The first post for today stopped right before we met up with the group to start the tour. I know you were all dying in suspense… but the tour started. Amazing isn’t it.

Well we were late. Not sure how that happened but it did. We intended to be early so we could sit with people that we knew. But beggars can’t be choosers and if you switch choosers with late we had no choice but to sit at the table left available. Turned out to our advantage because one of the people at the slightly empty table was Alison’s husband. We missed a bit of the talk of course not the bit on being on time which I think she saved till we were there but a bit about what all the tour entailed. Aggravated with myself but got over it soon enough when Alison joined her husband for lunch.

It is so weird to be at a table with someone who has written countless books that you have read and loved. Even more weird when she gets up to refill your wine glass. It is like an alternate universe somewhere but I will enjoy it while I can.

We have a great lunch. Mostly just catch up with those we met on the first tour, then off to our first stop in Elwelme. It is where Alice de la Pole, the Duchess of Suffolk and Chaucer’s grandson are buried. Quite a quaint village (not sure how our tour bus fit down the roads) with several thatched roofed cottages, a church and a small school.

We were stopping here for the Duchess’ burial site and effigy. The church also had Tudor affiliations and was quite beautiful in its simplicity. The outside was unassuming, the windows beautiful stained glass, the baptistery cover exceptional but the tomb for Alice was its crowning glory.

We entered to a great reception by the local women of the village. They served us tea, coffee and cakes which they had made. I had a slice of a wonderful Victorian sponge.

Julien Humphrey had joined our tour and he gave the talk on the Dutches the church and Chaucer and his grandson. The tomb was surrounded in what Julien called winged and clothed angels. It had both a beautiful carving of the Duchess is all her finery and then carved again as a corpse. There was some argument among the historians of whether this represented the fact that regardless of who you were or what you had or had accomplished in life everyone turned into a rotting corpse or on the gentler side it was just a representation of the times that included the Black Plague. Either way it is still creepy. (As are the angle toes that are in one of the photos). The church also had a portion of a 14th century tile floor. That seems almost incomprehensible in American terms.

After the church we strolled through the cloisters where parishioners still live and the adjoining school. The church and school were established by the Duchess of Suffolk in the 15th century by a trust that is still in affect today and is still paying for upkeep of all the historical sites. The school on the grounds is the oldest building in England still being used for its intended purpose. It had a run of bad years but supposedly the Victorians got it all straightened out and it is thriving today.

We also walked down through town where rumor has it that Henry VIII and Catherine Howard frolicked in the pond on what some considered their honeymoon. The pond is named the King’s Pool now but that might just be a brilliant marketing technique by the cake baking church crowd. Henry and Catherine were in Ewelme but whether they swam in the pond is anybodies guess. I am going to say yes, it was a lovely spot and perfect for a quick dip.

After Ewelme we headed to Castle Combe are home away from home for the next 5 nights. If Ewelme was quaint, Castle Combe is picture perfect. It is exactly what you expect a small 15/16 century village to look like. I can’t wait to walk around town and the hotel grounds.

We are staying at the Manor House Hotel which is a great period location. Our room is in what would have been the old servant quarters but have been remade into luxurious cottages. It is a great room and location.

Dinner tonight was at the hotel so we got to see some of the main building. It has a very 1920/1930 sophisticated old world vibe to it. I can’t wait to have a drink in the lounge.

Sarah Gristwood joined our table for dinner and we had great discussions on history and historical fiction. She also followed dinner with a talk on the topic comparing Wulfhall and Mantel’s take on Cromwell and historical fact. It was nice to hear that here is room for both types of stories in todays society. I enjoy both and the fiction stories just wet my appetite to learn more.

Sarah said in her talk it was the Tale of the two Tommys’. And I agree with her. Wulfhall is the story of Cromwell and Thomas Cranmer. They appear to be opposite ends of the spectrum but they seem to understand one another. Both have dramatic downfalls with similar endings.

It is very fun to have dinner with not only a historian that is well versed on a topic you want to discuss but other people that share the same passion. The tour is off to a great start and I can’t wait to get more into our topic