Vacation; Restormel

The thing I like best about the 13th century castle Restormel, build on a eleventh century mound from an earlier castle, is it's unusual shape, it is circular, and the fact that it is relatively well preserved. You can still make out where the kitchen and the chapel where and even some other private rooms.

Vacation; Morwenstow

Morwenstow church is dedicated to St Morwenna and St John the Baptist. It was appropriated by the Bishop of Exeter to St John's Hospital at Bridgewater before 1291. In a document dated 1296, the church was referred to as an 'old and well-known structure'. Although this is a Norman church, it must have replaced an earlier Saxon structure. The chancel is separated from the nave by a richly-carved screen erected in 1575 by the Kempthorne family. It has a fine Norman doorway.

The arcades consist of seven arches, some of which are semi-circular, and others pointed. They are supported on piers and pillars, one of which bears the date 1475. The tower is of two stages and is finished with pinnacles; it had four bells.

There is an interesting, but defaced, polychrome wall-painting on the north wall of the chancel, which is thought to represent St Morwenna. It shows a gaunt female clasping to her breast, with her left hand, a scroll or volume; the right arm is raised in blessing over a kneeling monk.

Quote from http://www.cornwall-calling.co.uk/churches/morwenstow-church.htm

I couldn't find the wall painting mentioned in the text above, but I do remember seeing it when we visited the church eight years ago.






Normandic font.



Stained glass window with an image of Saint Morwenna.





The beautifully carved ends of these benches are from the late 16th century

Vacation; Tintangel

Tintangel Castle

The ruins of the castle, now know as the birthplace of King Arthur actually date to the 13th century, but the site was used much earlier, as early as the Roman Era. The castle is not the only ruïn on the site, traces of earlier settlements are also still present.



Merlin's Cave

Vacation; Okehampton Castle

Okehampton Castle

The ruïns of Okehampton Castle date back to the fourteenth century, but the site was used as early as the Norman Era, then there was a motte and bailey castle with a stone keep, and was mentioned in the Domesdaybook. The fourteenth century castle is one of the largest in Southwest England and the largest in Devon.

Vacation; Avebury & Stonehenge

Avebury

St James Church, Avebury





The church of Avebury Saint James is situated on a plot of land just outside the main Avebury complex, near to the Western entrance/exit. The church has undergone several periods of construction, the earliest evidence for which dates to the Anglo-Saxon/pre-Norman period and one estimate dates it to approx. 1000 A.D. The church was altered by the Normans who made several prominent changes to the design of the building, most notably the south doorway with its beautifully carved arch. It is also the Normans who mention the first recorded priest to the church, Rainbold.


Quote from http://freespace.virgin.net/abw.mork/St_James.htm

Avebury Stone cirkle








Stonehenge

Vacation; Salisbury

This year we went on holiday to Great Britain and ofcourse ;-) it had a historical theme.

Salisbury is a delightful town with a towncentre full of history



The Parish Church of St Thomas and St Edmund's dates to the mid fifteenth century.





Salisbury Cathedral

The main body of the church was build in only 38 years, building started in 1220. The 123 meters high tower, the highest in the UK, is a later addition from 1330.





This is the oldest "modern" working clock, it dates to 1386. It has no face and only rings on the hours.

Close to the Cathedral is the Salisbury and Wiltshire Museum, which we absolutely love.

Here are some highlights:






Woman's Satchel from Swallowcliff Down, Wilthire. c. 280 mm long and 200 mm wide. Though it was laid down in the grave, not worn by the dead woman, it was evidently intented for carrying on a person as it was attached to a belt with decorative plated and multi tongued buckle. The satchel fastened by means of a annular disc and was decorated with a circular mount.

quote from: Dress in Aglo-Saxon England, written by Gale Owen-Crocker(Women's costume from the seventh to the ninth centuries)

I also loved the "Stitches in Time" costume gallery, but was not allowed to make pictures as the costumes are all very fragile and sensitive to light.

Newspaper clipping

Victorian Boys Costume

I absolutely love Ageless Patterns. It is very hard to find boys victorian costumes. So imagine my happines when I found the Ageless Patterns website which sells copies of original patterns. With a lot of patterns to choose from, not only for women and girls but also for men and boys.
Ordering the pattern went smoothly and I recieved the pattern fast. The pattern is on nice thick white paper, only down side are the original sewing instructions which are added. Those where written for far more advanced seamstresses than I am, but with some research and commom sense I managed to make the trousers fairly quickly.

The trousers are not hemmed yet, as my son will probably grown a inch or so before we need them on December the 12th in Haarlem at the Anton Pieck Parade.





Next on my to do list, the coat with simulated vest. The coat will be made from the same grey wool as the trousers, the "vest" will be made from a white fabric simulating damask.

Yet another last minute costume

To prevent me from overheating at yet another warm viking event. I decided to make myself a sleeveless tunic. The event was on sunday and I started working on the tunic on wednesday. It had to be finished by Saturday, because I was celebrating my birhday that day.

I know that it is higly debated whether or not viking women wore sleeveless tunics. There are some references to sleeveless tunics as clothing for slaves and they are often thought to be made of unbleached fabric. This tunic was made of yellow greenish linnen fabric that was lying in our fabric stash.

On my birthday we where in Museum Dorestad, Wijk bij Duurstede. Here are some pictures