More hidden gems from forgotten corners of Norfolk to come later.
Wednesday, June 01, 2011
Norfolk's Hidden Gems: Castle Acre - Pt.2
Yet more rambling round romantic ruins. Come with me into our spookily deserted little corner of Norfolk and let's get mediæval.
Not much left of it now but the remains are still bigger than the tiny village it once served.
Ooh! Ooh! Bits to climb up! Yay!
After the dissolution of the monasteries (which by all accounts were pretty dissolute places even before Henry dissolved them further), the Tudor landowner kept this part as his home. Want to come and explore it with me?
I could quite happily stick my big ol' reading chair under that window.
Some very un-monastic Tudor roses recently unearthed on what had become the bedroom ceiling.
More fabulous fenestration. Leaded lights are gorgeous but a bugger to clean.
The view from upstairs. Pretty depressing if you're a suddenly homeless monk but more heartening if you're the new Tudor landowner selling off all the decorative facing stonework for big bags of groats.
There are lots more rooms to explore but I've only got a certain amount of space so you'll have to come visit and explore them yourselves.
With all the facing stone gone the flint cores of the walls are gradually crumbling away. If you're coming to visit, better be quick.
And make sure you go to the loo before you visit as the old communal latrines have collapsed and are slightly breezy.
I love this shot. Late afternoon Autumn sunlight, a spiffy sky and gnarly old stone. Lovely.
So farewell from Castle Acre. Do come and explore the place yourself and cheer up the very lonely girl in the visitor centre shop.
More hidden gems from forgotten corners of Norfolk to come later.
More hidden gems from forgotten corners of Norfolk to come later.
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9 comments:
This is just the kind of house I've always wanted. I'm heartbroken not to be there at this moment.
It's pretty darned cold in the winter, Petrea. No heating. And you get weird architects and historians wandering through your rooms taking pictures. Plus, mowing those lawns is a full time job. I'd go for something smaller and warmer, though that big ol' bay window is tempting.
I wouldn't live there without the staff to manage it for me, of course. How silly of me not to mention it.
Another fascinating tour -- I love the windows and the archways. The ruins, the light and shadows make for excellent photos. It would be fun to roam around, take photos, and imagine what it may have looked like in the "olden dayes".
Hee hee, Petrea. Yes, it would be a lovely place to live with decent staff.
Ms.M: in the olden dayes it would have looked pretty much how Norwich Cathedral looks now. All monasteries and priories were built to a model in Norman times. The decoration might be different but the layout was the same: an enormous church (and I mean ENORMOUS; far bigger than parish churches) with a cloister to the south, a refectory, library, accommodation, etc. all laid out the same so that a monk from England, France or Germany could wake up in a strange monastery and instantly be able to find everything.
Back then, Norfolk was the richest place in England thanks to the wool trade and the landscape is littered with these things.
Very interesting! Thanks for the architectural and history info :)
Always a pleasure, Ms.M.
Thanks for the tour! Neat place for a Gothic novel. Is the place crowded with tourists usually?
Katherine, we keep our good sites hidden from the tourists. I have been to Castle Acre in all seasons of the year and I've never seen more than five other people (and they were with me).
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