Day Trip to Rye

I could never grow tired of Rye. One of my favorite places in the world, I find it totally enchanting...probably because it is...and very haunted...like every Medieval town should be. The famous Mermaid Inn (pictured just above) is one of the most haunted buildings in Britain. I always hope to see some ghostly face peering out the leaded windows at me, but no such luck yet. Those who stay at the Mermaid in hopes to see some of its paranormal inhabitants usually see nothing. It's the poor unknowing sods who just want a nice weekend away, to de-stress and unwind, who get all the action. I heard about this one couple who stayed there and saw one of the ghosts walk into their room through one wall and walk out the other. They were so terrified that they left their room in the middle of the night. The hotel manager found them asleep on the sofa in the lobby. They made the hotel staff go back to the room and get their luggage...they were too scared to go back in there. They obviously didn't get the memo.

I know it's a cliche (especially coming from an American) but I can totally lose myself in the history of Rye. From the safety of the here and now, I can look down one of the cobblestone roads and completely imagine what it must have been like 400 years ago. The sounds, the smells, the people, the clothes...and the danger...the rough smugglers and snipers...the sheer lawlessness of it. It's very romantic to dream about it, but in reality, you wouldn't want to live it...especially as a woman.

I would love to live in Rye for a little bit and do nothing but explore and paint the scenery and not have to worry about money. I wish there was a way that I could not be so dependent on London and have the freedom to live anywhere and be able to comfortably sustain myself financially. I'm sure it could be done, but the risk is quite scary....in fact seeing a ghost is less scary!

Love and Light

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Appledore Church and Tapestry

On the way to Rye we always drive through a lovely old Kentish village called Appledore.
Appledore means 'apple tree' in Saxon. Many years ago, in Viking times, it used to be a bustling port and it has an incredibly rich and interesting history. It's a perfect place to stop for lunch. There are places to have a picnic or you can have a wonderful meal at the local historic pub. If you go, be sure to visit the antique mall that is housed in the Old Forge. I think it's a hidden gem because I always find a treasure there and it's dirt cheap too!

I love the church with it's minimalistic clean lines and modest stained glass windows. Inside the church, encased in a long glass case, is the best treasure of all...The Appledore Tapestry. The tapestry, designed and created by parishioners Monica Woodhouse, Liz Marsham, and Joanna Edward, is a very long (approx 20 ft?) panel of meticulously laid out needlework, embroidery, appliques made from fabric scraps and found objects that illustrate the history of Appledore spanning from 892 AD to 1988. The craftsmanship is just simply beautiful and the photos don't do it justice. You really do need to see it in person to appreciate the work that went into it. If you like textiles...you really do need to see it.

Oh, and did I mention that some of my ancient relatives are buried there in the church cemetery, for reals...how cool is that?

Love and Light

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Hever Castle

Ahhhhhhh...beautiful Hever Castle...the childhood home of Anne Boleyn.

"The oldest part of the castle dates to 1270 and consisted of the gatehouse and a walled bailey. In the early 1500s the Bullen family bought the castle and added a Tudor dwelling within the walls and so it became the childhood home of its most famous inhabitant, Anne Boleyn. It later passed into the ownership of Henry’s fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. From 1557 onwards the Castle was owned by a number of families including the Waldegraves, the Humfreys and the Meade Waldos. Finally, in 1903, William Waldorf Astor invested time, money and imagination in restoring the Castle, building the ’Tudor Village’ and creating the gardens and lake."

Words can't express how breathtaking this place is. It is a proper Tudor castle with a moat, acres of land with canals and a lake, huge oak trees hundreds of years old and creepy topiary trees. Jousting, swords, big horses and all that romantic stuff is there too. Inside the castle (not allowed to take pictures, which is why there aren't any) has stone floors, walls, twisty turny staircases, loads of medieval furniture...and a very good vibe. Despite its reputation, I didn't feel any creepy ghost vibes in this place...it was full of love and history and the warmth of family. The huge Mediterranean gardens were gorgeous and full of huge Italian urns and sculptures, hundreds and hundreds of years old...just simply amazing. England really does have some awesome history.

Love and Light
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Penshurst Place...Is it Haunted?

Could this be the grave of one of the ghosts?

I'm sniffing lavender in case you were wondering...

Chock-full-o-ghosts!

Apparently this is supposed to be a porcupine.

Dag and me

Lord of the Manor

The Union Jack Garden

Yes it is haunted!
This post is a bit outdated because it was over a week ago that we treated our friend Dagmara to a day out at Penshurst Place (for her birthday) but it's only just now I have had the time to sort out my images from that day. Penshurst Place is a medieval manor house with vast grounds and gardens, built in 1341, located in Kent. They never let you take pictures inside the house which is why all the pics are of the garden...which was beautiful...and magical. We try to go to as many stately homes as possible and oogle over all the old stuff. I get caught up in the romance of it all and can literally transport myself back in time and picture what it must have been like and it gives me butterflies in my stomach. Wayne likes to admire the old furniture and try to guess how much he could get for it on Ebay. We always have a chuckle when we think that the rich, dead aristocracy of these old places must be turning in their graves knowing that now, a few hundred years later, their gorgeous castles are open to the public and crawling with peasants!

I'm not a 'ghosty' person. I do believe in them but I can take them or leave them. I'm not particularly drawn to that kind of stuff and I'm definitely not a medium or psychic or anything. I don't look into whether these places are haunted before I go to them...partly because I don't really care but mostly because I just assume a house that old must have some spirits rattling around in them. I've been to lots of old houses and castles...never saw or felt anything. But Penshurst Place definitely had some 'ghostly' stuff going on...a cold, tingly, angry energy that I felt through to my bones and back up my spine again. Even Wayne felt something (that he described as an electric, buzzing feeling) and he's a total sceptic.  The Tapestry Room and the Nether Room were the worst for me. I felt angry and cold and I couldn't wait to get out of there. There was a painting that I swear was watching me and I kept getting whiffs of woodsmoke and frankincense. Neither Wayne or Dag could smell it. I even asked the lady who worked there if she smelled it and she said no. I asked her if the place was haunted. She said no. Below are the two rooms that I am talking about. I didn't take these pics...I got them off of a Google Image search so I don't know who took them...so apologies for not properly crediting them.

I also want to say that I have dreamt of these rooms...and the long hallways of Penshurst Place...many times over the years...way before I even moved to England. They were always scary dreams...and full of ghosts and evil stuff. I decided to read up on it and it turns out, Penshurst is haunted by many ghosts. Not only that, one of them apparently smells of woodsmoke! I'm certain I was smelling him when I was there. Anyways...if you like ghosts and chilly vibes...go to Penshurst, it's got all of it going on...and wear something warm, it feels like death froze over in there!

The day was truly lovely though. I bought some sweet peanuts and strawberry bons bons in the gift shop and we came home pleasantly tired and had some freshly brewed tea and gluten free chocolate birthday cake with a mocha cream frosting...(I made it)......heeeeee!

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