Sunday, April 15, 2012

Churches and Castles, Oh My!

One of my favorite things about living in the UK is that the country is saturated with so much incredible history.  As an amateur enthusiast (and former professional student) of all things medieval and early modern, I'm thrilled when I turn a corner in London and stumble upon an unheralded bit of ancient architecture.  Trips to the English countryside are even more exciting - the gently rolling plains of Suffolk are teeming with beautiful historical buildings that are, mostly, taken entirely for granted.

On a recent trip to visit Jon's parents, we got a bit lost while driving along the winding narrow lanes.  We were headed to a village that they knew but we were approaching it from an unfamiliar direction and so, when we reached a T intersection, we didn't know which way to turn.  "Look for the tower," Jon's mother instructed us.  What?  Yes.  Indeed.  We oriented ourselves by finding the closest crenelated castle.



Only in England.  Well, okay, and France.  Probably Germany, too.  But mostly England.  Alright, I'm biased - proudly so.  Wouldn't you be, if you got to discover these treasures every time you took a train past the M25?

photos of Framlingham Castle and St. Michaal's Church, Framlingham




1 comment:

  1. Old architecture is on my list for the best things about Europe! There is no chance of stumbling into anything this magnificent in N.A...that castle looks pretty magical.

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