Tag Archives: Norfolk

Autumn fun in Bury St Edmunds

In the Autumn of last year we made a day trip to Bury St Edmunds & National Trust property, Ickworth House. The autumn colours were lovely, and I ticked another cathedral off the list!

Bury St Edmunds is a short distance from where I live, so it is a great choice for a day trip. The town is named after St Edmund. Edmund was the King of East Anglia, and was killed by the Vikings in 869, (the detail of which is depicted in art at the Cathedral). He became a saint and a martyr, and was buried at the town. His shrine made Bury St Edmunds popular with pilgrims. Today, the town is a great location for visitors to enjoy, with lots of opportunity for shopping, events and great dining experiences, as well as the below attractions.

St Edmundsbury Cathedral & Abbey

Originally built as a church as part of the wider abbey complex in Bury St Edmunds, the previously called ‘St James’ church didn’t become a cathedral until 1914. It certainly deserves to be a cathedral, from the sheer size of it! You can see the scale of it as it dominates over the rest of the town centre.

On entering the cathedral, you are welcomed by a volunteer (like all quality cathedrals…) and can pick up one of their useful information leaflets which will allow you to have a self guided tour. The cathedral also offers tower tours, I wish that I had done this on the day, and I think I will need to return in order to take advantage of this experience and hopefully see great views.

The cathedral has lots of information and imagery regarding St Edmund, and other big names from local history. There is also a large lego model of the cathedral which you can donate £1 to add a brick. This was quite impressive, and I don’t really like lego, so that means a lot! They have paused the “building work” during the pandemic but you can still put a donation forward online for your brick to be added, and see some photos. Check it out on the cathedral website here.

Next door to the cathedral, are the ruins of the original abbey complex. You can also see the old abbey gates still in tact in front of the road. The abbey was actually in existence before the town, and was used by Benedictine monks. The monks actually designed the town to be in a grid formation to benefit them economically, and the abbey did prove to be one of the richest in the country for some time. The abbey has a history of good and bad fortune over the centuries until eventually in 1539 is was stripped bare during the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

I enjoyed wondering the large area and trying to work out which rooms the different foundations might have belonged to. My partner and I also enjoyed trying to improve our photography skills, as there are so many different shapes and shadows to photograph. The abbey ruins are part of the abbey gardens which is a public park which everyone can enjoy. I thought that it was very nice that the park and ruins were settled into each other, as it means that the community engages with the site regularly. Whilst we were exploring the ruins, we actually came across a community gathering for a Remembrance Day memorial service which was very moving.

Ickworth House

After enjoying the town centre, we made our way to Ickworth House. This National Trust property is on the outskirts of the town, and is a great place for a walk! It is a country house shaped like an observatory (formally it is called a ‘rotunda’), which is quite cool and was originally built in the 18th century. The entire place has an Italian theme to it, and you can really tell this in the look of the building and gardens.

When we visited, the outside of the front of the house was covered in scaffolding which was a shame, but it still looked great at the back, and we could still go inside and see what was once the servant’s quarters and kitchens.

We mainly enjoyed going on a long walk across the parklands, where you can see great views and lots of sheep! We really enjoyed seeing all the autumn colours, and it made some great photographs. This was especially the case when we found a tree that had dramatic roots that were over spilling into the stream (photo below). There are multiple different walking routes available within the huge parkland area, and many of them will take you past key monuments/structures/views, such as St Mary’s church that lies within the estate, and is the oldest part of the grounds.

I think I will definitely make more visits to both the town and Ickworth House in the future, as I really enjoyed myself and it was great to stretch my legs on the walk! If possible, I think I will also try to check out the West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village & Country Park. It is a totally reconstructed early Anglo-Saxon village, and looks like a lot of fun to explore and maybe attend a re-enactment event. They do archery there… I am AWESOME at archery! Obviously I was born in the wrong era.

Watching the seals at Horsey Gap, Norfolk

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Today I made a visit to Horsey nearby the popular village of Sea Palling on the Norfolk Coast. This area which is only a 45 minute scenic drive for me, is home to hundreds of beautiful seals and the location that they decide to breed each Winter. If you are making a visit to East Anglia between October and February it is well worth making the trip to the beach to see the colony.

