English Heritage Members' Magazine

Bridge to the past MAY 2018

The landmark walkway planned for Tintagel

Step into the arena at our new action-packed Clash of the Romans events

PLUS INSIDE CORBRIDGE ROMAN TOWN’S NEW-LOOK MUSEUM

WHERE TO FIND OUR MOST MAGNIFICENT MEDIEVAL CASTLES

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Welcome Get in touch

W www.english-heritage.org.uk/members E membersmagazine@immediate.co.uk T 0370 333 1181 PO Box 569, Swindon, SN2 2YP For English Heritage Luke Whitcomb, Johanna Lovesey, Jeremy Ashbee, Tersia Boorer, Tony Dike, Rebecca Thompson, Peter D’Ambrosio For Immediate Media Co. Group editor Matt Havercroft Art editor Sam Freeman Group production editor Oliver Hurley Account manager Joanne Robinson Senior account executive Georgina Luton Director Julie Williams Editorial director Dan Linstead Design director Will Slater Consultant editor Dave Musgrove Senior brand sales executives Sophie Mills-Thomas and Harriet Dann E harriet.dann@immediate.co.uk T 0117 300 8515 Contributors John Watkins, Chris Beardshaw, Nick Redmayne, Jo Caird, Heather Sebire, Jeremy Ashbee, Emily Parker, Louise Tickle, Jenny Davie, Michael Hunter, Lindy Grant English Heritage Members’ Magazine is published on behalf of English Heritage by Immediate Media Co, Tower House, Fairfax Street, Bristol, BS1 3BN, UK T +44 (0)117 927 9009 W www.immediate.co.uk

Support us

Our work depends increasingly on the income generated through membership and donations, and we are incredibly grateful to those who already support us. This support helps in so many ways: from opening our historic places for all to visit, to conserving the objects and buildings in our care, to involving others in our work through volunteering and community opportunities. To discover more about what your support helps us to achieve, make a donation or find out how to leave a gift to English Heritage in your will, please visit www.englishheritage.org.uk/support-us or call the fundraising team on 020 7973 3797.

English Heritage cares for more than 400 historic monuments, buildings and places – from worldfamous prehistoric sites to grand medieval castles, and from Roman forts on the edges of the empire to Cold War bunkers. Through these we bring the Story of England to life for more than 10 million visitors each year.

January to December 2017: 411,524

Registered charity no. 1140351 (England) Registered company no. 07447221 (England) Product code: 200442

W

e are fortunate to be the custodians of many of England’s most spectacular castles, but which should you visit first? We put the question to head properties curator Jeremy Ashbee and you can find his recommendations – and reasons – on page 30.

During a visit to many of our castles and forts you will undoubtedly come across some of our 413 cannons and guns – all of which undergo annual checks, with full conservation work conducted on those requiring it. To see this important work in action, we joined our team on the Isles of Scilly as they set their sights on two cannons at Woolpack Battery on St Mary’s. To ensure projects such as this can go ahead we’ve launched a new Save our Cannons appeal (see page 45).

Over the May bank holiday and half-term break don’t miss our programme of exciting national and Members’ exclusive events – details of which you can find in your Events Guide. Thank you for your support.

Kate Mavor Chief Executive

Contributors

Jeremy Ashbee Head properties curator

Emily Parker Landscape advisor

Heather Sebire Senior property curator

To celebrate our collection of castles and their enduring stories, we asked Jeremy to nominate his favourite fortresses. Turn to page 30 to discover where he recommends and why

On the 200th anniversary of the death of landscape gardener extraordinaire Humphry Repton, Emily reveals his role in shaping the spectacular gardens at Kenwood in London.

Read more on page 36

As we celebrate the centenary of Stonehenge being gifted to the nation, Heather reveals the secret graffiti that were etched into its stones – and the famous Briton who left them behind – on page 26

www.english-heritage.org.uk

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Contents May 2018

40 ‘CONSERVING OUR GUNS MATTERS BECAUSE EACH ONE HELPS TO TRACK THE ADVANCES IN ARTILLERY’

F E AT U R E S

13

Are you in?

20

36

How we can help you to make the most of your membership in 2018

Tintagel Castle bridge

The project to reconnect Tintagel’s island and mainland wards in Cornwall

Humphry Repton at Kenwood

14

26

40

Meet the expert

Chris Beardshaw on recreating history at Mount Grace Priory in North Yorkshire

16

Corbridge Roman Town

The new exhibition showcasing Corbridge’s collection in Northumberland

Close-up: Wren graffiti

Discover the story of Stonehenge’s secret graffiti, left by a famous visitor

30

Fantastic fortresses

Head properties curator Jeremy Ashbee reveals the castles everyone needs to see

How the famous landscape gardener shaped the Kenwood estate in London

Cannon conservation

We join the team tasked with rescuing two historic cannons on the Isles of Scilly

58

Past lives: Eleanor of Aquitaine

How a former English queen came to be imprisoned at Old Sarum in Wiltshire

REGULARS

06

06

The big picture

Get ready to enter the arena at our new Clash of the Romans events

08

Then & now

Our latest news, including a new way to discover the story of Stonehenge Front cover: Roman re-enactors go head-to-head in our new Clash of the Romans events

55

12

Competition

Win a luxury hotel break in the historic university city of Oxford

57

20 questions

Put your knowledge of our castle history to the test with our latest quiz

Photograph: Robert Smith

20

YO U R E N G L I S H H E R I TA G E

47

How does Blippar work?

Discover a whole new world through your phone’s camera by Blipping this issue of your Members’ Magazine.

My experience

How English Heritage inspired Member Katherine Ashby to become a knight

49

Over to you

47

1 Visit the app store and download Blippar to your device

2 Look for this symbol on pages that have Blippable content

3 Launch Blippar and fill the screen with the page you wish to Blip

4 The page comes to life, giving you access to additional content

Your letters and views on the magazine and all things English Heritage

51

Ask the experts

Your questions answered by our experts across English Heritage

53

Members’ events

We reveal the top five Memberexclusive events to put in your diary

www.english-heritage.org.uk

5

THE BIG PICTURE

Clash of the Romans First came the Clash of the Knights events – our all-action contests in which teams of knights on horseback battle it out at our properties – and now we’re heading even further back in time to transport you to the Roman gladiatorial arena in our new Clash of the Romans events. Prepare to be amazed as two teams of Roman soldiers fight to fend off their foes. With muscle and mastery, they’ll exchange blows with swords and shields, and showcase their prowess at archery and spear-throwing. For more details and to book your place on the Roman ringside, head over to www.english-heritage.org.uk/events

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english-heritage.org.uk www.english-heritage.org.uk

www.english-heritage.org.uk

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Then&Now Keep up to date with the latest news, sites and developments

EVENTS

Centenary celebration events bring the Stonehenge story to life xperts will shed fresh light on the story of Stonehenge in Wiltshire in a series of lectures. These are taking place as part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the monument being donated to the nation by Cecil and Mary Chubb. The talks will cover recent research on the site, new excavations and the latest theories about life in the Neolithic period.

The programme of events has a particular focus on the last 100 years of care, conservation and understanding at Stonehenge. The next lecture, which takes place on 13 June, highlights major excavations that took place in the 1920s and 1950s, along with new excavations nearby that are revealing even more about the ancient landscape.

The series of lectures continues until November, with topics that also include the food that fed

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www.english-heritage.org.uk

Heavy going Using a system of rollers and ropes, Members were able to experience what was needed to move Stonehenge’s enormous stones. Groups of 40 to 50 people moved a stone along the ground before helping to erect it into a pre-dug hole.

the builders of Stonehenge, and the monument’s military connections during the First World War. Full details can be found via the link below.

Meanwhile, as part of ongoing events to mark the centenary, some Members recently had the chance to understand more about how Stonehenge was built – by moving and raising a four-tonne stone, similar in size and shape to the bluestones used in the monument itself.

‘There have been various experiments with moving stones in the past,’ says senior historian Susan Greaney. ‘But what was so exciting about this project is that it gave our Members and visitors the chance to step into the shoes of the people who brought the stones here and erected them thousands of years ago.’ www.english-heritage.org.uk/stonehenge100

NEWS

YO U R S AY

GARDENS

Historic Belsay gardens to be rejuvenated

Members reveal their favourite English Heritage castles

The gardens at Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens in Northumberland will be revived as part of a £3.5m project that is due to start in summer 2019.

Thanks to initial support for National Lottery funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, there are plans for extensive work to take place to rejuvenate the 20 acres of gardens, conserve the Old Stables and repair the hall’s roof.

‘The gardens will benefit from restoration work to their picturesque-style landscape, rejuvenating the plant collection and opening up new areas to visitors,’ says Andrea Selley, our historic properties director for the North. Phased completion of the work is due to take place in 2020 and 2021. www.english-heritage.org.uk/belsay

Standing on a rocky promontory, Dunstanburgh Castle in Northumberland is truly dramatic.

Talking to the warden proved very enjoyable too.

Mike Francis,York

We love Brougham Castle in Cumbria.

It’s a stunning ruin and the perfect place for a summer picnic.

There are so many hidden parts of the castle to explore.

Donna Ellwood, Penrith

87 The number of days that Publius Helvius Pertinax reigned as Roman Emperor in AD193.

A bust thought to be of him is at Lullingstone Roman Villa. www.english-heritage.org.uk/ lullingstone

IN NUMBERS

250,000 £4,250

The number of bobbins produced each week at its peak by Stott Park Bobbin Mill on the shores of Lake Windermere in Cumbria. www.english-heritage.org. uk/stottpark

The amount paid by eminent surgeon Sir George Buckston Browne to purchase the Home of Charles Darwin – Down House in Kent in 1927. www.english-heritage.org.uk/ downhouse

I NTE RV I E W

AT T R A C T I O N

Q&A: Diana Holford on how visitors will be transported to the frontline at Dover Castle’s WWII Weekend in Kent

Meet Carisbrooke Castle’s new donkey

What does your role entail?

As the event manager, it is my job to decide what the event is going to consist of and to arrange all of the elements, from the performers to the schedules and the logistics.

How long does it take to plan the event?

It’s always in my mind but getting things booked in starts around six months ahead of when the event takes place, which this year is on 27–29 May. What will visitors experience on the day?

We immerse the whole site in Second World War performers and re-enactors. We have a

A new donkey at Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight has been named Juno following a public vote on the castle’s Facebook page. Equine fans were asked to select from five options, which all began with the letter ‘J’. The tradition was started after Charles I always signed his letters with a ‘J’ while imprisoned at Carisbrooke in the 17th century. Juno is one of four donkeys who provide demonstrations of the wheel, which is over 430 years old and was used to raise water from the castle’s well. It is thought the job was originally performed by prisoners. www.english-heritage.org.uk/carisbrooke

home-front display, vehicles and a mapping room.

We also have a 1940s beauty parlour, music performances, and German and British camps.

How does the event tie in with Dover Castle’s role in the Second World War? We make sure we can welcome as many people as we can on the tours of the Secret Wartime Tunnels, and there are references from our performers about Dover’s role in the war as well.

If you had to select one highlight of the event, what would it be?

It would have to be the main battle display, with pyrotechnics and replica gun fire. It’s the only time of year you see that kind of big spectacle at Dover from the more modern era. www.english-heritage.org.uk/dover

www.english-heritage.org.uk

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13/03/2018 13:01

IN MY VIEW John Watkins Head of gardens and landscape

H I S TO RY

NEWS IN BRIEF

The original royal romances that helped to shape the history of our sites

GWR names trains after English Heritage sites

GWR has named a fleet of its trains after a number of English Heritage properties.

The trains, which will run between Cardiff and Exeter, and Plymouth and Penzance, have all been named after castles, and will begin rolling out later this year.

It is my job to tell England’s garden story not only through the layout of our gardens, but also through how plants are presented. Our gardeners require an intimate knowledge of their gardens’ history, what plants were grown and how they were used. Some gardens are planted to represent the fashions and available plants at a particular time. For instance, the Elizabethan garden at Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire was originally created in 1575 to delight Elizabeth I, while exotic spring bulbs have been planted at Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire in a manner fashionable in the early 17th century, at the height of tulip mania. We recently rejuvenated the gardens at Mount Grace Priory in North Yorkshire, including the 14thcentury monk’s cell garden, where plants were grown to supplement the monks’ diet.

All these gardens help to demonstrate how garden design and use of plants has evolved.

But, for me, it is scent that is so evocative of a place. Whether it’s the clove-scented carnations beloved of the Elizabethans at Kenilworth, or Queen Victoria’s violets at Osborne on the Isle of Wight, these plants offer an experience we can all share with the gardens’ creators.

As wedding fever grips the country when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tie the knot in May, here’s what you need to know about royal romances at our properties.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Osborne, Isle of Wight Victoria and Albert bought Osborne (above) as a seaside retreat away from the public gaze. Since their wedding, the royal family has had a tradition of placing myrtle from Osborne into their wedding bouquets.

Edward I and Eleanor of Castile, Eleanor Cross, Geddington, Northamptonshire Eleanor of Castile (1241–90) was the first wife of Edward I. The marriage was particularly close and, after Eleanor’s death, Edward wrote a letter in

BLUE PLAQUES

Latest news from our blue plaques scheme

which he spoke touchingly of Eleanor, ‘whom even in death we cannot cease to love’.

