enough.Tea and coffee making facilities were provided. Everything was clean and the room was comfortable. We slept well here. The hotel is in a reasonably quiet location but within easy walk to the centre of Southend. Check out was fine and this hotel should have been heading for a very good review, but a few days after our stay booking.com contacted us to say they would be charging us as a no show for this hotel. Well we had showed up and we had paid, so this meant paying twice. We contacted booking.com and the hotel and eventually got this sorted out. I know mistakes happen but this sort of mistake creates a very bad impression. We received an apology from the hotel and it read 'We apologize for any incontinence caused.' This also did not make a good impression on us. Perhaps we can blame it on predictive texting!! Hotel Westcliff on Sea, Southend on Sea Essex, England. Address: 1820 Westcliff Parade, Southend on Sea, SS0 7QW.

The Westcliff Hotel - Southend-on-Sea

Southend Pier.

Southend is famous for its pier which at 1.34 miles long is the longest pier in the world. Come on Dubai beat that! The pier was built to encourage visitors to come to Southend. Boats could not dock here at low tides, as the tide recedes more than a mile from the beach and so tourists bypassed Southend in favour of more accessible resorts, such as Margate. The pier allows ships to dock here in all tides. The earliest pier was made of wood, but this was later replaced by an iron pier. During the Second World War a royal navy ship, the SS Richard Montgommery, which was packed with explosives, sank near the pier. This ship is still visible at low tide and its cargo still poses a serious threat to passing ships and seafront areas. Southend Pier has suffered many calamities such as fires and being hit by passing ships. A train runs along the pier. We did not actually go on the pier due to lack of time, but apparently it has a museum, lifeboat station, cafe and gift shop.

Southend Pier

Southend Cliff Gardens.

We walked along Southend Cliff Gardens from the pier in order to get to our hotel. These steep gardens rise up behind one of Southend's beaches. There are many seats in the gardens where you can sit down and enjoy the lovely views out over the water. The gardens are also home to a statue of Queen Victoria and a war memorial. Because of staying in a hotel right next to the Cliff Gardens, we walked through them several times. The views out over the Thames Estuary were beautiful and always different depending on the time of day and whether it was high tide or low tide. I could have happily sat here for hours and many people seemed to do exactly that. As well as the lovely views, the sea air here was marvellous.

Southend Cliff Gardens

Views From Southend Cliff Gardens.

Southend Cliff Railway.

We noticed a rather dinky little funicular railway running between the Clifftop Gardens and the beach below. We did not have time to use it unfortunately. This railway is called the Southend Cliff Railway. It was constructed in 1912. It is currently owned and operated by the Museums Department of Southend. The funicular only has one cab which can carry twelve people at a time. The funicular is open daily during the summer months and runs between 10:00 and 17:00. It costs one pound return.

Southend Cliff Railway

Prittlewell Square.

Across the road from the Southend Cliff Gardens there is a lovely ornamental gardens known as Prittlewell Square. These are Southend's oldest surviving public gardens. As well as being filled with lots of colourful flowers, the gardens have a charming pond and fountain.

Prittlewell Square

Cliffs Pavilion.

Cliffs Pavilion was located very close to our hotel so we had a look at it. Cliffs Pavillion is a theatre which seats 1,630 people. This theatre offers a wide range of variety acts. Construction of Cliffs Pavilion began in the1930s, but was halted after the outbreak of World War 11. The site remained boarded up after the war until 1959 when work began on the present Cliffs Pavilion, which opened in 1964. There was an interesting statue outside the building and some restaurants nearby.

Cliffs Pavilion.

Beaches.

Apparently Southend has around seven miles of beaches. We walked along Three Shells Beach which is the busiest beach as it is located next to the pier and Adventureland. It is also just across the road from cafes, bars, restaurants, amusement arcades and shops. We also walked along the slightly quieter Jubilee Beach which was near the Kursaal and Sealife Adenture. From our walk along Southend Cliff Gardens we overlooked Westcliff Beach. The weather was fairly sunny during our stay and the beaches were busy. I assume they are very popular with day trippers from London. It was nice to see so many people enjoying the seaside and a brave few venturing into the water.

