A Weekend at Corfe

Saturday 3 May

Corfe Castle.

WHEW!  I could swamp this blog with pictures, but will try to be restrained. 

The day started with a walk into the village, passing some great places. The old pound, where stray animals were kept until claimed, with a barn beside it which has an external stone staircase to the hay-loft. 

 

                                                                        The Barn

                                                                       The Pound

The early almshouse (c1677) with four rooms on the ground floor and again outside steps (no railings) up to the first floor   - hard on old folk with unsteady balance, hopefully they had walking sticks.   

We looked at an empty village shop that had been run by CLEALLs (yes, double L), and only recently closed. 

Then the parish church, dedicated to St Edmund, King & Martyr. Mostly rebuilt by the Victorians, but with a few mediaeval features still left inside. 

The old Town Hall behind the church seats 12, (they boast that it is the smallest one in England) and downstairs at ground level is a small museum, previously the jail, and very nicely done. 

I don’t recall ever seeing hand-stocks before, they would have felt very heavy after a while

Then around the corner to where a memorial shaft for Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee has been erected on top of the old Market Cross steps. Had a look at the Post Office building and toy shop. 

Back to the tea-shop for a cuppa, then David & I strolled down the back, past the visitors playing a miniature game of croquet, to a model village. Brilliantly done, and gives a great idea of the layout of the village, and what the castle would have looked like before it was destroyed. It includes a small model of the village, so we have a village within a village within a village – reminds me of Narnia. 

We next went on to the castle. I was lucky in that it was a re-enactment day, and there were tents everywhere on the Outer Bailey, with old and young dressed in period costume and acting out life of the time. It was fascinating. Ann and I stopped to watch two men threading and looping silver wire around a smooth stick of about half an inch diameter, in a back-stitch kind of pattern. The effect was a little like knitting, and when they have finished, after about ten hours work, they pull it through a small board with several ever-decreasing holes in it to narrow and stretch it into a fine necklace of less than half the original diameter. Having seen similar necklaces before, I had often wondered how they did such fine work. 

                                               Re-enacters in character for the weekend 

                         David checking how far one side of the entrance dropped when it was blown up

                                                   Even the steam train was running

The castle was a brilliant defensive fort. The arrow slits are amazingly narrow, but are very strategically placed. When the south-west gatehouse was undermined and blown up not a lot was destroyed, but the left-hand side moved forward and down about six feet. It is still possible to see the grooves where the portcullis was, and an open shaft beside it to throw things down. We walked right up and around everywhere, and there are stunning views from every point. 

After a quick lunch at home, we were off to Wareham, to look at the (very nearly) thousand year old St Martin’s church, built around 1020! An amazing number of wall paintings have survived here, and beneath flaking plaster you can see still older paintings. 

                                                             Carruthers family plaque

                                                               Lawrence of Arabia

There is a plaque on the wall to a Carruthers family, detailing even their causes of death, and the drowning of a son in the Invincible in 1805 (lucky genealogist finding all that!). There is also a slab gravestone in the north-east corner to one of them, behind a newish effigy of Lawrence of Arabia, sculpted by a friend, and presented to the church by Lawrence’s brother in 1939. Beside his head is a small pile of his favourite books – not something you see on most tomb effigies, but very appropriate, as Lawrence had a great library. 

They do not have any booklet to buy about the church history, just some laminated sheets to read while you look around, which is frustrating. I took photos of the sheet, as I will never remember everything. Ann and I then took a stroll along part of the town wall, an earthwork bulwark where several folk were enjoying the summer bank holiday afternoon. We looked down to the river on one side, and a flat field that turned out to be a bowling green, archery practice and fair ground at various times in its history.

                                           Looking down to the river from the earthen wall

Afterwards we sat at a pub by the river having a quiet drink for a while, then drove through a lovely woodland bird protection  sanctuary to the Saxon church of St Nicholas at Arne, even smaller and plainer than Wareham. Built in the early 1200s, it is very simple and beautiful. Unusually, the heads of some of the windows were carved from a single block of stone. There is no tower, and the altar is made of a pre-Reformation stone with five crosses carved into it. There are also remains of an early wall painting above the door. 