The seals are well monitored and protected by the Friends of Horsey Seals volunteer group and they provided information this year that there were over 200 new pups so far this Winter. I think it is great that this organisation exists to protect these great animals as they are a true treasure for the region and without these protective measures, many of the pups would struggle to survive so close to humans.

The colony is full of grey seals or ‘hook nosed sea pigs’, and there is plenty of information around on how to spot the difference and identify a bull from a cow, and what happens when a pup is born. Did you know that a pup is only with its mum for a few weeks on the beach whilst it sheds its coat and gains blubber, it is then quickly left to fend for itself. Abit harsh if you ask me… but i suppose that’s nature for you!

Horsey’s seal viewing platform is on the route of the scenic Norfolk Coastal Path. This amazing pathway takes you through 62 miles of scenic coastline and stops at many picturesque seaside villages. I would definitely recommend it to those looking for a good walking holiday.

Exploring Europe’s Churches, Chapels & Cathedrals

I have always loved to visit old buildings when exploring a destination and there is no better example of a building that has seen a town moving through the centuries than the local church.

I have seen many places of worship across the continent and they never seize to astonish me with their beauty, history and creativity. There are so many styles of architecture and amazing pieces of art available to see so I never get bored of taking a pew and enjoying the views inside.

A bit of peace…

Visiting a ‘house of God’ has always given me a great feeling of peace and helped me to relax in times of stress. The composure felt with visiting might be down to the quiet atmosphere, the generous community spirit or the comfort of knowing that you are walking in the same footsteps as many for centuries before you.

These are the places where families and friends gather to celebrate key moments in their lives, discuss important issues and deal with troubling emotions. The stories that are held in the walls of these temples are vast and intriguing and makes it no wonder that church tourism is one of the most popular forms of heritage tourism.

Church Tourism

With St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey being in the top ten paid attractions in the UK and many church groups trying to zone in on the tourist market through new innovations, religious buildings have never been more interesting.

Whilst in many parts of Europe churches are still used solely for worship, there are several cathedrals and churches in main cities and within the UK that are diversifying their offering to satisfy the curiosity of tourists. Services offered to tourists include: guided tours, information displays, gifts, events, and trails.

A snapshot of some of the most beautiful Churches, Monasteries, Cathedrals and Chapels i have seen across Europe…

Jeronimos Monastery, Lisbon

St George’s Basilica, Prague

St Nicholas’, Prague

St Vitus Cathedral, Prague

Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin

Church of Our Lady Before Týn, Prague

Many churches that are part of the Churches Conservation Trust have even gone a step further by re-purposing the churches for modern activities such as rock concerts and ‘champing’, the new trend of camping inside one of these beautiful churches.

Norfolk’s Churches

In my home county of Norfolk there are no shortage of churches and in Norwich it is said that there is a church for every week of the year. This makes for a beautiful landscape where you are almost guaranteed to see a church spire on the horizon whilst driving through the countryside.

Booton Norfolk Church

With churches towering over the Norfolk Broads, the coast and the farmlands of the county you can experience amazing views of the area, whilst discovering the interesting history and culture of the English county inside.

Some of the most inviting and innovative churches include St Michael’s in Aylsham, St Michael’s in Booton and St Peter & St Paul in Salle.

St Peter & St Paul in Salle near Reepham was built between 1400 and 1450 and restored around 1900. Salle church is rumoured to be the burial site of the unfortunate Anne Boleyn, the former wife of King Henry VIII. The Boleyns lived in the village as early as 1318, only getting status later when they aquired Blickling Hall; the nearby Jacobean estate. Features include a chancel roof with carvings showing scenes from the life of Christ.

St Michael & All Angels in Booton also near Reepham is known as the ‘Cathedral of Fields’ because of its a remarkable example of great architecture. It was designed and built in 1891 by Revd Whitwell Elwin, a descendant of the famous Pocahontas. Booton church has full sized carved angels, a timber framed roof, and colourful stained glass windows.

St Michael’s in Aylsham was built in the early 14th century. The rood screen dates to 1507 and there is also a medieval crypt uncovered during renovations of the church. This church is still a buzzing community hub in the charming market town of Aylsham today.

Keep up the good work!

Whether in the UK or abroad, churches, cathedrals, chapels and monasteries can all be a brilliant place to learn about local heritage and traditions. It is great to see so many church teams trying to attract new visitors and I hope this carries on with the support and partnership of the community to keep these historic buildings around for future generations to enjoy.