Beaches

The Kursaal.

Across from the beaches I noticed an interestingly shaped building called the kursaal. I assumed from its name, it had once been a health spa, but in fact it was one of the world's first purpose built amusement parks. This Grade II listed building first opened in1901 and originally contained a circus, a ballroom, an arcade, a dining hall and a billiard room. The Kursaal declined in the early 1970s. First the outdoor amusements closed, then the main building closed down all together in 1986. In 1998, after a multimillion pound redevelopment the main Kursaal building reopened. It now contains a bowling alley and a casino.

The Kursaal

Southchurch Park.

Southchurch Park is a pleasant park with a large duck pond, rose gardens and a cricket ground. There was a cricket match taking place when I got there. I watched it for a while and later sat by the duck pond, letting the world pass me by. Very nice on a sunny afternoon.

Southchurch Park

The Church Of Saint John The Baptist.

I came across the Church of Saint John the Baptist as I was wandering around. It looked quite nice, but was not open. There was a large graveyard around it. This church was consecrated in 1842. Several famous people are buried here. Information about them is shown on the photo of the information plaque.

The Church Of Saint John The Baptist

Southchurch Hall.

I love old buildings so was very keen to visit Southchurch Hall. Southchurch Hall is a Grade I Listed Medieval moated house. This building dates from the fourteenth century, though it was extended and altered in Tudor times and in the 1930s. The building was home to farming families and was still used as a family home till the 1920s. When we visited, the upstairs of the building was closed for restoration. Downstairs we could visit the kitchen, the main hall and two smaller rooms called the north and south solar. Entry to Southchurchall is free and there is a gift shop and toilets inside.

Southchurch Hall

Southchurch Hall Park.

Southchurch Hall is surrounded by gardens which are now a public park. We just had a quick look at them as we had to go catch our train and leave. There was quite a large pond there filled with very attractive sunbathing turtles. The gardens would originally have been farmland.

Southchurch Hall Park

The Civic Centre And Its Fountain.

The first thing we did when we arrived in Southend was to go looking for the football ground so my husband could find it easily at match time. On our way there the first interesting site we passed was the Civic Centre and its fountain. This was designed by sculptor Bill Mitchell. For inspiration he used the Southend coat of arms and motto 'Per mare, per ecclesiam'. An inscription on the fountain reads: 'This is what it looks like when the figures in the Southend crest by the church and by the sea, take off their belts, put down their swords and fountains of water come out of their mouths. ' We found the coat of arms on the door of the nearby civic centre. I rather liked this fountain and the idea of reworking the coat of arms in such a playful way.

The Civic Centre And Its Fountain

The Churchill Gardens.

A bit further on from the civic centre we came to the Churchill Gardens. These gardens were created by Mr Frank Scheerboom. He was the owner of the Express Laundry in Southend, and together with his wife lived in the laundry grounds. He bought the land behind his house which was originally a sand pit. Then in 1951 Mr Scheerboom called in landscape gardener, Ian Walker, to convert the sandpit into gardens. After ten happy years enjoying his gardens, Mr Scheerboom died in1961 and his widow carried on maintaining the laundry and the gardens. Then in 1964 she sold them to the Southend Corporation. The Scheerboom's house and laundry have been demolished, but the beautiful gardens remain open to the public. The gardens were officially opened on 4th May 1966 by the Lord Lieutenant of Essex Sir John Ruggles Brise. We stopped here to eat our breakfast/lunch before continuing on our way. The gardens were peaceful and filled with lots of highly active squirrels.

The Churchill Gardens.

The Church Of Saint Mary The Virgin Prittlewell.

At the far end of the Churchill Gardens, just across the road, we saw the lovely Church of Saint Mary the Virgin. Apparently there has been a church on this site for more than a thousand years. It is believed that a small chapel once stood on the site of the present church as far back as the seventh century. The church grew in size and importance over time. However, in the reign of Henry VIII, at the time of the Reformation, much of the church's income and assets were seized. During the Second World War, Saint Mary's suffered blast damage. We went inside the church only to find it was being prepared for a wedding. However, as the wedding had not started, we were able to look around. I was impressed by the church's stain glass windows. They were quite unusual, not all of them were religious some depicted local scenes. There is a well cared for graveyard around the outside of the church.