Home for a delicious tea of moussaka with chips and salad, followed by banoffee pie. Very scrumptious, we must try that at home!

Sunday 4 May

Off to church at Swanage, followed by a short walk along the (sandy) beach. After lunch we drove over to Poole, where June Clist was expecting me. I recall the name many years ago as associated with CLEAL research, but she is a friend of D&A & they had rung her to ask if I could come over. She is also on the committee for the Dorset FHS with David. 

She has done an enormous amount of work on the CLEAL name in Dorset, and quite a lot in Somerset as well. All neatly typed up, indexed, referenced and put into trees, back in the days before so much was online.

We found my James and Elizabeth with no trouble, and then found his baptism in Donyatt, (one of the parishes bordering Ilminster), along with lots of siblings. So now I am back another generation! I will be able to look at the original parish registers when I get to SLC, and confirm it all.  After a couple of hours of excitement A&D arrived to collect me, and we went home, took a group photo outside the house, since D  is clever at setting his camera, then walked down to the local for tea. 

While Ann went & grabbed our table, we got drinks, and the owner, Mark, said to David casually ‘Your Steve is in the garden out the back.’ Steve does not live in this village. They had called in for a celebration drink after their son Joe won his Sevens game, and we would never have known they were there if Mark had not mentioned it. David thinks that Mark has seen them together maybe once! Village life is just great. 

Nice meal, then home to watch an Antiques Roadshow – filmed at Southsea in Portsmouth, where I am headed tomorrow afternoon. 

Monday 5 May

Tyneham deserted village. In about 1943 the Government wrote to all the village house-holders and told them the area was needed for military training, and they would have to temporarily vacate their homes. They were given a month to leave, and were assured that after the war they would be able to return. However roofs of the houses were removed to make sure that it would not be possible. The area is still used by the military, and is sometimes closed when firing practice is scheduled. For many years even the signposts to the village were lost. In fact on our way there we were very close to the final turn-off before we saw the first one. 

                                                        Tyneham village remains

                                                                 The Rectory

Today many of the houses have been shored up or repaired to the point where they can be walked through, and the original small cottages, with fireplaces, coppers etc, are a popular holiday weekend destination. The barn and stables display the way things were, and show a selection of implements, all labelled. Volunteers have learned the old skill of building a dry-stone wall, and are gradually surrounding the area. 

Back up the hill at the village, each house has a board up showing photos of who lived there, and listing the house-hold members during the census years. Comments about their homes from people who were children at the time make it especially poignant. 

Laundry Cottages

David is not sure about doing the laundry in this washing machine

Another caption board - see the census details in the top left

                                                          An upstairs fireplace

In the church are more boards for people who lived here, including two CLEALL’s. Not my family, as far as I know, but I tool photos anyway. 

                                                   Charles Job CLEALL on the WW1 Memorial

After a delicious pork chop and veg lunch, I was given some sliced home-made bread (freshly made this morning) and told to make myself a sandwich to save going out to find tea later. Then, loaded down with  fruit, drinks and biscuits, - and with a final bar of dark chocolate from David slipped into my case as I finished packing – I was driven to Wareham Station and farewelled. Those Gynes sure do kill you with kindness – other than when the ‘Master’ of the house isn’t dropping broad hints about my leaving a day or two or three early <g>

Train to Portsmouth, and cab to the Duke of Buckingham Hotel in The High St.

Reading: Agatha Raisin & the Terrible Tourist (for some funny reason I haven't finished a single book this weekend! But I certainly had the most wonderful time.)

Sherborne Day Two

Friday 2 May

Walked down to the S&D rooms, arriving just on 10 am. Welcomed by Cath, the volunteer who had emailed me last week. 

Chatted about James CLEAL and his wife Elizabeth SAVIDGE, who married in 1782 at Stocklinch Ottersay, and were born about 1762 somewhere. We checked the cd index they have, and there was nothing there. The frustrating part of that is that no-one knows which of their parish transcripts are included, and which aren’t, so not very useful. Had a look at Freereg, (free transcripts of parish registers) which I should have done at home if I had not run out of time. Then checked my list of parishes 10 miles around the Ilminster area & marked those not on Freereg, and settled down to look through all the parish indexes and transcripts in the Library, all filed neatly in shelves of ring-binders by parish name. 

