Travels: A drive to a pub, a castle and a lake

We woke late to a beautiful day. Through the windows of Derek and Dawn’s spare bedroom we watched sun and blue sky occasionally break through a heavy layer of cumulus clouds scudding across the sky. The Brits thought it was warm at about 55F, though we still thought it was cool, so we sat in the conservatory and planned the day which was to involve lunch since it was too late for breakfast.

First we picked up mum and once again we used our rental car since Derek’s BMW will only hold four people and Dawn’s Mini Cooper only holds three. We drove 40 miles to Ellesmeer on narrow secondary roads that were barely wide enough for two cars to pass each other. A long time ago, in another life I think, I travelled these roads in my Morris Minor or Mini at fairly high speeds without fear. Now – a lot older and perhaps a little wiser, and with little experience on roads like these for the past 20 years – the journey in a rental car was a somewhat nerve racking experience for me as a driver though the passengers appeared to take it well.

Just passed Ellesmeer we stopped at Ye Olde Boot Inn in Whittington, a country pub with a restaurant. Derek had chosen well. This was another chance to sample a Real Ale and this time I tried Robinson’s 4.5% A.B.V bitter. Delicious. The beer washed down a lunch of steak and ale pie, boiled potatoes and vegetables. The food was also excellent.

After lunch we walked across the road and explored Whittington Castle. The castle was built in the 13th century to help guard the English border from Welsh insurgents. Most of the moat is still in place and the outer wall and one of five circular turrets remain standing and there are boards explaining the structure and the family activities at various points around the structure.

This castle was small and designed primarily as a house for the local lord. The mistress of the castle kept a herb and flower garden outside the castle walls and built an observation mount so she could look out over the garden. To get to the garden requires the descent of a steep path from the main part of the castle across what was the moat and then up a flight of steps to the observation room. Derek led the way in a train to help Mum down the slope.

One of the ways the unruly kept in order was to place law breakers into the stocks where town’s people could throw rotten tomatoes and eggs at the miscreant.

After exploring the castle and grounds we drove back to Ellesmeer and parked by Ellesmeer Lake so we could explore the gardens and woods around the lake. This area is one of the few places in Britian where giant Redwoods grow, though they are not nearly as big as the Redwoods in Northern California.

On the way back to Mother’s house we stopped at the Old Orleton, a pub on the outskirts of Wellington where I sampled a Hobsons “Town Crier” 4.5 A.B.V. Real Ale.