The Church Of Saint Mary The Virgin - Prittlewell.

Southend Football Club.

Southend Football Club's grounds are not far from St Mary's Church. Southend are known as the blues. I liked the sense of humour shown on the outside of the club. I did not go and watch the match. I explored Southend while Peter was at the football. Walsall won, so he was happy. There was a nice atmosphere at the match and some pubs on route had signs inviting Walsall fans in for a drink. A bit different from Wetherspoon's, Wolverhampton with its home supporters only sign at the door!

Southend Football Club.

Prittlewell Priory.

A little further on from the football ground we reached Priory Park and Prittlewell Priory. Prittlewell Priory was founded in the twelfth century by monks from the Cluniac Priory of St Pancras. It was a small monastery only housing around 18 monks. The Cluniac Order were largely a silent order and developed sign language for communicating. In the sixteenth century, during the reformation and dissolution of the monasteries, much of the building was destroyed. After that time Prittlewell Priory became a private residence. The last family to live here were the Scrattons in the nineteenth century. When they lived here, the house had thirteen bedrooms. Some of their possessions and paintings are on display inside the priory. In 1917 the building was purchased by Robert A. Jones, a local jeweller and philanthropist. He donated it to the City Council and in May 1922 it opened as Southend's first museum. In 2011 the priory buildings were refurbished and the construction of a new Visitor Centre was begun. Entry to the priory is free. The building is a mixture of priory, private home and museum. Two of the downstairs rooms tell the story of the Scratton family. Also downstairs is the monks' refectory hall with displays about life in the priory. There is also part of an old cellar. Upstairs has displays about the wildlife found in Priory Park.

Prittlewell Priory

Priory Park.

Priory Park was originally the grounds of Prittlewell Priory. It is now a lovely public park. To enter the park you pass through some rather ornate gates. There is a large grassy area in front of you and off to the right there are the priory's former fishing ponds which are still fished by local anglers today. As you near the priory, the gardens become very beautiful and flower filled. There is a rose garden and a flower filled walled garden which was a kitchen garden when the Scrattons occupied the house and a burial ground when the building was a priory.

Priory Park

Graffitti.

As I was wandering I passed this derelict building with paintings on it. I recognize the scenes from Porridge with Ronnie Barker and Richard Beckinsale, but I am not sure what the others are. No idea who painted them there or why.

Graffitti

Sunsets.

As we walked back to our hotel after dinner, the sun was just beginning to set. It was peaceful and quite romantic down at the beach a far cry from the earlier crowds, though just across the road from the beach for many the party had just begun.

Sunset Over The Beach

On our journey down too Southend on Sea we spent a night in Preston. Our hotel was close to the memorial below.

The Martyrs' Memorial, Preston.

We noticed this interesting monument in front of the corn exchange pub in Preston when we visited recently. It commemorates those who died during the Preston Strike and Lune Street Riot which took place in Preston on the 12th and 13th of August 1842. These riots were part of the 1842 General Strike which was prompted by the depression of 1841 to 1842. During that time cotton mill workers' wages were cut by more than twenty-five percent. Preston officials, such as the Mayor Samuel Horrocks and several mill owners, together with 30 soldiers and members of the police confronted the rioters who began throwing stones at them. Mayor Samuel Horrocks read the Riot Act. When the crowd did not disperse, the military opened fire, shooting at least eight men. The rioters then fled. Four men were killed in the shooting: John Mercer, aged 27 of Ribbleton Lane, Preston, William Lancaster, aged 25 of Blackburn, George Sowerbutts, aged 19 of Chandler Street, Preston and Bernard McNamara, aged 17 of Birk Street, Preston. The public were shocked and outraged by the killings. A memorial in memory of the cotton workers was unveiled on Lune Street on 13th August 1992, the 150th anniversary of the shooting. The memorial was designed by the British artist Gordon Young.

The Martyrs' Memorial, Preston.

Posted by irenevt 07:15 Archived in England Comments (2)

Ride a cock horse to .... Banbury.

