LONDON TO YORK
Masonic Jewels Tour - UK Day 2 - LONDON to York
The itinerary for this day had changed, as we had received notification a day before we left New Zealand that the Cressing
Temple barns had adopted a new policy, and was not open for visits on Saturday, as it was being let out for weddings. When
told of the charges that such a venue could fetch, 14 masonic visitors and 2 guides in no way came close to 1% of the income.
It was therefore decided to stop in Cambridge.
It is interesting to look at the website for Cressing Temple barns to see that there is no mention of being a wedding venue
today. The reason for including the Cressing Temple barns on the tour was because of their Knights Templar heritage. The
Knights Templar Preceptory of Cressing Temple was probably one of the earliest in England. The manor with its church was
granted to the Order by Queen Matilda by a charter dated at Evreux in 1136 and later confirmed by King Stephen. During the
reign of King Edward II the Templar order was suppressed in England, with their estate at Cressing being handed over to the
Order of the Knights Hospitaller in 1309, who preserved the Templar documents and charters of Cressing amongst their own
records.
Cressing and its environs was a very rich agricultural area, and the site of three Grade I listed timber-framed buildings; the
thirteenth century Barley Barn and Wheat Barn, described by historian Michael Haag as "the two finest Templar-built barns in
Europe". The Barley Barn, is an early thirteenth century circa. 1220, and modified in later centuries by the Knights Hospitalier.
It is the oldest standing timber-framed barn in the world. The roof was originally tiled, and is estimated to have weighed around
70 tons. The Wheat Barn was built in the Romanesque style circa 1280 and was altered in the early 1500s and 1700s. The
third building, the Granary was built sometime just after 1575, and remains today the largest granary in Essex. It is said that
the timbers are considerably larger than any that could be formed by trees of today.
Tour to be continued in next update
At 8.00 a.m. we met our new driver, David Palmer, also a Freemason, from Yorkshire, who was to drive us around the rest of Britain. After a short drive through the streets of North London we reached the the M11. After 45 miles of fast motorway driving we passed close by Duxford where the Imperial War Museum is, and it has several Spitfires in its collection. Their designer was Freemason Frank Mitchell.
A further 15 miles or so, driving past fields of oilseed rape, not yet fully resplendent in its dazzling yellow bloom, we turned off to Cambridge, just a short distance from the M11. Parking was an issue, though we got a long distance photo of the back of Kings College Chapel from where we parked, as we walked into town. As in all the old English towns the streets are narrow, and Cambridge streets are rather special, with large wooden doors leading to large private courtyards resplendent with well manicured lawns surrounded by buildings of exquisite architecture.
A further 15 miles or so, driving past fields of oilseed rape, not yet fully resplendent in its dazzling yellow bloom, we turned off to Cambridge, just a short distance from the M11. Parking was an issue, though we got a long distance photo of the back of Kings College Chapel from where we parked, as we walked into town. As in all the old English towns the streets are narrow, and Cambridge streets are rather special, with large wooden doors leading to large private courtyards resplendent with well manicured lawns surrounded by buildings of exquisite architecture.
IAfter spending short while looking at the shops in the centre of town, we made our way to Kings College Chapel. This was approached by a small lane leading to its side entrance. The carved stonework above the entrance gave a foretaste of what was inside.
The fact that the building impressed Sir Christopher Wren, should make it no surprise that its affect on the visitor is even more pronounced. I could only reflect that there was no doubt that our change of plans that led to our stop in Cambridge was most fortuitous. This is one of the most impressive buildings one will ever see, and mere photographs do it little justice. The magnificence of the walls and ceiling is beautifully complimented by the tall stained glass windows. There is so much of excellence that one cannot take it in on one visit.
This is the building that Sir Christopher Wren is reputed to have said he did not know how they had made the ceiling and roof. The chapel was built between 1446 and 1515. It is a masterpiece. The stone ceiling was constructed by John Wastell in three years (1512-1515) using the fan vault technique. It accentuates the height of the walls by the lack of height in the ceiling structure.
Another aspect that immediately strikes the visitor is the carvings and although the choir woodwork is superb, it is those in stone both outside above the entrance and exit, and more particularly the fineness of those inside which impress over those in wood.
On exiting the building on the South side of the Chapel one enters one of those magnificent courtyards with gatehouse, screen and fountain. On our way back to the bus, through the narrow streets of the town we crossed the River Cam, which does not resemble the Waikato River!
We stopped for a comfort stop at a nearby motorway service station before travelling north, and a longer stop for a stretch of our legs and lunch at the Downtown Superstore and Garden Centre on the A1 at Gonerby Moor, near Grantham. Those who took the option to visit the Garden Centre sang its praise, and we were informed that it was one of the biggest in the U.K. I must admit to visiting the huge shopping centre and buying a warm pullover, as the weather was quite cold.
We then made our way to York, and on the journey were interested to note that when the GPS came upon a short stretch of new by-pass it became increasingly shrill about turning right to get back onto the track of the old road.
On arriving in York we passed Clifford's Tower. Much of York's layout is the result of Roman and Viking construction but this iconic feature is distinctly Norman. The original mound of Clifford's Tower had a timber structure at the top and was constructed by William the Conqueror in 1068 as a statement of his power over the region. This building stood for just over a century before being burnt down in one of York’s bloodiest and tragic moments, when in 1190, a mob of citizens rioted against the Jewish population of York. The Jews took refuge inside the castle. Many of them committed suicide rather than allow themselves to be captured by the bloodthirsty mob outside, and more died when the building was set on fire. The remainder were slaughtered by the mob.