Edward II and Piers Gaveston, Hailes Abbey, Gloucestershire The precise nature of Edward’s relationship with Gaveston, who had joined Edward’s household in 1300, is uncertain, although Annales Paulini claims that Edward – who gave estates at Hailes to Gaveston as a sign of his affection – loved Gaveston ‘beyond measure’.

Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley, Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester (1532–88), was a suitor for the queen’s hand for many years. He staged a spectacular festival in July 1575 at Kenilworth Castle in a final bid to win her over.

Wrest Park named top wedding venue Wrest Park in Bedfordshire has been chosen as one of Brides’ top 100 venues worldwide.

‘Set in 92 acres of Capability Browndesigned grounds, this elegant venue suits any size of party,’ says the magazine.

A new blue plaque has been unveiled at the Kensington home of a former BBC director-general. Hugh Carleton Greene did much to shape modern broadcasting. With a background in journalism, he emboldened the BBC’s approach to news reporting and, as its director-general during the 1960s, promoted a change in culture that saw the commissioning of social-realist dramas such as Cathy Come Home, milestone comedies such as Till Death Us Do Part and the satirical news show That Was the Week That Was. Greene, who lived at 25 Addison Avenue, was the younger brother of the novelist Graham Greene, who himself has a blue roundel in Clapham. The English Heritage Guide to London’s Blue Plaques is available from www.english-heritageshop.org.uk. www.english-heritage.org.uk

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BLUE PLAQUES WORDS: HOWARD SPENCER

Keeping historic planting alive is just as important as the story of the gardens themselves

NEWS

C O N S E RVAT I O N

Project reveals England’s most clothes moth-infested area

Did you take part in Operation Clothes Moth? If so, you will have played a role in helping to protect our historic collections of tapestries, clothes and carpets. The year-long initiative, which launched in April 2017, called on visitors to our sites – 5,000 of whom were given a clothes moth trap – to monitor clothes moths in their homes. The results, which showed that London and the south east are most at risk, will help us to decide where to concentrate our conservation efforts. A new book, Pests in Houses Great & Small, also provides details on how to treat clothes moth infestations in homes. www.english-heritageshop.org.uk/books

THREE TO SEE Don’t miss these three intriguing objects now on display at our historic properties

1

2

3

Portrait of Godfrey Webster, 1794

Group portrait, 1682

Edwardian quick-firing gun

This oil painting

by Louis Gauffier (1762–1801) is temporarily on display at Kenwood in London. Webster was an MP and was a a notorious rogue.

Years of dirt have been removed to reveal the colours on this painting by Jacob Huysmans (c1630– c96). It is now on display at Wrest Park in Bedfordshire.

This rare gun has just gone back on display at Pendennis Castle in Cornwall after careful conservation. A new breech mechanism means that it can now fire blank charges.

EXPLAINED

I N S TA N T E X P E R T

Rediscovering Walmer Castle’s pleasure gardens

Why are thousands of ceramic poppies coming to Carlisle Castle?

I do like a good garden.

Well, you’re in the right place then: Walmer Castle in Kent has eight acres of gardens and woodland. This new project aims to develop the garden while also completing urgent conservation work and installing a children’s play trail.

Sounds great! What else will the project include?

There will be improved educational and volunteering facilities, and a new garden café – think cakes, bakes and scones.

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www.english-heritage.org.uk

Yum. Will there be any activities on offer before I fill up on scones?

A colourful trail will provide families with sculptures to spot around the site, while there will also be garden games such as croquet on the oval lawn.

When’s all this taking place?

Work has just begun on the project, which is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and the first stage is expected to be completed by next April. www.english-heritage.org.uk/walmer

RICHARD LEA-HAIR/HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES

Weeping Window is an iconic outdoor sculpture by artist Paul Cummins and designer Tom Piper. It’s one of two artworks from Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, which was originally presented at the Tower of London in 2014 and consisted of 888,246 ceramic poppies – one to commemorate every British or colonial life lost at the front during the First World War. The sculpture will be on display from 23 May to 8 July at Carlisle Castle in Cumbria, where visitors will be met with the stunning visual of thousands of the ceramic poppies cascading from the castle’s keep. www.english-heritage.org.uk/carlislecastle

As an English Heritage Member, we would like you to give us permission to contact you. Say ‘yes’ and we’ll help you to make the most of your membership with exclusive offers and ideas for things to see and do, along with information about our latest work, appeals and what your support has helped us to achieve.

To help us keep you in the picture, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/keepintouch

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M E E T TH E E X PE RT

Chris Beardshaw Garden designer, Mount Grace Priory, House and Gardens, North Yorkshire INTERVIEW OLIVER HURLE Y

I’ve done a couple of projects now with English Heritage. The first one was nearly 10 years ago at Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight, where I was asked if I would compose a garden within the castle.

That was quite an intense little space, just because of the room that was available.

The Mount Grace Priory project came about as a consequence of the style of gardens that I’m known to produce. The garden is very Arts and Crafts-inspired, with a geometric structure, made up of a sequence of self-contained spaces, divided by steps, levels, lawns and hedges. There is a very distinct character assigned to each space, so the garden is a real orchestra of horticulture.

There was a lot of research and going through the English Heritage archives. That process took somewhere in the region of six to nine months, then the actual planting was three to four months of solid work. Although it’s being implemented now, it should grow and prosper over the next two decades or so.

One of the joys of the gardens at Mount Grace Priory is the diversity of planting, from dense shade to all the herbaceous borders. As you walk up from the drive you will get glimpses of the main house and then an array of wetland planting adjacent to the stream. We have planted a floral meadow, then more formal borders in front of the house.

There is very little evidence of the earliest plantings on the lower terraces, so we have taken an educated guess at what would have been there. The first of the terraces is planted with a combination of scented bearded irises and scented peonies, underplanted with sways of geranium ground cover. So in the summer that thin slither of terrace will be absolute heaven to walk through.

Working on historic and contemporary gardens, such as one for Chelsea, is remarkably similar because the process that I go through is exactly the same. It’s a case of looking at each space in terms 14

www.english-heritage.org.uk

Clockwise from top left Snowdrops in the gardens of Mount Grace Priory; the process of replanting the gardens took three to four months; the gardens are divided into a diverse array of different spaces, each with their own character

of the conditions that are offered to the plants, thinking about what it is you are trying to create, and then deciding which plants are best going to present themselves to satisfy that brief.

There is a certain amount of mental dexterity involved and you end up with your brain feeling a bit like a piece of chewing gum by the time you have finished it. But it’s great fun and that’s why I love doing what I do. To be able to rework the garden at Mount Grace Priory in this way is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

PL AN YOUR VISIT For more details on Mount Grace Priory’s new Arts and Crafts garden and to plan your visit, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/mountgracepriory

‘In the summer, the terrace will be absolute heaven to walk through’

NEW THIS SEASON

I

followed Dr Frances McIntosh’s umbrella, walking down a short slope, effectively travelling in time from the fourth century to the second. My distinctly overqualified tour guide stamped her feet. ‘This is the only place in Britain where you can stand on a Roman high street,’ she triumphantly declared. ‘Corbridge isn’t just a military outpost, it’s a Roman town. It’s real life.’

From the site’s elevated position, overlooking the Tyne valley and modern Corbridge, Frances surveyed the landscape, pointing out significant features. ‘That church steeple is built from Roman Corbridge,’ she said. ‘And, though you can’t quite see it, so is Hexham Abbey.’ Curator of Roman collections at Corbridge for five years, it was clear that Frances’s enthusiasm remained undiminished.

‘Just south, down the hill, there’s the River Tyne.

Corbridge As the team at Corbridge Roman Town in Northumberland prepares to welcome visitors to its new-look museum, we paid a visit to find out about the project to retell the story of this former garrison WORDS NICK REDMAYNE PHOTOGR APHS OLIVER EDWARDS

Dere Street, the road from York, crossed the river here, and Stanegate, the east-west route to Carlisle, also passed through Corbridge. These were really important strategically. Troops were moving up and down the country, as was trade.’

I’d called in at Corbridge Roman Town when rain and wind put an edge on Northumberland’s rugged beauty. My arrival coincided with the final stages of a £575,000 project to retell the story of this garrison town through a new-look museum – supported by a generous grant from the Linbury Trust – that will shine a light on previously unseen objects and celebrate those Corbridge is revered for. The challenge is to construct a picture of what life was like for the people who lived here.

Initially a military encampment, Corbridge’s garrison focused on controlling the river crossing.

When construction of Hadrian’s Wall commenced in AD122, the site, just two-and-a-half miles south, was ideally placed as a distribution centre.

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www.english-heritage.org.uk

NEW THIS SEASON

Curator of Roman collections Frances McIntosh holds a pottery mould used to make applied decoration for pots.

This example shows Jupiter Dolichenus, a Syrian deity

unwrapped

www.english-heritage.org.uk

17

Remains of the day

TRUSTEES OF THE CORBRIDGE EXCAVATION FUND/ENGLISH HERITAGE

The archaeologists who uncovered Corbridge’s remarkable collection

Excavations at Roman Corbridge were started in 1906 by pioneering amateur archaeologists Robert Forster, his brother TE Forster and Leonard Wooley. Uncertainty existed regarding the significance of the remains.

However, as Robert Forster recorded, ‘The site possesses unusual interest… (and) is both probable and likely to yield rich historical fruit.’ He was proved correct when the stone funerary sculpture, known as the Corbridge Lion, was unearthed in 1907. Summer excavations continued until 1914 and the outbreak of the First World War. In 1933, land that forms the current extent of English Heritage’s Corbridge Roman Town was gifted to the nation by its owner Captain HD Cuthbert.

Around this time archaeologists Eric Birley and Ian Richmond concentrated on the central Corbridge town site.

From 1946 to 1973, an association with Durham University was formed and excavations at Corbridge became a training ground for archaeologists across northern Britain. In 1964, during this series of excavations, the Corbridge Hoard was discovered. The most recent excavations took place in 1980, where the current museum building stands.

Then, during the reign of Antoninus Pius, Rome’s military aspirations grew. AD139–40 saw Hadrian’s Wall temporarily abandoned in favour of the Antonine Wall’s more northerly defences. At the same time, Dere Street continued to be an important supply route north into Scotland. Archaeological evidence reflects a significant surge in construction as Corbridge’s importance grew further.

Rome’s northerly dalliance didn’t last for long – a mere 20 years. ‘When the Romans retreated from Scotland, Hadrian’s Wall was once again permanently occupied,’ said Frances. ‘The military left Corbridge and the town expanded over the remains of the fort.

Inscriptions recovered from the site record the presence of vexillations (small detachments) of the 6th and 20th Legions by the late 2nd century. Legionaries were better paid troops than the auxiliaries who manned the Wall. It is not clear what the legionaries were doing in Corbridge, but it may have been some form of administrative role.’

As we continued our walk, Frances emphasised the importance of the excavations at the site, which have helped with understanding how it transformed into a civilian centre, and its significance as a settlement on Hadrian’s Wall.

NEW THIS SEASON

Metalwork and organic material is very sensitive to humidity and temperature. We were having to take things off display because they were deteriorating.

These two requirements made it the perfect time to embark on a new project.’

The Corbridge collection comprises some 34,000 objects and is the largest array of finds from the Hadrian’s Wall region managed by English Heritage. Headline exhibits will include part of the Corbridge Hoard, a startlingly rare find that shed light on the form and function of legionaries’ flexible lorica segmentata armour.

‘The Hoard was buried in a leather-bound chest around the second century. Its preservation was phenomenal. Six suits of armour, spearheads, an entire blacksmith’s stock,’ recalled Frances.

‘It was a time capsule of information.’

The collection is noted too for its range of finds. Examples of stone sculptures and carved inscriptions are the best in northern England.

Pottery and metalwork is exceptional, and fine personal items, such as hair pins, rings and combs, underline the town’s evolution into a civilian centre.

‘After the new museum opens in April, visitors will be invited to reimagine Roman Corbridge’ As there was less development of the site in later years than other sites along the Wall, such as Carlisle, Corbridge’s excavations have revealed remarkable evidence. ‘In historical terms Carlisle is Corbridge’s sister town but later development buried its Roman origins,’ said Frances. ‘Corbridge is the only Roman town explained in detail in the Hadrian’s Wall region.’

Citizens of Corbridge

Most Roman towns display characteristic civic features and Corbridge is no exception. Frances pointed out a well constructed and highly decorated fountain. ‘You simply do not get a public water source like this in a fort.’ Signs of wear were clear to see, caused by ropes and buckets as citizens of Roman Corbridge drew water.

We made our way over to the refurbished museum building, avoiding staff engaged in some nail-biting heavy lifting as key exhibits were carefully installed in their new homes. The Corbridge Lion, a superlative stone funerary sculpture, stood patiently, suffering the indignity of being swaddled in bubble wrap. ‘The museum hadn’t really changed since the 1980s but our understanding has. New research meant the story needed to be retold,’ said Frances. ‘In addition, the display cases weren’t looking after the objects.