12.05.2019

The fine lady statue. - Banbury

Beautiful Banbury.

I have passed through Banbury by bus quite a few times without ever really seeing it. Therefore, this summer since we were spending a couple of nights in Coventry, we decided to go through to Banbury for the day. We went there by train. Banbury is, of course, famous for the children's nursery rhyme 'Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross, to see a fine lady upon a white horse.' Naturally, we sought out the statue and cross commemorating this rhyme. We also visited a very beautiful church, walked through the colourful streets of the old town, ate Banbury cakes and had a look at the canal. All in all Banbury is a very pleasant and friendly town with quite a bit to go and see. Banbury is a market town situated on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire. It has a population of around 47,000.

Banbury Cross.

We first headed across Banbury till we reached its famous cross where we had a look at the statue of a fine lady on horseback. She is mentioned in the famous children's rhyme:

Ride a cockhorse to Banbury Cross,
To see a fine lady upon a white horse;
Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
She shall have music wherever she goes.

The fine lady on the horse is sculpted to represent the Queen of the May and is covered with symbols of spring such as wild roses, daffodils, bluebells, frogs. Next to the fine lady statue in the middle of a busy roundabout is Banbury Cross itself. Banbury once had several crosses. This one was erected by the people of Banbury in 1859 to celebrate the marriage of Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter. There were hobbyhorses around this, because Banbury holds a Hobby Horse Festival on the first weekend of July. The Hobby Horse Festival involves a parade of Hobby Horse “beasts” through the town and Hobby Horse races in People’s Park which is close to the cross area.

The fine lady statue. - Banbury

Banbury Cross with hobby horses. - Banbury

Banbury Cross - Banbury

The fine lady upon a white horse. - Banbury

St Mary's Church.

Saint Mary's Church is close to Banbury Cross. It is an unusual looking building and it is very beautiful inside. The church is shared by the Church of England and the United Reformed Church. The present church building is late Georgian and was built in the last decade of the eighteenth Century and consecrated in September 1797. Jonathan Swift hints in the preface to his famous book 'Gulliver’s Travels' that he had taken the name of Gulliver from tombstones in the Churchyard at Banbury.

St Mary's Church - Banbury

Banbury Old Town.

We had a wander around Banbury Old Town. Its streets are filled with shops and pubs. There is a big market square. It was pretty and a lot of the streets were decorated with banners. We passed 'Ye Olde Reine Deer' Banbury's oldest pub.

Banbury Old Town - Banbury

Street Art in the old town. - Banbury

Banbury Town Hall. - Banbury

Castle Quay Shopping Centre.

Castle Quay Shopping Centre is located on the site of the old Banbury Castle on the banks of the Oxford Canal. Inside you will find Marks & Spencer, Gap, W H Smiths, Thorntons, River Island, Debenhams and HMV among others. The main entrance to Banbury Museum is in here, too.

Castle Quay Shopping Centre. - Banbury

The Oxford Canal.

When we exited the Castle Quay Shopping Centre, we found ourselves on the Oxford Canal. We strolled along it for a couple of minutes and came to Tooley's Historic Boatyard which is now a museum. We did not have time to visit this. The canal had lots of houseboats on it and was pleasant for a stroll. The Oxford Canal is a seventy-eight mile long canal, linking Oxford with Coventry via Banbury and Rugby.

The Oxford Canal - Banbury

The Oxford Canal. - Banbury

Tooley's Historic Boatyard. - Banbury

Sun symbols.

Banbury has a sun on its coat of arms. We saw the sun symbol in many different places as we wandered around. For example on banks, plant holders, Banbury Cross, the old town. Banbury's motto is 'DOMINUS NOBIS SOL ET SCUTUM'. The Lord is our sun and shield.

The Banbury Sun. - Banbury

Banbury Cakes.

While wandering around the old town we saw several bakeries selling Banbury cakes, so we had to try some. Banbury cake is a spiced, currant filled, flat oval pastry cake. Banbury cakes have been made in Banbury according to secret recipes since 1586. They were first made by Edward Welchman, whose shop was on Parsons Street. They were actually delicious. We bought some for family and friends and they all liked them.

