Now, on to the matter at hand:
Fans of Brother Cadfael may remember Shrewsbury, home to the fictional medieval monk. It was because of the Brother Cadfael TV series that I wanted to see Shrewsbury. I was not disappointed. Although Derek Jacobi had resigned his monkhood to become Queen's Council to a young Sihk boy* in London, I decided to visit the medieval town anyway. *reference to the movie The Jury. Worth renting!!
wiki
County: Shropshire, nestled against Wales on its western border
Shrewsbury Abbey seen from the Abbey gardens
Yes, I could imagine Brother Cadfael tending his many healing herbs.
Yes, I could imagine Brother Cadfael tending his many healing herbs.
It was a bleak March day along the River Severn, which wends its way through Shrewsbury, making for one-way streets and confusing driving for the uninitiated. The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, and its source is in Powys (which rhymes with 'cow hiss,' I am told)* in the Cambrian Mountains of mid-Wales. It eventually empties into the Bristol Channel which empties into the Celtic Sea.
Massive columns of Shrewsbury Abbey Nave
Kevin at the tomb of Roger de Montgomerie, first Earl of Shrewsbury
Kevin at the tomb of Roger de Montgomerie, first Earl of Shrewsbury
Another tomb in Shrewsbury Abbey
A Mr. and Mrs. Jones (at least that's the name they gave!)
A Mr. and Mrs. Jones (at least that's the name they gave!)
Shrewsbury Abbey was founded by Roger de Montgomerie, one of William the Conqueror's main advisors, in AD 1074.
Lady Chapel
Look at that gorgeous ceiling!
Look at that gorgeous ceiling!
Shrewsbury Castle
Things would be much more beautiful in June or July, but in March the price is right.
And this beautiful, massive structure, the train station
Shrewsbury on a cloudy day
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
There is so much more of the countryside surrounding Shrewsbury that I would like to see. And I would love to go into Wales next time. The Welsh language is so intriguing with all its double consonants and long, unpronounceable words - like
*And just in case anyone was wondering, I wish life came with a pronunciation guide. It's one of my pet peeves: finding a name on a map or in a book - and not knowing how to pronounce it. Fortunately, it became less of a problem with the advent of Google. :-)
Have a great weekend! And BE SURE TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY!!
I never get tired of seeing those old structures and cathedrals! Stunningly beautiful.
ReplyDeleteLovely pictures...brings back so many wonderful memories.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful shots!!! Can you even imagine getting to live in one of those places? My oh my!!!
ReplyDeleteOn a completely unrelated topic: I have been doing a lot of wood stove research and thinking that when winter is over, we'll do better at finding a good price. Keith keeps asking me why I'm so interested in a wood burner (apart from the chimney which is pulling away from the house) and I just keep saying, "Well I have this blogger friend who has one...!"
ReplyDeleteHow fun to actually visit a place that you've become so familiar with through a character you followed in a series! I love your wonderful pictures so much. I actually took a few Welsh language classes back in 1990. It was a very hard language for me to learn. We moved shortly after I started so I had to give them up. Great post! Hope you have a wonderful weekend! Candace
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pics and great stories behind them. My Mom's family was from England though she was born here in the U.S.
ReplyDeleteWe never made it to Shrewsbury so I'm glad you took me there today. We used to always travel to the UK in March because of the afforable plane tickets too. An extra bonus was that the weather window was usually pretty good for some reason every year. I haven't been back this year so your post makes me really want to pack my bags.
ReplyDeleteJudy, I was a huge fan of Brother Cadfael when it was on BBC Mystery in Oregon. Your photos are just wonderful. It must have been wonderful to visit some of the sites mentioned in the series. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary
ReplyDeleteI never expected this post. I can only count on half a hand the number of times that I have been here. I first arrived by train (1985) and was blown away by the railway station building. I think it had something to do with the nearby centre of the Iron industry at the time. The last time I was here (2002), I stayed overnight to meet friends for a walking tour of the town. Unfortunately, it didn't involve the Abbey which was a shame and considering I passed it on the way to the B&B, I'm ashamed to say that I didn't even enter the building as the focus seemed to on the other side of the river. Next time.... (whenever that will be.... The charter rail company I use does trips every few years to Chester terminating at Shrewsbury, unfortunately there is more time available to spend in Chester).
ReplyDeleteI booked to go to North West Wales in May, time will tell if I make it to Llanfair PG !
Beautiful pictures! Your pictures always make me want to travel. You must have some amazing photo albums! I hope you are doing great! I will go enter your giveaway.
ReplyDeleteMama Hen
enjoyed this post.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous quaint little town, great pictures! I hanging on the edge of my seat, I simply most know the meaning and pronunciation of the word at the end of the post...I use the google pronunciation option OFTEN!!!!
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