Clockwise, from top left The museum’s collection includes superb examples of carved inscriptions; the ruins of the town feature evidence of civilian life; a fragment from a pot made at Corbridge, showing a smith god; Corbridge’s visitor centre, where the new-look museum is being created; Frances examines a perfume bottle from a cremation burial

Wealthy town

Within the the museum, some 20 per cent of the objects will either be newly displayed or will not have been on display for the last 20 years. An example of the former is a first-century copper enamelled perfume vase. ‘This is a high-status item,’ said Frances. ‘Similar fragments have been found in London but there’s no other example in the UK as complete. That it was found in a grave, and belonged to somebody who lived and died at Corbridge, is an indication of the town’s wealth.’

After the new museum opens its doors in April, visitors will be invited to reimagine Roman Corbridge. To this end, the exhibits are joined by new displays, a new audio tour and interactive installations, developed in conjunction with Sheffield Hallam University, which will allow visitors to see 3D printed versions of some of the most delicate objects. In addition, a re-evaluation of the Edwardian excavations, when many of the famous pieces were found, has been key.

‘People come to see Hadrian’s Wall but Corbridge was here first, 50 years before, and it maintained strong links with the wall throughout its history,’ said Frances. ‘It’s easy to think of the Roman Empire as men marching up and down in shiny helmets and keeping order, but this was a bustling, thriving town. A visit to Corbridge Roman Town offers unique insights of ordinary people forging lives for themselves.’

SEE THE NEW MUSEUM Plan your visit to Corbridge Roman Town and its new-look museum, and find out about a tour of the collection conducted by Dr Frances McIntosh on 26 June, at www.english-heritage.org.uk/corbridge www.english-heritage.org.uk

19

ONE GIA WORDS JO C AIRD IMAGES WILLIAM MAT THE WS ASSOCIATES

T

intagel hasn’t always been an island. Where today you’ll find nothing but blue sky and fresh air, there was once a land bridge connecting this spectacular rocky promontory with the north Cornish mainland. Tintagel Castle, in fact, was built on this stretch of land in the early 13th century. What appears to be two separate sets of archaeological remains was once a single stronghold with buildings on both the mainland and the island.

Around 500 years ago the land connecting the mainland and headland fell away, subject to the erosion that gnaws at this stretch of coastline every minute of every day. Today, the only way to get on to the island to visit the castle is to climb 148 stairs that follow a route installed in the 1850s when the arrival of the railways in Cornwall brought tourists to Tintagel for the first time.

A unique challenge

People were drawn by the beauty of the landscape, its fascinating history and the allure of the Arthurian legends that swirl around the place – and they’re drawn to Tintagel for the same reasons today. The problem is that many visitors miss out on key areas of this remarkable site because that 19th-century route – prone to long queues in busy periods and problematic for anyone with mobility issues – is not fit for purpose for a 21st-century visitor attraction.

It was decided something needed to be done.

National project manager Reuben Briggs knew that building a bridge here was going to be fraught with technical difficulties, from the lack of road access to the proximity of the archaeological remains. But he also knew that if they got it 20

www.english-heritage.org.uk

NT LEAP

BEHIND THE SCENES

A new landmark bridge will reconnect Tintagel Castle to the mainland and dramatically improve access for visitors

After planning permission was granted to construct a dramatic footbridge between Tintagel Castle’s mainland and island wards on the Cornish coast, we meet the design team tasked with creating it

right, a new bridge would not just improve access to Tintagel, but also ‘play an important role in people’s understanding of the site’, reuniting the two parts of the castle and giving visitors the chance to experience Tintagel in the way its former inhabitants once did.

In recognition of the high-stakes nature of the project, a design competition was launched. The aim was ‘not only to get the best designers but really make them tailor their design specifically to the site’, says Reuben.

‘This has to be something really special because of the potential to cause harm,’ he adds. It was a

‘In the Middle Ages Tintagel’s residents accessed it via a land bridge as high as the cliffs’

challenge that Ney & Partners and their British collaborators, the architectural practice William Matthews Associates, were thrilled to accept.

They started with the basics: of all the types of bridge available, which would be most suitable for this tricky location? Arch, rope and suspension bridges were each considered but soon dismissed: too difficult to build; too difficult to cross; too visually disruptive. The need for a structure that could support its own weight during construction, rather than depending on scaffolding (which would be impossible to erect at Tintagel) led them to a cantilever bridge.

‘Cantilever construction is very old,’ explains architect William Matthews. ‘Julius Caesar was a fan of cantilever bridges. The earliest bridges were literally the log that crossed the stream but, after the log, the second oldest is the cantilever.

Continued on page 25 www.english-heritage.org.uk

21

7

5

A landmark bridge design The new bridge promises to provide a dramatic entrance to Tintagel. Here are the key features of the winning design

1 Central gap

3 Telford bracing

2 Slate deck

4 Bridge deck and alignment

The bridge will actually be formed of two cantilever sections, separated by a nominal gap of 40mm to allow for thermal expansion. The gap also marks the transition from the mainland to the island.

The bridge deck will be paved with local Cornish slate laid on edge and interspersed with a pattern of quartzite tiles, which are designed to reflect the quartz intrusions seen on the Tintagel cliffs.

22

www.english-heritage.org.uk

2

The diagonal bracing is inspired by the work of the Scottish engineer and bridge builder Thomas Telford.

The aim is to minimise the structural elements and create a fine structure with as little visual impact as possible.

The deck follows a gentle counter curve, naturally linking the sloped mainland ward with the flat island ward. It is aligned with the layout of the original 13th-century castle built

by Richard, Earl of Cornwall.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Tintagel timeline The new bridge project from concept to planned completion June 2015 English Heritage launches the competition to find a design for the new footbridge at Tintagel Castle 4 1

March 2016

8

Ney & Partners and William Matthews Associates are announced as the winners of the competition

3 6

October 2017 Cornwall Council grants planning permission for the new bridge

April 2018 Work begins on fabricating the steel sections of the bridge off site. This will take around nine months

October 2018 Tintagel Castle closes for the season and the construction project begins, starting with the installation of the cable crane

Autumn 2018

5 Cantilever construction

The two independent cantilevers, each more than 30 metres long, will require no temporary supports during construction. This is an important consideration in an exposed location and Site of Special Scientific Interest.

6 Archaeological impact

The landing points of the bridge have been designed to minimise the archaeological impact (see page 24), lightly touching the ground. The bridge is part of a larger programme of landscape works, costing around ÂŁ4m.

7 Route

The new bridge will reinstate the original route on to and off Tintagel island via the mainland ward. This will help to reduce congestion and provide step-free access on to the island, allowing more people to enjoy a visit.

8 Vanishing act

The stainless steel balustrades that will be fitted along its length have been designed to be so fine that, viewed from a distance, they’ll disappear against the bright blue of the Cornish sky.

The rock anchors and foundations that will keep the bridge stable are built, with all equipment lifted into place with the cable crane

January 2019 The sections of bridge are dropped into place and slotted together, and the paving and balustrades are fitted

Spring 2019 Work is completed and Tintagel Castle opens for the 2019 season www.english-heritage.org.uk

23

BEHIND THE SCENES

Rock of ages Before any construction work could begin on the bridge, the team had to first establish that the bedrock on either side could support it The team at English Heritage were impressed by Ney & Partners’ design for the new bridge but, before they could sign off on this ambitious project, they had to work out whether the rock at Tintagel would be strong enough to support it.

‘Because it’s a cantilevered structure, the whole thing is dependent on the fixings in the ground giving it enough anchorage to stay where it is,’ says English Heritage national project manager Reuben Briggs.

So, in October 2016, Reuben’s team embarked on a series of geotechnical investigations, beginning with a study

Scan this page with Blippar or go to www.english-heritage. org.uk/magazine to watch a video about the Tintagel bridge project. See page 5 for more details

of the area’s fault lines that involved abseiling down the cliffs and conducting a ‘fingertip survey’. Once this phase was complete, it was time to drill into the cliffs to take samples of the rock for strength testing in the lab. This is a relatively simple procedure under normal circumstances but, as with every other aspect of this project, the unique setting added challenges.

‘The drilling rig had to be taken apart, flown in by helicopter and then rebuilt using the helicopter because there was no way to get all the equipment there,’ says Reuben.

‘It was exciting to see.’

IN NUMBERS

148

The number of steps visitors to Tintagel Castle currently must climb to get on to the island

57m

The height of the deck of the bridge above sea level

£4m

The total cost of the project

67m The length of the new bridge

40mm

The size of the nominal gap that will be left between the two cantilever sections

400m

The length of the cable crane that will be used to construct the bridge in the absence of road access

137

The number of entries to the design competition

30m

The approximate length of each of the two cantilever sections

Left The current walkway will still offer access to the castle for those willing to tackle the steps, with views up to the bridge overhead Right A small gap will be left between the two cantilevers to emphasise the experience of crossing from one side to the other

‘As you add bits on, your bridge is always stable. If you get horrendous weather while you’re building, you can stop and your bridge is perfectly stable.’

But how do you build a bridge without scaffolding? With the sort of equipment more usually seen in the Swiss Alps than on the Cornish coastline, of course. A cable crane allows the contractors to drill the rock anchors and build the foundations for the bridge, before dropping pre-fabricated sections of the bridge into position one at a time.

‘It’s a very flexible solution,’ says Matthieu Mallié, project director at Ney & Partners.

‘The fact that there is no access road going to the construction site where the bridge will be built was fundamental for the design.’

A cantilever bridge also has less impact on the physical environment than some of the other options available, with foundations only measuring 3x3m in plan. Given that Tintagel Castle is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Scheduled Ancient Monument, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – ‘There’s barely an acronym that doesn’t apply,’ says William – English Heritage can’t be too careful in this respect. It would be impossible to build a bridge of this size without some disruption but the Ney & Partners/WMA design goes a long way to mitigating these risks. In addition, there will be archaeologists on site during the excavation phase of the works, as well as an ecologist on call throughout.

Respecting the history

Beyond these practicalities, the design also needed to tick some less tangible boxes. ‘Why are so many people coming here?’ asks Ney & Partners founder Laurent Ney. ‘It’s because of the legend. It’s because of the history they have in their head and of course that’s very fragile.

It was really important to respect that.’

The bridge’s two cantilever arms do not actually meet in the middle, a fact that is key to what William calls the ‘poetics’ of the project.

Cantilever bridges must have a small gap to allow for thermal expansion but usually this is covered up. Laurent and William decided to make a virtue of this engineering requirement instead of hiding it. As Laurent puts it, ‘We are not building a bridge, we are building two half-bridges – one half belongs to the mainland and one half belongs to the island. It’s really a separation between the two, between the real world and the imagination. There is this frontier.’

By the time the contractors begin installing

‘One half of the bridge will belong to the mainland and the other to the island’ the cable crane at Tintagel in October, work on the pre-fabricated steel sections of the bridge will be well advanced. They’ll be brought to the site in early 2019 but not before a trial run of the assembly process in the workshop. ‘We build the bridge to see if it fits,’ says Matthieu. ‘If it fits and everyone is happy, we dismantle the bridge, we bring it on to the site and we rebuild it.’

The project is scheduled to be completed in spring 2019, once local slate has been laid on the deck of the bridge and sparkling stainless steel balustrades and wooden handrails have been fitted along its length. Countless feet walked over this crossing when it was rock, earth and grass. Reinvented in steel, slate and wood, it will echo with the footsteps of countless more in years to come. Tintagel will be made whole once more.

FOLLOW THE PROJECT To follow the progress of the bridge project or to plan your visit to Tintagel Castle, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/tintagel www.english-heritage.org.uk

25

CLOSE U P

Wren graffiti at Stonehenge WORDS HE ATHER SEBIRE PHOTOGR APH ANDRÉ PAT TENDEN

On one of the large upright sarsens at Stonehenge there is an incision of a cross (for Christopher) and the letters WREN. The inscription is thought to have been incised by 17th-century architect Sir Christopher Wren, builder of St Paul’s cathedral, although there is no direct evidence he visited. Wren (1632–1723) was born in East Knoyle in Wiltshire, some 19 miles from Stonehenge, where his father was rector of the parish. He was first educated at home before boarding at Westminster School for five years. He then went to Wadham College, Oxford, when he was just 17 and began his life as both a great architect and a true polymath. His father became Dean of Windsor when Christopher was three years old, so it’s likely Wren visited Stonehenge as an adult, possibly when conducting a survey of Salisbury Cathedral in 1668.

Perhaps he, like many people, was inspired by the awe and beauty of the stones and wanted to leave his mark – something we strongly discourage today.

CELEBR ATE THE CENTENARY To plan a visit to Stonehenge or find details of the Stonehenge 100 celebrations this year, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/stonehenge

26

www.english-heritage.org.uk

Scan this page with Blippar to take a 360ยบ tour of the stones. See page 5 for more details www.english-heritage.org.uk

27

RIVER CRUISING WITH NOBLE CALEDONIA SPECIAL OFFER – SAVE UP TO £400 PER PERSON

passage the douro

along

Entre-os-Rios Barca d’Alva Regua

SPAIN

Oporto Lamego Salamanca Quinta do Seixo Figueiro Castelo Rodrigo

PORTUGAL

Discover the beauty of the Douro Valley aboard the MS Gil Eanes 11th to 18th May, 8th to 15th June & 14th to 21st September 2019

T

he Douro is not the longest, grandest or most historic of Europe’s rivers, but it certainly is one of the most untouched and beautiful. From its meagre beginnings in the hills north of Madrid it makes its way through Northern Portugal in a meandering flourish to the ocean and the endlessly fascinating city of Oporto. Our cruise aboard the delightful MS Gil Eanes offers the opportunity to sail this delightful river and experience some of the local flavour.