Banbury Cakes. - Banbury

Posted by irenevt 01:53 Archived in England Comments (2)

Stoke - Home of British Pottery.

12.05.2019

Factory Scene From Museum - Stoke-upon-Trent

Stoke on Trent .

Stoke on Trent is one of those British towns with an industrial past that has tried to reinvent itself. I liked it and enjoyed the way it celebrated its past. Stoke on Trent is famous for pottery and at one time made the finest pottery in Britain. It is actually made up of six towns: Tunstall, Burslem, Hanley, Stoke, Fenton and Longton. We went there because my husband wanted to watch the Walsall/Port Vale game. He was originally just travelling down from Scotland to see the match and coming back the same day, but I persuaded him to take me with him and get a room for the night, so I could explore some of the pottery related sights.

We kept finding street pianos all over the UK. - Stoke-upon-Trent

I enjoyed everything I went to see but did not see that much as most of the museums etc closed early, so with just one day there I could not possibly visit everything. I started at the Stoke Museum and Art Gallery in Hanley which was excellent, then visited the Spode Pottery factory now a museum. I also visited Stoke Minster Cathedral and the park.

During our recent visit to Arita - a pottery town in Kyushu, Japan - our guide at the ceramics museum was very excited to learn that Peter came from near Stoke on Trent.

We stayed in the hotel below:

North Stafford Hotel: Pleasant Stay.

We stayed here for one night in August 2014. We read lots of negative reviews of the hotel before going here, but really found it fine. Our visit did not start well. We tried to check in about an hour early but could not, though they did offer to store our luggage for us. I was fearful the hotel would be noisy as there were two weddings on there during our stay, but our room was perfectly quiet. I guess it just depends which part of the hotel you are put in. The hotel is just opposite Stoke Station. There is a statue of Josiah Wedgewood in front of it. It is quite an interesting historic building. Our room was clean and comfortable. I am sure many people would describe it as dated. Personally that sort of thing does not bother me in the slightest. It was clean and our room was quiet. Tea and coffee was provided in the room. Free wifi only worked in the lobby and bar, not in the room. Checkout was fine. Staff were reasonably pleasant. We did not eat breakfast here. Stoke has lots of interesting museums, factory tours related to the potteries and we thought it was quite an interesting place. Address: Station Rd, Winton Square, Stoke on Trent.

Here are some of the sights I visited:

The Stoke Museum And Art Gallery.

This museum is located in Hanley. Entry is free. On the ground floor among other things it has some of the items from the Staffordshire Hoard. Due to lack of time I did not visit this. I concentrated on the first floor which was all about pottery. The exhibits here were interesting with some sections devoted to particularly famous pottery producers such as Wedgewood, Spode, Minton. Other sections focused on particular types of items such as toby jugs, statues of famous figures. There was even a section on murderers. Apparently in the past people used to buy figures of famous murderers, their victims, the scene of the crime and sometimes even the place of execution of the guilty party. One section was a huge collection of cow shaped milk jugs. As well as pottery plates and figures, there were also tiles. I found the museum very interesting and would strongly recommend a visit there.

The Stoke Museum And Art Gallery

The Former Spode Factory.

The Former Spode Factory now houses a little museum and an exhibition gallery. I liked the fact it was set on a real former factory. As well as pottery items the museum contained pottery moulds and some machinery so you could get an idea of pottery techniques. Josiah Spode got this site on Church Street, Stoke in 1776 and built his factory here. Spode wares were made here continuously until as late as 2008. In the nineteenth Century this factory was one of the two largest potteries in Staffordshire. It had 22 bottle ovens and employed around a thousand people. I am very glad the site is still being used rather than being demolished as it is part of Stoke's heritage and used to make some of the finest pottery in the world. I noticed there were several members of the Spode Family buried in Stoke Minster Churchyard.

The Former Spode Factory

Stoke Minster Cathedral.

This looked like a lovely church, but as there was a wedding going on when I visited, I could not go inside. In the graveyard I found the tomb of Josiah Wedgewood near the arches of the old ruined church. There was also a burial plot for the Spode family, including the famous Josiah Spode. Stoke Minster Church is around 1,300 years old. As the official church site points out, it was founded around the time the Staffordshire Hoard was buried. The church still has its Anglo Saxon stone font and the remains of a carved Saxon preaching cross. Stoke Minster is dedicated to St. Peter in Chains.

