Rutland and Saxmundham

Rutland is a landlocked county. It is 18miles north to south and 17 miles east to west, it can be described as small. We stayed at a very nice caravan site in the village of  Greetham.

One of our visits was to Woolsthorpe Manor. Isaac Newton was born in this modest manor house in 1642 and he made many of his most important discoveries about light and gravity here in the plague years of 1666-7.

 

Sue is standing next to the famous apple tree that inspired his thoughts on gravity. The photo on the right was part of a display of scientific photos at the manor. This one shows surface tension supporting a paperclip.

         Rutland Water is one of the largest artificial lakes in Europe and is probably best recognised by the photo of the partly submerged St. Matthew’s Church, now deconsecrated.  The lower half of the church, was filled with stone and rubble, and a concrete cap constructed just below the level of the windows. An embankment was built around the church leaving it a prominent feature on the water's edge,

Rutland Water with St. Matthew’s Church across the lake.

The village of Hambleton has been closed off on three sides by Rutland Water and the area is known as the Hambleton Peninsula. We had a very nice geocaching walk there. Here I am retrieving a cunning cache which was hidden in the hollow tree. On the right can be seen the ‘Hambleton Post and Telegraph Office’. They don’t move very quickly with the times here.

     

Cottage in Hambleton

Oakham Castle – fortified manor house

Butter Cross and Pump, Oakham

5 hole stocks – why?

         We moved on to Saxmundham in preparation for Saturday’s wedding. David and Carol joined us at the caravan site so we took this opportunity to do  a few geocaches.

Carol and Sue

Lych gate St. Mary & St. Peter, Saxmundham

     Geocaching around Dunwich Heath. The caches were put out by the National Trust and in each one there was some information on the area around the cache. It was all very well done.

Visit to Aldeburgh

The ‘House in the Clouds’ is a water tower at Thorpeness. It was built in 1923 to receive water pumped from Thorpeness Windmill and was designed to improve the looks of the water tower, disguising its tank with the appearance of a weather boarded building more in keeping with Thorpeness's mock-Tudor and Jacobean style. Today it provides family holiday accommodation.

 

Thorpeness Windmill – a sorry sight with no sails

A rainbow to finish off our holiday.
The wedding photos are coming in the next blog -
watch this space!