Where vessels once laden with barrels of port drifted to Oporto, we will cruise along this lovely river, relaxing on board whilst admiring the beautiful passing scenery and stopping each day for fascinating excursions. Our navigation of the Douro will take us from Oporto, on a wonderfully scenic path, past sleepy villages and a tranquil countryside of almond and citrus trees to just before the Spanish border. From here we will visit Spain’s ancient seat of learning, Salamanca with its grand buildings in rich copper hues and the country’s most magnificent square, Plaza Mayor. Along the way we will visit the world renowned port wine region, restored palaces, places of pilgrimage and cultural centres.

MS Gil Eanes For our cruises along the Douro we have chartered the elegant MS Gil Eanes. Launched in 2015, the ship is well-designed with a modern feel and offers a tranquil atmosphere on which to relax and enjoy the picturesque panoramas of the region. There are 62 cabins and four suites on board which are located over three decks, and have a bright airy feel. Cabins on the Main Deck feature two windows, and those on the Middle and Upper Decks boast French balconies and sliding floor to ceiling windows. Public areas include the lounge bar with floor to ceiling windows, and the Sun Deck with comfortable loungers and some tables and chairs under a shaded area. Breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner are served in the stylish restaurant which seats all passengers in one sitting. The excellent cuisine features delicious local and international dishes. Breakfast and lunch are buffet style with hot and cold items, and dinners are a served set menu with a choice of either two main courses or a vegetarian option. Drinks are included during meal times, and are also available until late in the Lounge Bar. In addition to our Cruise Director and Tour Manager, you will also be joined by a Guest Speaker who will deliver informative and interesting lectures on board, adding to your enjoyment of the cruise and interest of the area.

For full details on this holiday call us today on 020 7752 0000 for your copy of our brochure.

Passage along the Douro - Gil Eanes_English Heritage DPS.indd All Pages

The Itinerary in Brief Day 1 London to Oporto, Portugal.

Fly by scheduled flight. Upon arrival transfer to the MS Gil Eanes and embark. This evening meet your fellow travellers at the Welcome Dinner.

Day 2 Oporto to Entre-Os-Rios. This morning there will be a guided tour of Oporto, Portugal’s second largest city and a World Heritage Site. During our tour we will drive through its narrow streets to find 16th century arcaded buildings, Baroque churches and chapels, as well as the city’s iconic 19th century iron bridge, built by the school of Gustav Eiffel. We continue along the coastal road of the Atlantic to the mouth of the Douro River to view this wealthy neighbourhood with its fashionable villas and manor houses. Our final visit will be to the city’s cathedral, located on the top of the Penaventosa Hill. The tour will conclude with a visit to a port wine lodge where we will see the old casks full of port and enjoy a sample of this delicious world famous wine. Return to the ship for lunch and enjoy a relaxing afternoon of cruising.

Day 3 Regua. Depart for Regua in the heart of the port producing region, from where we visit the unique 18th century Mateus Manor House and its gardens. This fine looking palace and gardens is still owned by the Count of Vila Real and is one of the best examples of Baroque architecture in Portugal. On our guided tour of the Palace we will see the “rare books” library, as well as vestments and religious icons, and also view the remarkable chestnut wood crafting on the ceilings, as well as some beautiful paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries. Stroll around the romantic gardens and before returning to the vessel, there will be time to visit the villa’s pretty chapel and winery.

Day 4 Figueira Castelo Rodrigo. Enjoy a leisurely morning on board as we cruise to Barca d’Alva and after lunch depart for an excursion to the picturesque Medieval town of Figueira Castelo Rodrigo, known as the white village because of its surrounding almond trees. Located at about 2200 feet above sea level, and one of Portugal’s 12 historical parishes, its streets are typically narrow and steep with 16th century facades and Manuelino style windows. The Romans were the first to build a fortress here, then in 1209 Alfonso IX built the fortress wall. During the centuries Jews, Christians and Arabs lived peacefully here, and evidence of this can be seen on Sinagoga (Synagogue Street).

However, the once large Jewish community fled during the Inquisition.

Day 5 Salamanca, Spain. Today we will enjoy a full day tour to Salamanca, a Spanish city rich in culture and tradition. Salamanca has been famous as a seat of learning since the early 13th century and has an impressive history, with many fine monuments

and architecture. The city attracts around 40,000 international students each year, giving it a cosmopolitan and modern feel. Our guided tour will include the University, House of Shells and the classic Plaza Mayor, formally a bullfighting site. We will also visit the Gothic “New Cathedral” which was actually constructed in the 16th century, replacing the original 12th century Salamanca Cathedral. After lunch in a local restaurant, enjoy some free time to explore independently.

Day 6 Quinta do Seixo, Portugal.

Enjoy a leisurely morning on board as we cruise to Tavora. After lunch we will depart for our visit to Quinta do Seixo, an ancient property with 99 hectares of vineyards and a modern winery. Here we will learn about the production methods and sample some of the local wines. This evening we will be entertained by a Portuguese folklore show on board.

Day 7 Lamego. This morning we will enjoy a half day excursion to the historical and charming town of Lamego. This city houses one of the most important places of pilgrimage in Portugal - the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Remedies. Built in the second half of the 18th century over the remains of a 14th century chapel, it is an excellent example of Portuguese Baroque style.

It is wonderfully decorated with enormous panels of blue and white tiles, with an impressive staircase of nearly 700 steps. During lunch on board we sail back to Oporto crossing the Crestuma-Lever dam.

Join your fellow travellers tonight for the Farewell Dinner.

Day 8 Oporto to London. Disembark after breakfast and transfer to the airport for the return scheduled flight to London.

Alternatively view or request online at www.noble-caledonia.co.uk

Pre-Cruise Extension 6th to 11th May, 3rd to 8th June & 9th to 14th September 2019 If you would like to spend some time in Portugal before embarking the MS Gil Eanes we are offering a five night extension offering the chance to tour Lisbon, Sintra, Coimbra, Tomar, Guimaraes, and Braga. Full details can be viewed online at www.noble-caledonia.co.uk

Prices & Inclusions Special offer prices per person based on double occupancy range from £2295 for a category E cabin to £3795 for a category A suite.

Cabins for sole use from £2795.

What’s Included: • Economy class scheduled air travel • Seven nights aboard the MS Gil Eanes on full board basis • All-inclusive drinks from 10am to 11pm • Shore excursions • Cruise Director, Tour Manager & Guest Speaker • Transfers • Gratuities NB. Ports and itinerary subject to change. All special offers are subject to availability. Travel insurance, premium brands & sparkling wines are not included in the price. Our current booking conditions apply to all reservations.

SMALL SHIPS - BIG EXPERIENCES

15/03/2018 10:33

RIVER CRUISING WITH NOBLE CALEDONIA SPECIAL OFFER – SAVE UP TO £400 PER PERSON

passage the douro

along

Entre-os-Rios Barca d’Alva Regua

SPAIN

Oporto Lamego Salamanca Quinta do Seixo Figueiro Castelo Rodrigo

PORTUGAL

Discover the beauty of the Douro Valley aboard the MS Gil Eanes 11th to 18th May, 8th to 15th June & 14th to 21st September 2019

T

he Douro is not the longest, grandest or most historic of Europe’s rivers, but it certainly is one of the most untouched and beautiful. From its meagre beginnings in the hills north of Madrid it makes its way through Northern Portugal in a meandering flourish to the ocean and the endlessly fascinating city of Oporto. Our cruise aboard the delightful MS Gil Eanes offers the opportunity to sail this delightful river and experience some of the local flavour.

Where vessels once laden with barrels of port drifted to Oporto, we will cruise along this lovely river, relaxing on board whilst admiring the beautiful passing scenery and stopping each day for fascinating excursions. Our navigation of the Douro will take us from Oporto, on a wonderfully scenic path, past sleepy villages and a tranquil countryside of almond and citrus trees to just before the Spanish border. From here we will visit Spain’s ancient seat of learning, Salamanca with its grand buildings in rich copper hues and the country’s most magnificent square, Plaza Mayor. Along the way we will visit the world renowned port wine region, restored palaces, places of pilgrimage and cultural centres.

MS Gil Eanes For our cruises along the Douro we have chartered the elegant MS Gil Eanes. Launched in 2015, the ship is well-designed with a modern feel and offers a tranquil atmosphere on which to relax and enjoy the picturesque panoramas of the region. There are 62 cabins and four suites on board which are located over three decks, and have a bright airy feel. Cabins on the Main Deck feature two windows, and those on the Middle and Upper Decks boast French balconies and sliding floor to ceiling windows. Public areas include the lounge bar with floor to ceiling windows, and the Sun Deck with comfortable loungers and some tables and chairs under a shaded area. Breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner are served in the stylish restaurant which seats all passengers in one sitting. The excellent cuisine features delicious local and international dishes. Breakfast and lunch are buffet style with hot and cold items, and dinners are a served set menu with a choice of either two main courses or a vegetarian option. Drinks are included during meal times, and are also available until late in the Lounge Bar. In addition to our Cruise Director and Tour Manager, you will also be joined by a Guest Speaker who will deliver informative and interesting lectures on board, adding to your enjoyment of the cruise and interest of the area.

For full details on this holiday call us today on 020 7752 0000 for your copy of our brochure.

Passage along the Douro - Gil Eanes_English Heritage DPS.indd All Pages

The Itinerary in Brief Day 1 London to Oporto, Portugal.

Fly by scheduled flight. Upon arrival transfer to the MS Gil Eanes and embark. This evening meet your fellow travellers at the Welcome Dinner.

Day 2 Oporto to Entre-Os-Rios. This morning there will be a guided tour of Oporto, Portugal’s second largest city and a World Heritage Site. During our tour we will drive through its narrow streets to find 16th century arcaded buildings, Baroque churches and chapels, as well as the city’s iconic 19th century iron bridge, built by the school of Gustav Eiffel. We continue along the coastal road of the Atlantic to the mouth of the Douro River to view this wealthy neighbourhood with its fashionable villas and manor houses. Our final visit will be to the city’s cathedral, located on the top of the Penaventosa Hill. The tour will conclude with a visit to a port wine lodge where we will see the old casks full of port and enjoy a sample of this delicious world famous wine. Return to the ship for lunch and enjoy a relaxing afternoon of cruising.

Day 3 Regua. Depart for Regua in the heart of the port producing region, from where we visit the unique 18th century Mateus Manor House and its gardens. This fine looking palace and gardens is still owned by the Count of Vila Real and is one of the best examples of Baroque architecture in Portugal. On our guided tour of the Palace we will see the “rare books” library, as well as vestments and religious icons, and also view the remarkable chestnut wood crafting on the ceilings, as well as some beautiful paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries. Stroll around the romantic gardens and before returning to the vessel, there will be time to visit the villa’s pretty chapel and winery.

Day 4 Figueira Castelo Rodrigo. Enjoy a leisurely morning on board as we cruise to Barca d’Alva and after lunch depart for an excursion to the picturesque Medieval town of Figueira Castelo Rodrigo, known as the white village because of its surrounding almond trees. Located at about 2200 feet above sea level, and one of Portugal’s 12 historical parishes, its streets are typically narrow and steep with 16th century facades and Manuelino style windows. The Romans were the first to build a fortress here, then in 1209 Alfonso IX built the fortress wall. During the centuries Jews, Christians and Arabs lived peacefully here, and evidence of this can be seen on Sinagoga (Synagogue Street).

However, the once large Jewish community fled during the Inquisition.

Day 5 Salamanca, Spain. Today we will enjoy a full day tour to Salamanca, a Spanish city rich in culture and tradition. Salamanca has been famous as a seat of learning since the early 13th century and has an impressive history, with many fine monuments

and architecture. The city attracts around 40,000 international students each year, giving it a cosmopolitan and modern feel. Our guided tour will include the University, House of Shells and the classic Plaza Mayor, formally a bullfighting site. We will also visit the Gothic “New Cathedral” which was actually constructed in the 16th century, replacing the original 12th century Salamanca Cathedral. After lunch in a local restaurant, enjoy some free time to explore independently.

Day 6 Quinta do Seixo, Portugal.

Enjoy a leisurely morning on board as we cruise to Tavora. After lunch we will depart for our visit to Quinta do Seixo, an ancient property with 99 hectares of vineyards and a modern winery. Here we will learn about the production methods and sample some of the local wines. This evening we will be entertained by a Portuguese folklore show on board.

Day 7 Lamego. This morning we will enjoy a half day excursion to the historical and charming town of Lamego. This city houses one of the most important places of pilgrimage in Portugal - the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Remedies. Built in the second half of the 18th century over the remains of a 14th century chapel, it is an excellent example of Portuguese Baroque style.