Stoke Minster Cathedral

Josiah Wedgewood.

Josiah Wedgewood's statue has pride of place outside Stoke Station in front of the North Stafford Hotel. Josiah Wedgewood lived from 1730 to 1795. He is credited with the industrialization of pottery. His factory stood in Etruria in Stoke. He was a staunch abolitionist against slavery. He created the "Am I Not a Man And a Brother?" anti-slavery medallion. He was the grandfather of Charles Darwin.

Josiah Wedgewood

Sculpture Trail.

Stoke has plenty of modern sculptures, too. From the station I picked up a sculpture trail leaflet, though I did not have time to follow it and only came across a few of them. Still given more time I like the idea of tracking them all down.

Sculpture Trail

Posted by irenevt 00:51 Archived in England Comments (0)

Lichfield - The Field of Corpses.

11.05.2019

Gargoyle, Lichfield Cathedral. - Lichfield

Lichfield.

I first visited Lichfield many years ago when I was visiting my boyfriend, later to be husband, in the West Midlands. I remember thinking it was a lovely historical town and I remember visiting the birthplace of Samuel Johnson and Lichfield's magnificent cathedral. For years every time we went to Walsall I would say to my husband, we should visit Lichfield again. Well, I think it took us around twenty-eight years but at last in the summer of 2014, we finally made it. We visited Tudor Row, the Church of St Mary, the market, Samuel Johnson's birthplace, the cathedral and several parks. I still think it is a lovely city and don't intend to wait so long before my next visit.

St Mary's Church.

St Mary's Church is located in the historic centre of Lichfield next to the market. The current church dates from 1870 though there have been other churches on this site since the twelfth century. In the 1980s this church took on a variety of new roles as a tourist information centre, a cafe, a heritage museum. The church still holds religious services in a small chapel at its northern end. This chapel has lovely stain glass windows and beautiful paintings.

St Mary's Church. - Lichfield

The Annunciation. - Lichfield

Market and Statues.

There is a bustling market next to St Mary's Church in Lichfield. Personally, I especially liked the pottery stall. Market Square is right next to the birthplace of Samuel Johnson and contains a statue of Johnson and a statue of his lifelong friend and biographer James Boswell.

Samuel Johnson visits the market. - Lichfield

James Boswell in front of St Mary's Church. - Lichfield

The Birthplace of Samuel Johnson.

Samuel Johnson was born in Lichfield in 1709. His father, Michael Johnson, was a book seller and the ground floor of the house Johnson was born in was his father's bookshop. Now the whole house is a free entry museum. It covers five floors. There is a kitchen in the basement, a bookshop and display rooms on the ground floor. One of the rooms upstairs plays a video about Johnson's life. There is the room Johnson was born in and the room where he created his famous dictionary. Johnson's 'A Dictionary of the English Language' was published in 1755. It took Johnson nine years to compile it and it was hugely influential. Johnson lived in this house for the first twenty-seven years of his life and frequently returned here until his death in 1784.

The Birthplace of Samuel Johnson - Lichfield

Lichfield Cathedral.

The most famous building in Lichfield is Lichfield Cathedral. Lichfield Cathedral is an extremely beautiful building with three distinctive spires. The facade of the building is covered with images of saints and fearsome gargoyles and even a statue of King Charles II. Lichfield Cathedral is dedicated to Saint Chad. Chad became Bishop of Mercia in 669 and moved his See to Lichfield. After Chad's death in 672 many pilgrims began to come to his shrine. In 700 Bishop Hedda built a new church to house Chad's bones. Over time this church was continually changing. First from a Saxon church to a Norman Cathedral. Then from a Norman Cathedral to a Gothic one. Lichfield Cathedral was severely damaged during the English Civil War. In the 1660s it was restored by Bishop Hacket. Later Sir George Gilbert Scott restored the cathedral between 1855 and 1878. The cathedral has wonderful stain glass windows and beautiful carvings. In its treasury you can find some items from the Staffordshire hoard and the beautiful Lichfield Angel.

