(no subject)
I haven't forgotten this meme, but it fell by the wayside due to a) having no electricity for three days and b) being so busy at work that I just spent my evenings vegetating. Anyway. :)
Favourite Places To Go in My City/Town
So although I live in the south of England, I can't really talk about any of my local towns because ... I barely know them. I've visited them on a handful of occasions, and only to go to train stations or supermarkets. Y'know, specific places that are visited out of need. So I'm going to go with my home town, Huntingdon...
Fast fact: founded by the Anglo-Saxons but officially established as a town in 1205, it is most famous as being the birthplace of Oliver Cromwell. It used to have its own Norman castle, but all that remains now is a grassy hill. It lies on the north bank of the River Great Ouse ('Ouse' being a Celtic word, simply meaning 'water'); in the 10th century, Viking raiders sailed up this river to attack the settlement of Godmanchester on the opposite bank (Godmanchester was also sacked by the Iceni tribe in the first century).
The Samuel Pepys pub. Not an entirely random naming, as Samuel Pepys often visited the town when he stayed at Hinchingbrooke House ... which was owned by his wife's family? I think? I can't recall. ANYWAY. My favourite place to hang out, although the first time I went there I was told to leave along with my entire group (it was an 18th birthday party and, despite being the oldest there by 4 years, I did not have any ID with me and the bar staff refused to believe that I was over 18...).
The Falcon pub. Before I discovered Pepys, this was my favourite haunt; in fact it still would be, had it not closed and remained so to this day. :( I know pubs close down all the time, but this one is particularly sad as it is 500 years old and may well have been a meeting place for Cromwell and his men. There is a campaign running to save it, but so far it hasn't found a buyer.
The Cromwell Museum. Housed in the old grammar school where Cromwell had been a pupil, this may be one of the smallest museums ever but I always find it charming. It contains portraits, manuscripts and personal items, such as his riding boots and apothecary set (the latter impressed me so much that I gave it to a character of mine).
Mstory. Our pagan/gothic/new age shop. I always visit when I'm in town!
The Oxfam bookshop. Because ... books. I like to check out their antiquarian section, too. :3
Castle Hill. The link takes you to an artist's impression of what the Norman motte and bailey would have looked like; now it's just a hill overlooking a field. Despite being right next to the ring road, it's actually a really nice little area to visit and have a picnic in. Initially it was an Anglo-Saxon settlement, and a quarter of a mile down the road an extensive Anglo-Saxon cemetery was discovered.
Favourite Places To Go in My City/Town
So although I live in the south of England, I can't really talk about any of my local towns because ... I barely know them. I've visited them on a handful of occasions, and only to go to train stations or supermarkets. Y'know, specific places that are visited out of need. So I'm going to go with my home town, Huntingdon...
Fast fact: founded by the Anglo-Saxons but officially established as a town in 1205, it is most famous as being the birthplace of Oliver Cromwell. It used to have its own Norman castle, but all that remains now is a grassy hill. It lies on the north bank of the River Great Ouse ('Ouse' being a Celtic word, simply meaning 'water'); in the 10th century, Viking raiders sailed up this river to attack the settlement of Godmanchester on the opposite bank (Godmanchester was also sacked by the Iceni tribe in the first century).
The Samuel Pepys pub. Not an entirely random naming, as Samuel Pepys often visited the town when he stayed at Hinchingbrooke House ... which was owned by his wife's family? I think? I can't recall. ANYWAY. My favourite place to hang out, although the first time I went there I was told to leave along with my entire group (it was an 18th birthday party and, despite being the oldest there by 4 years, I did not have any ID with me and the bar staff refused to believe that I was over 18...).
The Falcon pub. Before I discovered Pepys, this was my favourite haunt; in fact it still would be, had it not closed and remained so to this day. :( I know pubs close down all the time, but this one is particularly sad as it is 500 years old and may well have been a meeting place for Cromwell and his men. There is a campaign running to save it, but so far it hasn't found a buyer.
The Cromwell Museum. Housed in the old grammar school where Cromwell had been a pupil, this may be one of the smallest museums ever but I always find it charming. It contains portraits, manuscripts and personal items, such as his riding boots and apothecary set (the latter impressed me so much that I gave it to a character of mine).
Mstory. Our pagan/gothic/new age shop. I always visit when I'm in town!
The Oxfam bookshop. Because ... books. I like to check out their antiquarian section, too. :3
Castle Hill. The link takes you to an artist's impression of what the Norman motte and bailey would have looked like; now it's just a hill overlooking a field. Despite being right next to the ring road, it's actually a really nice little area to visit and have a picnic in. Initially it was an Anglo-Saxon settlement, and a quarter of a mile down the road an extensive Anglo-Saxon cemetery was discovered.