It is wonderfully decorated with enormous panels of blue and white tiles, with an impressive staircase of nearly 700 steps. During lunch on board we sail back to Oporto crossing the Crestuma-Lever dam.

Join your fellow travellers tonight for the Farewell Dinner.

Day 8 Oporto to London. Disembark after breakfast and transfer to the airport for the return scheduled flight to London.

Alternatively view or request online at www.noble-caledonia.co.uk

Pre-Cruise Extension 6th to 11th May, 3rd to 8th June & 9th to 14th September 2019 If you would like to spend some time in Portugal before embarking the MS Gil Eanes we are offering a five night extension offering the chance to tour Lisbon, Sintra, Coimbra, Tomar, Guimaraes, and Braga. Full details can be viewed online at www.noble-caledonia.co.uk

Prices & Inclusions Special offer prices per person based on double occupancy range from £2295 for a category E cabin to £3795 for a category A suite.

Cabins for sole use from £2795.

What’s Included: • Economy class scheduled air travel • Seven nights aboard the MS Gil Eanes on full board basis • All-inclusive drinks from 10am to 11pm • Shore excursions • Cruise Director, Tour Manager & Guest Speaker • Transfers • Gratuities NB. Ports and itinerary subject to change. All special offers are subject to availability. Travel insurance, premium brands & sparkling wines are not included in the price. Our current booking conditions apply to all reservations.

SMALL SHIPS - BIG EXPERIENCES

15/03/2018 10:33

SIEGE THE DAY As we begin a summer-long celebration of our castles, head properties curator Jeremy Ashbee reveals his favourite fortresses from each of the key castle-building centuries. Which one will you visit first?

M U LT I S I T E

Best for 11th century

Richmond Castle, North Yorkshire Richmond Castle is a wonderful survival from the first decades after the Norman Conquest, with its early stone walls and towers, and a palatial two-storey block overlooking the Swale gorge. Many early castles consisted of earthworks and timber buildings, but a few were built of more permanent materials, and Richmond was one of the finest. The castle was founded around 1071 by Count Alan Rufus of Brittany, shortly after the Conqueror’s ‘harrying of the north’, and took the form of a broad triangle, with an arched gateway (later heightened into a tower) at its apex. At the same time, a town was laid out to the north of the castle. The most remarkable thing is that much of the original fabric still survives unchanged. The castle’s north-east flank, where the stone wall is strengthened with two rectangular towers, is substantially the 11th-century construction, including the beautiful Chapel of St Nicholas on the ground floor of Robin Hood’s Tower and the Gold Hole Tower nearer to the river.

Richmond also contains the substantial ruins of a very rare surviving domestic building, named Scolland’s Hall, after a 12th-century steward of the castle, and comprising a hall and chamber raised above undercrofts. Even in ruins, it is atmospheric, but we now need to imagine lost timber features: the floor and roof, and also a balcony above the river below.

Above Towering above the Swale Gorge, Richmond Castle is one of the finest surviving examples of an 11th-century stone castle, built at a time when most castles consisted of earthworks and timber buildings. Much of the original castle is still visible today

Other great 11th-century castles

What to look for

11th-century castles, when built in stone, are relatively plain: arches are simple and round, and towers are rectangular in plan.

St Nicholas’s chapel inside the Robin Hood Tower is an excellent example of the earliest Norman castle architecture.

Plan your visit

www.english-heritage.org.uk/richmond

Pevensey Castle, Sussex

Peveril Castle, Derbyshire

The invading Norman army strengthened this massive Roman fort. It later became permanent, with the addition of a stone tower, walls and towers.

Though badly ruined today, Peveril Castle still has sections of stones laid in a herringbone pattern, a feature of late Saxon and early Norman construction. www.english-heritage.org.uk

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M U LT I S I T E

Best for 12th century

Dover Castle, Kent With its magnificent great tower surrounded by two lines of curtain walls, Dover Castle is internationally important as a masterpiece of 12th-century castle design.

The high white cliffs of Dover, commanding the narrowest part of the English Channel, had seen military emplacements of the Iron Age, the Romans, almost certainly the Anglo-Saxons, and the Normans but it was King Henry II (1154–89) who created one of the mightiest (and most costly) fortresses in Europe. Henry’s works of the 1170s and 80s revolved around a superb great tower. Wrapped around the tower was a curtain wall studded with 10 rectangular towers and two gatehouses, forming an inner enclosure. The king’s greatest innovation was to add a second outer curtain wall, one of the earliest examples of a concentric plan. Little wonder that Dover was one of only two castles to hold out when the French invaded in 1216.

Other great 12th-century castles

What to look for

The rectangular towers of the inner curtain wall contained loopholes in their flanking walls, allowing crossbowmen to repel anyone attacking. The gateways in the inner curtain wall were protected by towers on either side – a very early example of a pattern that became the norm for the next four centuries.

Plan your visit

www.english-heritage.org.uk/dover

Framlingham Castle, Suffolk

Old Sarum, Wiltshire

Framlingham has an intact circuit of 12th-century curtain walls with 13 towers. It was re-fortified in the 1190s after Henry II ordered the destruction of its predecessor.

Contains the ruins of an 1130s castle in which the hall, chapels and chambers were planned around a central courtyard, like the cloister of a monastery.

Best for 13th century

Beeston Castle, Cheshire

Other great 13th-century castles

On a high crag dominating the Cheshire plain, Beeston Castle is an outstanding example of the 13th-century trend in castle architecture: to focus on strengthening the perimeter defences, rather than one large tower or keep.

Begun by Ranulf, earl of Chester in the 1220s, Beeston shows the progress of castle design since Dover. Once again, Beeston had inner and outer curtain walls, but the towers on the wall and those flanking the gate passage were now D-shaped rather than rectangular. The inner ward lay within a ditch, the source of much of the stone from which the castle was built. The gatehouse was now one of the most important buildings in the castle. Domestic buildings were undoubtedly planned for the courtyard but were probably never built.

What to look for

Goodrich Castle, Herefordshire Rebuilt in the 1270s as an imposing quadrangular castle.

Inside were the Valence family’s sumptuous apartments.

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www.english-heritage.org.uk

Tintagel Castle, Cornwall Although architecturally unremarkable for the 1230s and not built for military use, Tintagel reveals how noblemen thought about castles.

The inner curtain wall contains sockets for projecting timber fighting platforms, allowing defenders to drop rocks on to anyone trying to scale the wall. The modern concrete bridge flies over the remains of medieval bridges, built with both timber and stone. The crossbow loops have fish-tailed bases (‘oillets’) and crosses for the visibility of the crossbowman inside.

Plan your visit

www.english-heritage.org.uk/beeston

M U LT I S I T E

Anatomy of a medieval castle Dover Castle in Kent was designed and adapted to dominate and protect the gateway to England. Here are the key features of the castle during the 13th century that helped to protect those living within its curtain walls

1 Keep or great tower

3 Inner Ward

5 Curtain walls

2 Gatehouse

4 Ditch

6 Barbicans

This was the tallest and strongest tower in the castle. It contained all the rooms of a palace, and was occasionally inhabited. At other times it was used as a prison, treasury and a storehouse.

The innermost area of the castle contained a great hall, chapel, chambers and kitchens, all larger and more comfortable than those inside the great tower. This was the centre of castle life throughout the Middle Ages.

The entrance through the curtain wall which was protected by large towers beside the gateway. The entrance itself could be strengthened with a drawbridge, timber gates and portcullises, and ‘murder holes’.

Almost all castles were enclosed within ditches, many of them dry. The ditch prevented horsemen or wheeled siege engines from attacking the walls directly, and it forced attackers into a low position.

3

The castle’s stone wall, usually crowned with battlements and sometimes pierced with arrow loops.

Towers allowed defenders to shoot attackers. The grandest castles had two walls, one inside the other.

Derived from Arabic words for ‘gate’ and ‘courtyard’, the barbican is a relic of the Crusades. It provided an ‘air-lock’ in which anyone trying to enter the castle could be held at the main gate while checks were made.

1

5

6 2

4

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M U LT I S I T E

Best for 14th century

Carisbrooke Castle, Isle of Wight Carisbrooke, located in a strong hilltop position, was fortified by the Anglo-Saxons against Viking raiders – and its buildings show the efforts of successive owners to update its defences, especially the Normans in the 12th century, and Countess Isabella de Fortibus in the 13th. But from the 1330s onwards, wars with the French (now called The Hundred Years’ War) placed the castle in the front line, and a number of additions were made.

Most important of these is the imposing gatehouse, with drum towers projecting into the ditch. The lower parts of the towers are fitted with cross-shaped loopholes for crossbowmen. But by 1380, Carisbrooke’s armoury had begun to include firearms, and the upper parts of the tower contain keyhole-shaped gunports – some of the earliest surviving examples in England.

Other 14th-century improvements that can be seen include a new tower with a portcullis guarding the entrance to the keep, and new apartments for the constable in the bailey.

Other great 14th-century castles

What to look for

Don’t miss the fine carving of the fireplaces in the hall and principal chamber of the Constable’s Lodging (now museum) and the gatehouse added to the keep, with its stone vault to minimise the risk of fire.

Plan your visit

www.english-heritage.org.uk/carisbrooke

Dunstanburgh Castle, Northumberland This coastal fortress was built in 1314 by Earl Thomas of Lancaster, to surpass the castles of his cousin, King Edward II.

Old Wardour Castle, Wiltshire An example of a sophisticated 14th-century castle, with its hall, chambers, chapel and service rooms ingeniously arranged around a courtyard.

Best for 15th century

Middleham Castle, North Yorkshire

Other great 15th-century castles

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Ashby de la Zouch Castle

Baconsthorpe Castle

As well as the usual domestic buildings of a great house, Ashby contains two massive stone towers – a conscious revival of castle keeps.

With its imposing gatehouse, stone curtain wall and moat, Baconsthorpe demonstrates the aspirations of a gentry family in the late 15th century.

www.english-heritage.org.uk

Middleham Castle was one of the great powerhouses of latemedieval England, befitting its owners, the Neville family, who owned or controlled much of the north of England.

Middleham had been an important castle since at least the late 12th century, attested to by its mighty rectangular keep, surrounded by a curtain wall of about 1300. But the castle was transformed at the turn of the 15th century by ranges of lodgings all around the enclosure. In their number, the new apartments attest to the size and social complexity of great households, which were becoming increasingly divided according to rank. The ancient keep was also made more comfortable or fashionable in the 15th century, with the raising of the great hall roof and creation of more windows to light the interior. The modernised castle was a fitting home for its most famous occupants, Richard Neville (1428–71) and his ward, the future King Richard III (1452–85), who spent much of his youth there, and was later granted the castle.

What to look for

The relatively large windows, reflecting the care of 15thcentury noblemen for their comfort and that of their guests.

Plan your visit

www.english-heritage.org.uk/middleham

Best for 17th century

Bolsover Castle, Derbyshire

Don’t miss

Best for 16th century

Our new castle-themed Monopoly game is available to buy at www.englishheritage.org.uk/shop

St Mawes Castle, Cornwall St Mawes, Cornwall, is the most complete surviving building from a chain of coastal fortresses commissioned by King Henry VIII to protect against French or Spanish invasion.

Observers in the 16th century were happy to call St Mawes a ‘castle’ but it represents something different. This was a structure purely for defence, with no hint of a stylish house inside. And, unlike the monarchs, aristocrats and bishops who lived in medieval castles, captains ranking as knights commanded St Mawes and other forts.

Beautifully designed, with a central round tower surrounded by three bastions, St Mawes allowed gunners to command the important anchorage of the Carrick Roads. Embrasures for cannons and pivots for swivel-guns can be seen in various places. But for all its geometric beauty, the castle’s design was soon overtaken by a preference for lower straight walls and pointed bastions on the angles.

What to look for

Carved shields on the exterior walls sit below Latin inscriptions praising Henry VIII and his son Edward, Duke of Cornwall.

Plan your visit

www.english-heritage.org.uk/stmawes

Other great 16th-century castles

Bolsover represents a magnificent updating of the castle tradition, by successive generations of the Cavendish family.

The Little Castle, built in the early 17th century as a retreat from the family’s main residence at Welbeck, evokes a Norman great tower, though modernised with large windows and a domed lantern tower.

William Cavendish, Earl of Newcastle, entertained King Charles I twice here in the 1630s. Fighting for the king in the Civil War, William was exiled from 1644 until 1660, but then returned and added a large Riding House, to indulge his passion for manège, similar to modern dressage.

What to look for

The exotic wall paintings in the Little Castle, which bear complex meanings.

Plan your visit Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire Robert Dudley converted Kenilworth Castle into a palatial residence in the 1570s to entertain Queen Elizabeth I.

www.english-heritage.org.uk/bolsover. Don’t miss our 1643 and All That Members’ event on 20 July – see your Events Guide for details.

Other great 17th-century castles Lulworth Castle, Dorset Its design mirrors 13thcentury castles but this was actually designed as a royal hunting lodge and built for comfort.

Walmer Castle, Kent Like St Mawes, Walmer Castle was one of Henry VIII’s forts, but was much larger, with four rounded bastions. It was later remodelled as a fine residence.