The Lichfield Angel was discovered in 2003 when the cathedral floor was being dug up. It is one half of a carved limestone panel, and has been dated to around 800 A.D. The angel is believed to be the Archangel Gabriel and is thought to be part of an annunciation scene. The missing half would show the Virgin Mary. The panel is likely to have been part of the Shrine of Saint Chad.

The Staffordshire Hoard is the largest stache of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork ever found. It contains of over 3,500 items, most of them military in nature. The hoard dates from the seventh century. It was found in a field near Lichfield in 2009. It is on display in several different museums and cathedrals.

Lichfield Cathedral's distinctive three spires. - Lichfield

Lichfield Cathedral - Lichfield

Gargoyle, Lichfield Cathedral. - Lichfield

The Lichfield Angel - Lichfield

Stowe Pool.

Stowe Pool is not far from the cathedral. Stowe Pool dates from the 11th century when a dam and mill were constructed across Leamonsley Brook. Nowadays Stowe Pool is a pleasant place for a stroll. The Church of St Chad is located on the pool. This church dates from the twelfth century.

Stowe Pool. - Lichfield

St Chad's Church - Lichfield

Minster Pool.

Minster Pool is a pretty pond near Lichfield Cathedral. At one end of it you can find speakers' corner. There are views towards the spires of the cathedral from here.

Minster Pool - Lichfield

The Garden of Remembrance.

This is a very pleasant garden with an attractive war memorial and excellent views of the cathedral. It is next to Minster Pond.

The Garden of Remembrance - Lichfield

The House of Erasmus Darwin.

Erasmus Darwin House is close to Lichfield Cathedral. It is now a museum and herb garden. Dr Erasmus Darwin was a scientist, doctor, inventor, poet, botanist. He was the grandfather of Charles Darwin.

House of Erasmus Darwin. - Lichfield

Museum Gardens.

Museum Gardens opened as a public park in 1859. It is a pretty park with a fountain - Chancellor Law's Fountain and several interesting statues. The statues include Erasmus Darwin, John Smith the Captain of the Titanic and King Edward VII.

Edward John Smith, RD was born on 27th January 1850 in Hanley, Staffordshire. He was a British naval officer who served as master on several White Star Line vessels. He was captain of the ill-fated RMS Titanic which sank on its maiden voyage. He went down with his ship and died on 15th April 1912.

Chancellor Law’s Fountain was donated in 1871 by J.T. Law, the diocesan Chancellor. The figures of the lions round the fountain were given by Sir Richard Cooper, a city alderman in the late 1880's.

The statue of Kind Edward VII was presented in 1908 by Robert Bridgeman, Sheriff of Lichfield. It represents the city’s loyalty to Kind Edward VII .

Captain of the Titanic - Lichfield

Fountain - Lichfield

The fountain - Lichfield

King Edward VII and library - Lichfield

Beacon Park.

Beacon Park is a huge green expanse near museum gardens with a lot of sporting facilities. It was a popular place to visit on a sunny day. One of the things we visited there was the Martys' Plaque. in the fourth century A.D. during the reign of the Roman Emperor, Diocletion, large numbers of Christians were massacred by a Roman army in a field near present day Lichfield. Their bodies were left unburied in a place that would become known as the ‘Field of Corpses.’ Lichfield may mean 'Field of the Dead.'

Beacon Park - Lichfield

Cathedral from park. - Lichfield

Beacon Park, Martyr's Plaque - Lichfield

Beacon Park - Martyr's Plaque Seal - Lichfield

The Garrick Theatre.

The Garrick Theatre in Lichfield is called after famous British actor David Garrick, who lived in Lichfield and for a time studied there as a pupil of Samuel Johnson. It is modern theatre with a 530 seats auditorium and a 140 seat studio. It offers a wide variety of different performances. There is also a cafe inside.

The Garrick Theatre. - Lichfield

Tudor Row.

Tudor Row is an attractive shopping street which links Bore Street to Wade Street and thus links Lichfield's old and new towns. Tudor Row was very colourful and all decorated with bunting during our visit.

Tudor Row - Lichfield