Another wooden castle was built to replace the burned building, but this blew down in the 13th century. A new stone castle in a quatrefoil shape was built in 1270 on the orders of Henry III. Master Simon of Northampton and Master Henry of Reynes, the senior carpenter and stonemason respectively in Windsor Castle, were sent up to York to consult on the new design of the castle. The result was a tower some 50ft (15m) high and 200 ft (61m) in diameter. Its design is 'quatrefoil', with four overlapping circles, resembling a four leafed clover, and is unique in England. The tower was called "The King's Tower' after construction.
In 1322 the tower gained its present name when Roger de Clifford was executed by Edward II for treason. Clifford was hanged in chains from the walls of the tower, and ever after the building has been known as "Clifford's Tower".
The tower's last military role began with the Civil War when, in 1642, it was again occupied by troops - first Royalists, then Parliamentarians. A garrison of soldiers stayed in the tower until it was burnt out in a fire in 1684.
We stopped for a comfort stop at a nearby motorway service station before travelling north, and a longer stop for a stretch of our legs and lunch at the Downtown Superstore and Garden Centre on the A1 at Gonerby Moor, near Grantham. Those who took the option to visit the Garden Centre sang its praise, and we were informed that it was one of the biggest in the U.K. I must admit to visiting the huge shopping centre and buying a warm pullover, as the weather was quite cold.
We then made our way to York, and on the journey were interested to note that when the GPS came upon a short stretch of new by-pass it became increasingly shrill about turning right to get back onto the track of the old road.
On arriving in York we passed Clifford's Tower. Much of York's layout is the result of Roman and Viking construction but this iconic feature is distinctly Norman. The original mound of Clifford's Tower had a timber structure at the top and was constructed by William the Conqueror in 1068 as a statement of his power over the region. This building stood for just over a century before being burnt down in one of York’s bloodiest and tragic moments, when in 1190, a mob of citizens rioted against the Jewish population of York. The Jews took refuge inside the castle. Many of them committed suicide rather than allow themselves to be captured by the bloodthirsty mob outside, and more died when the building was set on fire. The remainder were slaughtered by the mob.
Another wooden castle was built to replace the burned building, but this blew down in the 13th century. A new stone castle in a quatrefoil shape was built in 1270 on the orders of Henry III. Master Simon of Northampton and Master Henry of Reynes, the senior carpenter and stonemason respectively in Windsor Castle, were sent up to York to consult on the new design of the castle. The result was a tower some 50ft (15m) high and 200 ft (61m) in diameter. Its design is 'quatrefoil', with four overlapping circles, resembling a four leafed clover, and is unique in England. The tower was called "The King's Tower' after construction.
In 1322 the tower gained its present name when Roger de Clifford was executed by Edward II for treason. Clifford was hanged in chains from the walls of the tower, and ever after the building has been known as "Clifford's Tower".
The tower's last military role began with the Civil War when, in 1642, it was again occupied by troops - first Royalists, then Parliamentarians. A garrison of soldiers stayed in the tower until it was burnt out in a fire in 1684.
As we drove besides the famous wall that surrounds the old city, we could only reflect on its ancient history. York has, since Roman times, been defended by walls of one form or another. Substantial portions of the walls remain, in fact York has more miles of intact wall than any other city in England. The original walls were built around 71 AD, when the Romans erected a fort (castra) occupying about 50 acres or 21.5 hectares near the banks of the River Ouse. The rectangle of walls was built as part of the fort's defences. The Danes occupied the city in 867, and by this time the Roman defences were in poor repair, and the Danes demolished all the towers save the Multangular Tower and restored the walls. The majority of the remaining walls, which encircle the whole of the medieval city, date from the 12th - 14th century, with some reconstruction carried out in the 19th century and later. The tour party even had a chance to see the famous Southern entrance to York, Micklegate Bar.
The name of this four-storey-high gatehouse is from the Old Norse 'mykla gata' or 'great street', and leads onto Micklegate ('gate' is Norwegian for 'street' remaining from Viking influence in York). It was the traditional ceremonial gate for monarchs entering the city, who, in a tradition dating to Richard II in 1389, touch the state sword when entering the gate. It was originally a 12th-century gatehouse which was replaced in the 14th century with a heavy portcullis and barbican. Its symbolic value led to traitors' severed heads being displayed on the defences. Heads left there to rot included: Henry Hotspur Percy (1403), Henry Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Masham (1415), Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York (1461), and Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland (1572).
The tour party completed their drive to the Hotel, just outside the central city. After settling in to the rooms, they crossed the bridge over the River Ouse into the old city and walked a short distance down the narrow cobble streets to their evening meal at one of the many eateries.
The name of this four-storey-high gatehouse is from the Old Norse 'mykla gata' or 'great street', and leads onto Micklegate ('gate' is Norwegian for 'street' remaining from Viking influence in York). It was the traditional ceremonial gate for monarchs entering the city, who, in a tradition dating to Richard II in 1389, touch the state sword when entering the gate. It was originally a 12th-century gatehouse which was replaced in the 14th century with a heavy portcullis and barbican. Its symbolic value led to traitors' severed heads being displayed on the defences. Heads left there to rot included: Henry Hotspur Percy (1403), Henry Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Masham (1415), Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York (1461), and Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland (1572).
The tour party completed their drive to the Hotel, just outside the central city. After settling in to the rooms, they crossed the bridge over the River Ouse into the old city and walked a short distance down the narrow cobble streets to their evening meal at one of the many eateries.