Jeremy Ashbee Jeremy is our head properties curator, specialising in the history of our medieval castles www.english-heritage.org.uk

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STORIES OF ENGL AND

Second nature On the 200th anniversary of the death of prolific landscape gardener Humphry Repton, we reveal his role in shaping the grounds of Kenwood in London WORDS EMILY PARKER ILLUSTR ATIONS WIL FREEBORN

I

n 1788, at the age of 36, Humphry Repton set up his business as a landscape gardener, a job title he invented for himself. He was the son of a successful tax collector and it was intended that he would work in the textile industry but, although he set up his own textile business in 1773, it was not successful. After this he tried his hand at various professions, even working as private secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. It was through the connections made for this job that he gained his first clients as a landscape gardener.

Initially he set himself up as a successor to ‘Capability’ Brown, the highly celebrated landscape designer, who had died in 1783. Unlike Brown, however, Repton was also a prolific writer, publishing several books on his landscape theories.

The catalyst to his success and a wonderful record of his vision today are his Red Books. These books contained a detailed written appraisal of each site and proposals for their improvement. Their most innovative feature was the selection of watercolours accompanying the text, which included a ‘before’ image that was transformed into the ‘after’ image when hinged or sliding overlays were removed.

Repton’s involvement at Kenwood was one of his earliest commissions. David Murray, the 2nd Earl of Mansfield, who had inherited the estate 36

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STORIES OF ENGL AND

from his uncle in 1793, employed him. The 2nd Earl had already seen Repton’s work at Bulstrode in 1791, and was impressed by the changes, although he did accidently call Repton ‘Ruffort’.

Vision of beauty

Repton’s initial visit to Kenwood was on 8 May 1793. The landscape he would have seen was one very different to today’s. To the north of the house formal walled enclosures surrounded the entrance forecourts and kitchen garden, separating the house from the main road. To the south of the house a large rectangular lawn with two ponds formed a pleasure ground, bounded to the east by a long garden wall. The first section of the Red Book was completed in just 12 days, as it was submitted to the 2nd Earl of Mansfield on 20 May. Repton credits this rapidity with his effusive fascination with the subject. However, the fact that changes were already starting to take place on site may have encouraged him to share his ideas quickly.

The first section of the Red Book concentrated on the proposed removal of the enclosed walled areas to the north of the house and the creation of a new approach. The 2nd Earl of Mansfield, and probably his uncle before him, was already discussing moving the main road further to the

‘The landscape Repton would have seen on his first visit to Kenwood was one very different to today’s’

Emily Parker Landscape adviser Emily researches the historic gardens in our care so we can look after them properly

north to allow a grander approach to the estate.

This was examined in detail in the Red Book, with maps drawn by Repton to illustrate his intended proposals. The existing main road would be moved to the other side of a wood. Coming off this new road would be two new approach drives, which would sweep towards the house from opposite directions before meeting at the front of the house.

The second section of the Red Book was produced at a slightly more leisurely pace, and was submitted to the Earl on 1 July 1793. This contained many proposals, including a new flower garden to the west of the house and a new location for the farm buildings, stable and kitchen garden. This section concentrated on expanding the large rectangular lawn south of the house to create a large expanse of open lawn, extending the Pleasure Ground to the east and west. Worried about the maintenance a larger area of lawn would require, Repton suggested that sheep should be used to manage the grass and ‘enliven’ the scene.

This expansion would allow Repton to improve www.english-heritage.org.uk

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STORIES OF ENGL AND

one of the biggest issues he found at Kenwood, which was the encroachment of the houses of nearby Kentish Town into the view from the house and terrace. His proposal was to screen these with extensive tree planting, creating the impression that the landscape at Kenwood extended all the way to central London. This expansion would also allow a series of paths to be laid out, providing options for walks within the pleasure ground.

Grand designs

Repton also suggested changes to the house.

These included extending it by adding two new wings either side of the north front.

Repton was later disappointed when the final design and implementation of these wings were handed over to another architect, although he did write in September 1793 that the new proposals for the wings followed many of his ‘hints’.

Another disappointment for Repton must have been the continued existence of a sham bridge, which had been originally built in 1781 (although it has been repaired and restored several times since). Repton, however, recommended its removal believing its conceit (as it was merely a façade) beneath the dignity of Kenwood. Instead he

Divine designs Repton’s role in shaping the estate at Bayham Old Abbey in Kent Today, the impressive ruins at Bayham Old Abbey include much of the 13th to 15th-century church, chapter house and 14th-century gatehouse. In 1799, Humphry Repton was appointed by the 2nd Earl of Camden to prepare proposals and a Red Book for the Bayham estate. His suggestions included a new location for the house, its design and layout. He also recommended the creation of a broad sinuous river surrounding the abbey ruins and a new approach road. In reference to the abbey, he proposed improving views by removing trees and loose masonry, although he recommended saving any pieces with architectural interest. Although Repton did suggest changes to the abbey, 38

www.english-heritage.org.uk

he didn’t view it as an integral part of the design. Although some of Repton’s recommendations were carried out, including the majority of the new river, it is unclear how many of the suggested changes to the abbey ruins were implemented. In fact, when Repton returned in 1814 he expressed disappointment that so few changes had been made.

recommended a new bridge between two of the ponds, to create the appearance of one continuous lake. Neither the removal of the sham bridge nor the creation of a new bridge was carried out.

Although not all of Repton’s suggestions for the landscape at Kenwood were completed, his vision for the estate shaped the changes made in the 1790s. The removal of the enclosed courts and the main road, as well as the design of the new approach drives, fundamentally changed the layout to the north of the house.

In the pleasure ground, the extension of the lawn and tree screening, as well as the inclusion of a flower garden to the west of the house, reflect Repton’s overall vision.

This year, encouraged by the Gardens Trust, Repton sites are pooling energies to organise hundreds of Repton-inspired activities, from research projects to special garden openings and conferences, meaning that the spotlight is on Repton like never before.

MEMBERS’ EXCLUSIVE TOUR Enjoy a tour of Kenwood’s gardens at our event The Georgian Gardener: Celebrating Humphry Repton on 6 June. See your Events Guide for details

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BLAS T F RO M THE PAST We join our conservation team as they inspect and maintain two cannons at Woolpack Battery on the Isles of Scilly – and reveal what you can do to help save our cannons

D

WORDS LOUISE TICKLE PHOTOGR APHS LLOYD RUSSELL

espite the gusts of wind, it feels peaceful here, standing inside Woolpack Battery on St Mary’s in Cornwall’s remote Isles of Scilly overlooking the scudding waves. It’s hard to imagine a full-on battle here, with a team of six gunners frantically cleaning out the smoking barrels of the cannons, packing in wadding and explosive, slotting in a two-and-a-half stone cannonball, heaving the carriage forward, sighting the target and finally firing the charge.

Then the generator roars, local blacksmith Clinton Perry turns on his air compressor, and the calm is split by a jet of abrasive sand particles forced at high pressure against the barrel of a cannon. Woolpack Battery suddenly feels like a place you want to get out of fast.

‘Most people think cannons are these hulking great pieces of metal that aren’t going to suffer, but they do, because they tend to be situated on the coast and are constantly lashed by salty air, which is ideal for making iron corrode,’ says senior conservator Bethan Stanley.

All cannons in our care are inspected annually, with light touch conservation – cleaning and minor rust treatment – conducted if necessary, and a few selected for full conservation work. However, as part of a new approach, a five-year rolling programme of ‘maintenance-plus’ conservation is now being implemented. A more thorough process 40

www.english-heritage.org.uk

than simply treating visible rust spots, this is intended to pick up any issues before there’s a need for full-scale conservation. And that’s because when serious corrosion occurs, a whole different scale of intervention is required.

‘For all but two of the 17 guns on Scilly, this year it’s about working on the parts we can get to without completely dismantling. We’re taking each one off its carriage, checking the metalwork, taking the wheels off, replacing corroded and damaged elements, and doing spot treatment on any rust pustules,’ explains Bethan. ‘Then we’ll put a complete new topcoat of paint on, and repaint the metal elements of the carriages as well.’

Cause for concern

Right now, Bethan is particularly concerned about two mid-19th-century metal carriages that each support an 18th-century 32lb Blomefield pattern cannon. The most common British guns to be used during the Napoleonic Wars, these two point over the ramparts of the Garrison Walls, from where a cold wind is whipping our faces at this westernmost point of the island.

The majority of our (and other organisations’) guns have been displaced through the continued evolution of artillery and the need to upgrade defences. Unusually, though, the cast-iron carriages these two guns are mounted on are still located in their original 19th-century defensive position.

‘The coast is a very aggressive environment,’ says Bethan. ‘These two have been so badly

E XPERT C ARE

Blacksmith Clinton Perry air abrades one of the cannons being conserved at Woolpack Battery on the Isles of Scilly

Scan this page with Blippar to see the Isles of Scilly cannons being conserved. See page 5 for more details

Clockwise from above This pair of Blomefield pattern cannons points over the ramparts of the Garrison Walls; the constant lashing by salty air corrodes the iron; plaques help to share the stories of our cannons; senior conservator Bethan Stanley and specialist conservator Tim Martin assess the damage

42

corroded by humidity and salt spray that they need full conservation works, to be stripped back to bare metal and repainted using a specific two-part system.’ In order to work on both carriages, the two 32lb cannons will be lifted off with a gantry crane that’s been specially shipped on to the island. The crane’s components had to be carried half-a-mile along a coast path to reach Woolpack Point, along with the air blaster, generator and the dozens of bags of garnet sand used as the abrasive.

However, explains Bethan, one of the gun carriages has become so badly damaged that

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a repair job in situ is impossible: ‘Iron expands when it rusts, and the pressure has caused a crack to open up right through the metalwork in an area that supports the weight of the cannon.’ The cast-iron gun carriage, with its beautifully-forged wheels, is historically important because it is original to the island. The complexity of the work requires Tim’s workshop and specialised tools, so it must be entirely dismantled, packed up and shipped out to the mainland.

Given that the Scilly cannons are sited on the hard-to-reach coastal edges, plus the challenges

E XPERT C ARE

‘The research required to get to the point of finally putting paint on a cannon is painstaking’ IN NUMBERS

413

The number of cannons and guns in our collection

38 TONS

The weight of the heaviest gun in the collection, a 12.5-inch rifled muzzle-loader at Hurst Castle

1544

The year in which the oldest gun in the collection – Queen Elizabeth’s pocket pistol at Dover Castle – was made

of getting on and off the islands – flights from Land’s End are often grounded due to fog, as I discovered a day earlier – this is a logistically tricky and expensive undertaking. A lot can go wrong. So what keeps conservators up at night when they’re working on this sort of job?

‘Conservators are paid to be paranoid,’ laughs Bethan. ‘There’s an awful lot of thinking and discussion that goes on before we even start.

But moving cannons is definitely a bit worrying.

They’re heavy but surprisingly brittle, so you can do really significant damage. When removing cannons from the carriages or carrying out air abrasion, much relies on the skill of the operator.’

Damage to cannons is caused by exposure to the elements and the materials they are made with, and also human misuse and vandalism – both of which the conservation programme deals with.

Specialist conservator Tim Martin, who is here on Scilly with his team, points at the 32-pounder currently being air-blasted.

‘When we tipped this one up, we found it was full of bright orange water,’ he says. ‘That’s rust, on the inside. The other cannons had water in them too but when we tipped them up it was clear.’ To avoid a reoccurrence, part of this year’s conservation will include fitting a new wooden plug, called a tompion, into the barrel to prevent water causing further damage. Tim

estimates that the carriage due to be taken off the island will require at least 250 hours’ work to make it structurally sound again.

Appliance of science

To improve the effectiveness of the conservation work, the team has taken an increasingly scientific approach to the materials and techniques used.

‘We’re moving on from the present approach, which involves basic surface cleaning, leaving paint residues and some corrosion in place, and painting over with essentially standard outdoor paints, which we know fail in these conditions in two to three years,’ says David Thickett, senior conservation scientist. ‘We’re evaluating using much tougher industrial paint systems with 10-year-plus lifetimes. In order to get that level of performance the surface has to be cleaned more thoroughly. It involves removing slightly more original material but, without this work, more metal would ultimately be lost through corrosion.

Such systems have been successfully used in the US in similar coastal environments and show no signs of corrosion after five years.’

The research required to reach the point of finally putting paint on a cannon is painstaking.

After combing through the scientific literature, David conducts laboratory tests on prospective paint systems. ‘We’re looking at how quickly it www.english-heritage.org.uk

43

‘Conserving our guns matters because each one helps to track the technological advances in artillery’ Clockwise from above The Woolpack Battery cannons sit above the shoreline of St Mary’s island as they have done for centuries; removing the top layer of old paint and corrosion from the axle so the wheel can be removed for air abrasion cleaning; one of the cannons is lifted off its carriage for repairs

DISCOVER ALL OUR HISTORIC SITES ON THE ISLES OF SCILLY www.english-heritage. co.uk/magazine 44

breaks down in sunlight, how well it sticks to the metal, how well it resists chloride solutions from sea-salt spray, and whether we can remove it several years later from the surface,’ he says. ‘We then move to testing on-site with metal coupons or steel corrosion sensors.’ To date, six paint systems have been tested over four years on the cliff face at Dover.

