Sunday 13 January 2013

There's always one ...

Back we went to Berkhampstead Castle yesterday - and this time we got in!
Although there's always one, isn't there? We had to take evasive measures to avoid the man who clearly
couldn't read the signs saying that dogs had to be kept on a lead.
It's people like that who end up getting dogs banned altogether from places. 
That hump just ahead is apparently called a keep.
 
Naturally we climbed it.
We got to the top but couldn't see what it was that was being kept.
But there was a good view from the top.
A good place to keep a watchful eye on the loose dog from.
 
There was a big moat too. With ducks and huge drowned tree trunks in and lifebelts everywhere.

It has an impressive history stretching back to the Norman Conquest. Pretty well all the kings and queens of England have owned or stayed here at some point - plus a French king who was kept prisoner for a while. Possibly payback for the time when they laid siege to the castle. Chaucer kept the books here once, and when it was granted to one chancellor, apparently he got so excited when he first spotted it that he fell off his horse and got trampled to death by the monk following behind him. Yeah, we think that sounds a bit suspicious too. That monk must have had enormous feet.
Anyway, enough of the exploring.
Our ears are cold, we've had enough and we want to go home now.
Which way is it?

4 comments:

Joan Lennon said...

I must admit I was too busy looking at how gorgeously got-up you two are to take in the historical background! I hope the loose dog didn't upset you too much.

madwippitt said...

We wanted to do some Monty Python style taunting but the Madwoman wouldn't let us. Spoilsport.

Penny Dolan said...

Smart funnel neck coats!

madwippitt said...

They are good for tucking your ears into when it's really cold Penny! And believe it or not they ccame from Australia, which we always thought was a hot place ...