The amount of work they have done over the years is HUGE! I just finished going thru that list and making notes when Cath said it was time to pack up! The fact that they close at 1pm and it was now coming up to 4pm did make me feel a little better. What wonderful volunteers, ready to stay on another three hours just for an out-of-towner. 

After a heartfelt thank-you, I headed over to the Abbey shop, to check if they had a map like the one on the west door. However, no joy. Did find an elephant I couldn’t resist, holding a pen in his trunk.

Then walked back to the hotel & sat in the lounge to wait for David and Ann. 

Nice house, lovely spare room (was the garage), with its own en suite. What comfort.

Reading: Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist

Sherborne Day One

Thursday 1 May

Taxi to the station, as it was raining, and really too far to walk with case & backpack. Three-part journey, Maidstone East to London Victoria (about an hour, used it to catch up with some emails)  then to Clapham Junction, then a two hour leg to Sherborne. Even first class had someone in every bay, so I got to share with a lady who was born in Sutton Coldfield, in Boldmere, which is practically next door to Sheila. However Wendy has lived in Sydney for many years, and is just on a trip home to see family members.  She chatted for a large part of the journey, so I did not get as much work done as I wanted. Then another cab up to the Sherborne Hotel.

After requesting a map, I headed down a long hill and found my way into town, with the two-fold objective of  checking the Tourist Info and seeing the Abbey. 

During the walk I came across a sign for the Somerset & Dorset (S&D) FHS Research Rooms, where I plan to be tomorrow, so that was useful.

My taxi-driver had pointed out the old Almshouses, and said that they were sometimes open, so when I saw them I checked the times, and it is three days a week from 1 May (that would be today), from 2-4pm (currently 2.30), including Thursdays (and just for a change, I am quite clear about what day of the week it is). Sometimes I fluke things perfectly.

The original almshouse foundation dated from 1406, and the current building from 1437. Apart from organised group tours, the only part of it open to the public is the chapel. There is a very old parish chest, roughly the same age as the one at Ashford.  

The altar piece is a triptych (three-panel painting) which dates to about 1480, and is a national art treasure. It survived the Reformation probably since it could be folded up and tucked away. 

The almshouse itself survived the Dissolution in 1548 because it was governed by a lay corporation, not a priest. They also have quite lovely mediaeval glass in the South window. It is hard to look at a place like this and wonder just what beautiful buildings and art did not survive. This is probably one of very few almshouses which are still fulfilling their original function, and have sheltered the old of the town for over 600 years. The house currently has 18 occupants, and a long waiting list. 

From here it is but a step around the corner to the Tourist Information Centre, where I succumbed to temptation and bought a tea-towel. We actually already have enough of these to use a different one every week for a year, but we do enjoy the memories each one brings back. Also, naturally, I got a bookmark. 

The S&D rooms are open until 4 pm today, and the Abbey till 6, so I went off to familiarise myself with the searchroom setup, and got shown around by Dorothy, who was very knowledgeable and helpful, then sat with some of the parish records for Ilminster and had a browse. Tomorrow I will have my laptop, and all my info with me.

Finally, to the Abbey. Saved at the Dissolution because it had originally been the parish church. The outside is beautiful, and much of the inside that is original is also amazing. The  ceiling has been described as the best in Europe, and it is certainly stunning. (Look it up on the internet, as I did not get any good photos of this.)

                                                           Piscina

                                                 Tomb of John & Joan Leweston, c1584

                          Entrance to South Aisle Chapel and baptistry, dedicated to St Mary le Bow

The Victorians did their usual job of ‘restoring with improvements’, although to be fair, they probably saved many places from going to ruin, even if I don’t much like what they did at times. 

                                                       Old tiles inset into the alter floor

                                                               Choir stalls carving

                           Blind interlaced Romanesque arcading in the Wykeham Chapel (c1140)

Reading: Agatha Raisin & the Murderous Marriage