Technological advances

Conserving the integrity and sometimes the functioning of these guns matters, as the collection contains models that date from a ‘pocket pistol’ made during the reign of Henry VIII – not pocketsized at all – right up to a gun commissioned in the immediate post-Second World War period.

Each gun helps to track the technological advances in artillery through the centuries. Last year’s programme included major conservation work on a Russian cannon at Berwick Barracks – a trophy of war, brought home from the Crimea – and on the Second World War coastal defence gun at Tynemouth Priory and Castle.

Painted grey, unlike classical cannons, which are typically green or black, the Tynemouth gun is made of cast and fabricated steel. Steel is even more prone to corrosion than iron. With a complex internal mechanism, this gun was missing a number of parts. But the decision was taken not to completely deconstruct it ‘because to do that would be a massive undertaking working on site, with the potential for a lot of damage when trying to undo components that have seized up.’ Instead,

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it was air-abraded to remove corrosion, and an experiment is now being carried out on the gun base using three different types of paint treatment to see what works best to prevent deterioration.

‘We’ll examine it over time to see if the rust is coming through. We can also use scientific analysis such as X-ray diffraction and a colorimeter to see how sound the metal is and how rapidly each paint treatment is weathering,’ says Bethan.

Conservators are also planning to test wax coatings. These will be applied to a row of six cannons at Pendennis Castle, which are all in a similar condition and exposed to the same environment ‘to see whether we’re comfortable with how much the the waxes soak into the metal,’ says Bethan. ‘If we can find something that works as an interim measure when a gun needs full restoration, it could be very useful.

‘Whatever conservators do, we always aim for the process to be reversible,’ she adds. ‘What we hope is that with this five-year programme, we slow down deterioration and reduce the need and frequency for the type of complex conservation that the Woolpack gun carriage is now facing.’

SAVE OUR CANNONS Find out how to support our Cannons appeal on the facing page, and on the back cover of this issue

We need your help Our cannons stand proudly on the walls of castles and forts across the country as vivid reminders of our island’s story. But many of them are deteriorating and, unless we act now, they could be lost to the elements. With your help, we can carry out urgent repairs to protect three historic guns most in need of care.

COST

£8,000

COST

£15,000

(EACH)

ETAL CASTLE, NORTHUMBERLAND A pair of cast-iron and wood cannons likely to be rare examples surviving from the middle of the 17th century Both cannons need to be repainted and their carriages replaced

Please return this form to: English Heritage, Save our Cannons Appeal, PO Box 570, Swindon, SN2 2YR

First name

£10

£20

£30

Other £

Surname

Please let us know how you would like to hear from us: Email Post Phone SMS

Add Gift Aid to your donation?

By ticking this box you confirm that you agree that you wish The English Heritage Trust to benefit from Gift Aid legislation.

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I enclose a CHEQUE/POSTAL ORDER for £ , payable to The English Heritage Trust (please write your membership number clearly on the reverse of your cheque) Debit my Visa/American Express/Mastercard for £ Card Number

Our ref CANN18

Contact preferences Your support is helping to keep the story of England alive at over 400 historic sites across the country. We’d love to keep in touch with you about things to see and do, exclusive offers, our latest work, appeals and how your support makes a difference.

We will never share your details with anyone else to use for their purposes. You can change your mind at any time.

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Requires a repaint and complete conservation

We respect your privacy and full details of our privacy policy can be found at www.english-heritage.org.uk/about-us/ourpeople/our-policies

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PENDENNIS CASTLE CORNWALL A Second World War 3.7in mk III anti-aircraft gun on a mobile four-wheel carriage

Requires cannon and carriage repainting, gear box cover, wheel conservation and refitting

Please show your support by donating now. You can donate online at www.english-heritage. org.uk/cannons, by completing the form below or by calling us on 0370 333 0602

Title

£20,000

DOVER CASTLE, KENT Bofors anti-aircraft gun on a mobile mount

HOW TO DONATE

Yes, I want to help. Please accept my donation of

COST

Expiry date

You confirm that you are a UK taxpayer and have paid or will pay an amount of income tax and/or capital gains tax that is at least equal to the amount reclaimed on ALL your Gift Aid donations (not just The English Heritage Trust) for each tax year.

You understand that other taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify. This declaration applies to all eligible membership subscriptions/donations you have made during the last four-year period and until further notice.

Please let us know if you wish to cancel this declaration, change your home address, or you no longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains.

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13/03/2018 09:07

Out&About Over to you Ask the experts Competition Members’ events 20 questions

MY EXPERIENCE

‘I joined a 13th-century knights’ tournament’ ’ve always been interested in history. I joined English Heritage when I visited Warkworth Castle in Northumberland for the St George’s Pageant event last year. While I was there, I started chatting to Richard from the Dawn of Chivalry, which recreates 13th-century travelling knights’ tournaments. He told me they were always open to new members. I emailed the group afterwards and went along to a training session. They put you through your paces! I was hooked though and I took part in my first knights’ tournament in August at Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens, which was an amazing experience. I turned up on the Friday afternoon to help the group set up and then on Saturday I took part in the archery, the mini melee and the grand melee. As the lowest rank, my role was to obey knights’ orders – I usually got taken out by a higher rank quite quickly. I was really nervous in my first battle but the group put me at ease. They look big and mean in their armour but everyone looks after each other on and off the battlefield. It was such a fantastic experience. I sent a message to the group afterwards saying, ‘I ache, I’m bruised and I smell terrible. I can’t wait for the next show!’ www.english-heritage.org.uk/events

IVOR RACKHAM

I

Katherine Ashby photographed at Warkworth Castle in Northumberland, where she was inspired to join a re-enactment group

www.english-heritage.org.uk

47

cities | scenery | culture | heritage | events | seasons

REQUEST YOUR FREE BROCHURE

Vienna, Prague & Berlin

10 DAYS FROM

Savour the majestic glories of Europe’s great imperial capitals. Contrast the elegance of Vienna with the charm of Gothic Prague and the history of Berlin on a ten-day tour by rail.

Itinerary (for full details visit www.raildiscoveries.com/EUS) Day 1 London to Nuremberg Travel by Eurostar from St Pancras to Brussels. From here, continue on to Nuremberg where you overnight.

Day 2 Vienna Today, you travel to the stunning city of Vienna. The rest of the day is at leisure ahead of dinner this evening. Why not visit Schönbrunn Palace? The exquisite palace is the former imperial summer residence and one of Vienna’s architectural highlights.

Day 3 Exploring Vienna Today you are treated to a guided tour of this magnificent city, which includes the famous Ringstrasse, the mighty Hofburg Palace and the charming Old Town.

Day 4 To Prague This morning, depart Vienna for Prague, arriving mid-afternoon in the Czech capital.

You will spend three nights here. The rest of your day is free to begin exploring this fine ‘City of 100 Spires’.

Day 5 Guided tour of Prague Today enjoy a guided sightseeing tour of Prague. You will see the medieval castle district, the largest medieval castle complex in Europe, and the historic Old Town Square, as well as Charles Bridge with its magnificent Baroque statues.

Day 6 Exploring Prague Your day is at leisure in Prague where you have time to admire the impressive imperial buildings and bustling squares.

Day 7 To Berlin Leave Prague by rail, bound for Germany.

Your destination is its fascinating capital city of Berlin, and your route takes you along the scenic Elbe Valley and through an area of rocky gorges known as ‘Saxon Switzerland’.

On arrival in Berlin, check in to the Park Inn Alexanderplatz for three nights.

Days 8-9 Discovering Berlin This morning, take an insightful guided tour of the once-divided German capital. You will see the imposing Brandenburg Gate, as well as remnants of the Berlin Wall and the Reichstag. Your afternoon, and Day 9, are at leisure to explore Berlin at your own pace.

Day 10 Homeward bound Travel via Cologne to Brussels by rail. Here you board the Eurostar service back to London.

Germany

3

BERLIN

TO/FROM LONDON

NUREMBERG

Nights in hotel

PRAGUE

1

France

VIENNA

2

DEPARTURES 10 Sep 18 17 Sep 18 1 Oct 18 8 Oct 18

• Fully escorted by a UK Tour Manager from start to finish • Exclusive meeting point at our St Pancras Departure Office • All rail and coach travel throughout • 9 nights’ hotel accommodation with breakfast • 4 dinners • Guided sightseeing tour of Vienna, including the famous Ringstrasse and the Old Town, with a local guide

• Guided city tour of Berlin, including the Reichstag, with a local guide

Call us now to book or request a brochure

By Rail

11, 25 Jun 18 £1,390 16 Jul 18 Sold out 13 Aug 18 £1,340 3 Sep 18 Sold out

NO HIDDEN EXTRAS:

• Guided tour of Prague, including the Hradcany Castle district and the historic Old Town Square, with a local guide

COLOGNE 3

£1,290

£1,390 £1,360 £1,340 £1,290

Book with 100% confidence, flight-inclusive holidays are ATOL protected, non flight-inclusive holidays are protected

by ABTA. Dates and prices are subject to availability. Prices shown are per person, based on 2 people sharing.

Prices may change prior to and after publication. Itinerary may differ depending on the departure date you choose.

Terms and conditions apply. Please call for further details. Calls will be recorded.

01904 730541

www.raildiscoveries.com Our tour advisors are

here 7 days a week

OUT & ABOUT

Over to you

www.english-heritage.org.uk/magazine facebook.com/englishheritage twitter.com/englishheritage

Share your stories and send us your experiences, photos and tips

Wartime bunkers I am wondering if the Codename Paddock: Churchill’s Bunker tour for Members (March 2018, page 57) will visit a place I worked from 1946 to 1954. I joined the Admiralty hydrographic department on the corner of Oxgate Lane and Edgware Road in London. We were all sworn to silence about its unusual nature, and the door keeper was an armed Royal Marine. An adjoining building was used as a naval stores depot.

Just inside the front entrance was a door that led to a concrete staircase. The steps went down and down, past a considerable depth of concrete, before coming to heavy steel doors. Beyond was a maze of fully furnished offices. The steps continued down past another great slab of concrete, then more steel doors and offices. Both levels reeked of damp and near the foot of the steps was a steel grid covering a sump containing standing water. We were told it was intended as a government bolthole Churchill’s alternate bunker to the Cabinet War Rooms was codenamed Paddock

if Whitehall became uninhabitable but, in reality, these basements were unusable.

Edna Leonard Mark Selwood, Second World War expert, replies: The place you worked at is the Admiralty bunker at Oxgate Lane, which is near Paddock. In the late 1930s, the three armed services and the cabinet were each to be provided with protected bunkers in case of war. The cabinet bunker (the Cabinet War Rooms open to the public in Whitehall) was deemed insufficient protection when war began, so a new bunker (codenamed Paddock) was built in 1940 on the site of the Post Office research station, which is only a few streets away from the Oxgate Lane Admiralty facility (codenamed IP). Sadly, we are unable to provide visits to IP as the upper level is now a carpet warehouse, so all interior walls have been removed to make space, and the lower level is prone to flooding.

Pomeroy poetry I thought you might like to see this spooky poem my daughter Sofie (aged nine) wrote after she was inspired by our visit to Berry Pomeroy Castle in Devon and the story of the white lady.

Sarah O’Brien The Woman in White Look at my skin As white as snow Look at my hair Tied up in a bow

TRENDING What’s got you talking on our social media channels?

Women’s history There were hundreds of retweets and likes as we told the stories of inspirational women as part of #WomensHistoryMonth. bit.ly/2u9hwud

Monumental post A post on the early resoration work that began at Stonehenge after it was given to the nation was popular – it generated almost 1,000 likes. bit.ly/2GcLqCl

instagram.com/englishheritage

Berry Pomeroy Castle in Devon

Look at my lips That have never been red Look at my face It is something you dread Look at my soul As it beats full of sorrow But look in my eyes And you’ll see no tomorrow

Bayeux display Where should the Bayeux Tapestry go (March 2018, page 11)? Surely either Waterloo station or Trafalgar Square.

Time to celebrate the odd victory!

Dr Peter Baker

Hardknott life This aerial shot of Hardknott Roman Fort in Cumbria – one of the most remote Roman forts in Britain – has garnered nearly 3,000 likes. bit.ly/2Gdzu3d www.english-heritage.org.uk english-heritage.org.uk

49

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Ask the experts

MEMBERS’ ARE A

WHAT’S NEW?

The English Heritage team answers your questions

Log in at www.english-heritage. org.uk/members-area

Jeremy Ashbee

Jenny Davie

Michael Hunter

Head properties curator

Head of events

Art curator, collections

event at Chesters Roman Fort, to unearth the Wall’s secrets, with tours and activities from 26 May–3 June. Over the bank holiday discover life as a Roman at Birdoswald Roman Fort with hands-on activities from 26–28 May. You could also take the opportunity to visit its new exhibition and café too!

Heather Tipping asks… daughter is studying the Victorian Q My era at school. Where should we visit so that she can find out more about the period?

Geoff Taylor asks… the difference between a fort Q What’s and a castle?

Jeremy Ashbee replies… of the functions of castles and forts were A Many identical – housing soldiers and weaponry, and defending itself against attack. But medieval castles had another important function as the residences of important figures such as kings and queens, noblemen and women, knights and their ladies, and bishops. Forts were built in later periods, in which the business of fighting was often led by professional soldiers, not always so highly-born.

