Norfolk Day one - Castle Acre Priory and Oxburgh

I haven't been to Norfolk in a number of years. I used to come here every year and stay in Titchwell (even before I was into birding) and I first came up here well over 40 years ago.

It is warm but a bit more air than at home and I have a fan above the bed!!

I started by going to Castle Acre Priory. This is the ruins of a Cluniac Priory established in 1089. The priory was dissolved in 1537. The  west front and Priors lodgings are fairly well preserved. It and the nearby Castle are owned by the Earl of Leicester (who lives at Holkham Hall) but are in the care of English Heritage.

You can see Castle Acre church in the background. When the dissolution occurred the villagers had no need of the priory church.

I love the way the flowers grow out of the rocks!

Just down the road is Oxburgh Hall..... Oxburgh is a moated manor built in 1482 by Sir Edward Bedingfield. The house's noted treasure is the Oxburgh Hangings needlework hangings by Mary, Queen of Scots and Bess of Hardwick. Mary worked on these while imprisoned in England. As it was so hot I gave the house a miss. You can view here

The scone which was, I believe, nuked..... :( **.5

The Bedingfield's are catholics hence they have their own chapel

The church of St John the Evangelist is next to the hall and as had a hard last 70 years. In 1948 the steeple collapsed destroying the nave. And recently someone stole the lead from the roof from the Bedingfield Chapel

It is the Bedingfield Chapel that makes the church special. The tombs are terracotta and highly unusual (although there is a fine selection at Layer Marney in Essex).

On my way to the hotel I stopped off to say hello to Mum.... long term readers will understand.