Michael Hunter replies…

Swiss Cottage and Museum, created by A The Queen Victoria and Prince Albert at Osborne on the Isle of Wight, are filled with objects that show the royal couple’s interest in art, technology and travel. A tour of the family portraits in the house is itself a lesson in the history of the monarchy, while the Indian-inspired Durbar Room is a reminder of the British empire.

Elsewhere, Home of Charles Darwin – Down House in Kent and Brodsworth Hall in Yorkshire are contrasting examples of Victorian country homes.

Susan Green asks… just joined English Heritage and are Q We’ve planning our first trip to Hadrian’s Wall with our children. What events should we look out for there over the school holidays?

Jenny Davie replies… you have joined us – I hope you enjoy A Fantastic your membership! Over half-term I’d recommend any budding archaeologists join our Victorian time travellers at the Archaeology Discovery SEND US A QUESTION For your chance to have your questions answered by one of our English Heritage experts, email us at membersmagazine@immediate.co.uk

Take our devious castles quiz Put your knowledge of our historic fortresses to the test with our just-for-fun 20 questions quiz

Tintagel bridge video We meet the team behind the landmark bridge that will reconnect Tintagel Castle to the mainland

Introducing the queens of our castles The famous women who played an important role in the history of our castles

Historic treasures of the Isles of Scilly Inspired by our Expert Care feature? Don’t miss our guide to the islands’ other historic sites

Members’ events

Five of our unmissable Member-exclusive events over the months ahead

1

30 Jun & 11 Jul

JW Evans Up Close

JW Evans Silver Factory, Birmingham

JW Evans is one of the most complete surviving historic factories in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. Join us as we bring some of the factory machinery back to life, with the help of JW Evans’ grandson, Tony Evans, and stamper. Be warned though, it could get noisy!

2

6 Jun

The Georgian Gardener: Celebrating Humphry Repton

Kenwood, Hampstead

2018 marks the 200th anniversary of Humphry Repton’s death. Join Emily Parker from the Gardens and Landscape team for a guided tour, focusing on Repton’s design at Kenwood in the 1790s. Come and discover the landscape he laid out then and what can still be seen today.

3

16 Jul

Guided Descent to Greenwell Pit

Grime’s Graves, Thetford, Norfolk

Grime’s Graves is the only Neolithic flint mine open to visitors in Britain.

At present only Pit One is open to the public, but a new winch and harness system means visitors can now access Greenwell’s Pit. Join our Neolithic expert Will Lord as he gives a talk on the archaeology of the site.

4

27 Jun

The Lit & Phil, Newcastle

5

Don’t miss these new and exciting Roman events this summer Old Sarum Enjoy a heart-thumping contest of skill as two teams of Roman soldiers fight for victory. With muscle and mastery, they’ll use spears, swords and bows to showcase their prowess and fend off foe.

27 & 28 May

Wroxeter Roman City

The Lit & Phil – Behind the Books

Book yourself in to explore one of Newcastle’s hidden gems, the Lit & Phil. Discover the history of this beautiful building, as well as learning about some of the most treasured works in the library’s collection.

Enjoy behind-the-scenes access to their store as part of the tour.

BEST OF THE REST Clash of the Romans

For highlights of this season’s exclusive Members’ events see your Events Guide with this issue

Experience an all-action contest as two teams of Roman legionaries battle it out in a test of skill in the Clash of the Romans. Only one team will triumph!

9 & 10 June

20 Jul

1634 and All That

Bolsover Castle, Chesterfield

On 30 July 1634 William Cavendish played host to Charles I and his queen at Bolsover. The lavish entertainment was aimed purely at courting favour so that Cavendish could gain a much sought-after position in the royal household.

Money was no object and nothing was spared just so that he could attain his desired status.

Explore the Humphry Repton-designed landscape at Kenwood this spring

Birdoswald Roman Fort Roman soldiers exchange blows with swords and shields and showcase their prowess at archery and spear-throwing. Get a taste of Roman life in the soldiers’ encampment.

21 & 22 July

SAVE

15% OUR ON Y AGE IT HER PE C ES A

A hand picked heritage hotel break

H

and Picked Hotels is a collection of country house heritage properties in the most picturesque of settings throughout the UK and the Channel Islands, combining architectural splendour with stylish and contemporary interiors.

Book before 31st July to save up to 15% on a leisurely escape to any one of them and experience all the grandeur and indulgence of a country house visit, soaking up their history while enjoying superb food complemented by an extensive selection of fine wine.

You will pay from £159 per couple for overnight accommodation in a stylish Classic bedroom with a glass of

Champagne and a box of chocolates on arrival, a seasonal three-course dinner, a traditional breakfast and late check-out until noon.

Ten hotels have relaxing spa and rejuvenating health clubs and many are former private residences with a Grade I or Grade II listing.

They include historic Stanbrook Abbey, home to an order of Benedictine nuns for over 150 years until only recently and now a striking and intriguing hotel nestled beneath the Malvern Hills near Worcester.

www.handpickedhotels.co.uk

For more information or to book, please call 0845 458 0901* quoting ‘English Heritage’ To book online and for full terms and conditions visit: handpickedhotels.co.uk/English-Heritage *Calls cost 5p per minute plus your provider’s access charge

Handpicked Hotels_B719056_5ah.indd 1

06/04/2018 09:20

OUT & ABOUT

WIN!

Win a luxury stay in the heart of the historic city of Oxford he historic five-star Macdonald Randolph Hotel in the heart of Oxford celebrated its 150th anniversary last year with the completion of a £6.5 million refurbishment that has seen all 151 bedrooms brought to the highest standard and the introduction of a new dining concept in the Acanthus Restaurant.

Now you could win a luxury break for two people and enjoy two nights in an Executive room, with a full English or buffet breakfast each

T

You can enter all our competitions – and get quiz answers – in the Members’ Area of our website.

For your chance to win go to www.english-heritage.org. uk/competitions

morning, a three-course dinner with a bottle of house wine in the Acanthus Restaurant on one evening, a bottle of champagne in your room on arrival and complimentary access to car parking and the superb spa thermal suite.

Macdonald Randolph Hotel is close to all the university colleges and museums, and has featured frequently in the Inspector Morse and Lewis television series, as well as countless films. English Heritage Members can also enjoy discounted entry at Oxford Castle (see the back of your handbook).

The prize A luxury break for two at the five-star Randolph Hotel in Oxford

How to enter Simply complete the form at www. english-heritage.org. uk/competitions by midnight on 24 June 2018.

Members’ offer English Heritage Members can save 20% on the hotel’s best B&B rate until 31 August 2018. For more details, go to www.english-heritage.org. uk/membersoffers

Terms & conditions Closing date for entries is midnight on 24 June 2018. The competition is open to all residents in the UK aged 18 years or over, except employees of Immediate Media and English Heritage, and their immediate families.

The prize is not transferable or negotiable, and no cash alternative is available. Find full terms and conditions at www.english-heritage.org.uk/competitions. If you would like to enter but do not have access to the English Heritage website, please contact our Customer Services team on 0370 333 1181. Prize valid for six months from the date of nomination, excluding Christmas, New Year, Valentine’s Day and Easter and subject to availability.Treatments are not included and charges will apply.

www.english-heritage.org.uk

55

OUT & ABOUT

questions 20

Test your knowledge of English Heritage’s castles with our quiz

1 Which castle was the childhood home of Richard III (pictured below)?

7 Can you unscramble the names of these four English Heritage castles?

ZEALOUSLY BATCHED CASH RATTLESNAKES DOWNLOAD DANCE BOP HEADWATERS CHART METALWORKING GRANDFATHERS GLEEFUL CHOIR

2 Elizabeth I granted which castle to one of her favourites, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester?

3 King Henry II built the Great Tower at the heart of Dover Castle in Kent in which decade?

1090s 1180s 1260s 1310s

4 Castle Acre Castle in Norfolk was founded after the Battle of Hastings by which close associate of William the Conqueror?

5 Totnes Castle in Devon is a classic example of what type of castle?

Log into the Members’ Area at www.english-heritage. org.uk/members to check your answers

14 St Mawes Castle, which is near Truro in Cornwall, is one of a chain of coastal artillery forts built by which king?

15 Sorviodunum was the Roman name for which settlement, which was thought to be a fort in Roman times and later housed a medieval castle?

8 Which of these castles is sited on a rocky promontory above the River Swale and is among the oldest Norman stone fortresses in Britain?

16 Which animals have been used for hundreds of years at Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight to draw up water in the well-house?

Barnard Castle Bowes Castle Middleham Castle Richmond Castle

17 Dunstanburgh Castle in Northumberland was built in the early 14th century by one of the wealthiest noblemen in England.

Who was he?

9 Ed Sheeran’s song, Castle on the Hill, which reached number two in 2017, was inspired by which castle?

10 Who built the Riding House at Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire – now considered to be a landmark in British equestrianism?

11 Old Wardour Castle in Wiltshire was used as a location in which 1991 film?

18 The keep of Peveril Castle in Derbyshire was built in 1176 by which king?

19 The Queen Mother’s Garden (pictured below) at Walmer Castle and Gardens, near Deal in Kent, was created to honour which of the Queen Mother’s birthdays?

12 Can you identify the English Heritage castle from these three images?

6 Can you identify this dramatically located castle (pictured below)?

13 Which castle was the landing place of William the Conqueror’s army in 1066?

Dover Castle Hurst Castle Pevensey Castle Walmer Castle and Gardens

20 During a long siege from 1644–45 at Beeston Castle in Cheshire, Royalists defending the castle were so low on food they were apparently forced to eat what? www.english-heritage.org.uk english-heritage.org.uk

57

PA S T L I V E S

Eleanor of Aquitaine at Old Sarum How this formidable French princess and former queen of England came to be imprisoned in the windswept castle of Old Sarum in Wiltshire WORDS LINDY GR ANT ILLUSTR ATION SIMON PEMBERTON

leanor, heiress to the vast French duchy of Aquitaine, was married first to Louis VII, king of France. Eleanor later said it was like being married to a monk. During their marriage Eleanor failed to produce an heir and, during the Second Crusade, Louis accused Eleanor of flirting with her uncle, Raymond of Antioch. Soon after, in 1152, Louis divorced her. Within months, Eleanor was married to Henry, count of Anjou and duke of Normandy. In 1154, Henry succeeded to the English throne, and Henry and Eleanor were crowned king and queen

E

at Westminster Abbey. From 1154 Henry ruled England, and most of western France.

Henry was everything that Louis VII was not – bold, energetic, with a quick intelligence. At first this marriage was successful. Sons and daughters were born.

Eleanor often acted as regent in England when Henry was occupied in France.

In 1167, Henry established Eleanor in Poitiers to rule her own duchy of Aquitaine, along with their second son, Richard.

But by now relations between them were strained by Henry’s infidelities. In 1170, Henry’s conflict with his intransigent archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, led to Becket’s brutal murder. Henry’s reputation for kingship was badly battered.

Emboldened, Henry’s sons, Henry the Young King, Geoffrey count of Brittany, Richard count of Poitou and the youngest,

John, demanded a share in their father’s lands and powers. Louis VII, who had matured into a wily operator, supported Henry’s disaffected sons against their father, as he had supported Becket against Henry.

In 1173, revolt broke out throughout Henry’s realms. Eleanor supported her sons against their father but she was captured as she attempted to reach the safety of Louis VII’s lands. Surprisingly, the old king defeated his enemies. Henry came to terms with his sons but could not forgive his wife’s treachery.

Until his death in 1189, she was a prisoner at Old Sarum. Henry ensured that Eleanor led a queenly lifestyle, with hunting, feasting and fine clothes, but she no longer played a queen’s role in the governance of the realm.

Like many queens, Eleanor came into her own during the reign of her sons.

She assured their succession, undertook important diplomatic missions for them, and she ruled the Angevin realm when Richard was captured by the emperor.

Eleanor’s political career did not end at Old Sarum.

PL AN YOUR VISIT For details of how to visit Old Sarum, go to www.english-heritage.org.uk/oldsarum

READ ABOUT THE OTHER QUEENS OF OUR CASTLES www.english-heritage. co.uk/magazine 58

www.english-heritage.org.uk

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Second World War anti-aircraft gun at Dover Castle

Reproduction 16th-century cast-iron cannon at Portland Castle

SAVE OUR CANNONS Today, a pair of nine-pounder cannons stands guard at the gates of Etal Castle. We are currently researching their history: they are likely to be rare examples surviving from the middle of the 17th century. But the cannons need to be repainted, their fixings need to be changed and replacement carriages need to be commissioned – conservation work that is going to cost £8,000 per cannon.

Second World War gun at Pendennis Castle

These are just two of the 413 guns and cannons in our care, many of which are at risk of being lost to the elements. We need to act now to save these precious objects and keep their stories alive for future generations – and we need your help. www.english-heritage.org.uk/cannons

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT 19th-century cannon at St Mawes Castle

The English Heritage Trust is a charity, no. 1140351, and a company, no. 07447221, registered in England.

Possible 17th-century cannons at Etal Castle