Dudley, Bridgnorth, Wales and Malvern

Thursday, 7th December, 1989

Drop Cap oday was really interesting. We went first to Dudley, Mac's old home town. He saw his old school, now a combined High School, rather than a Boys' Grammar. The headmaster showed him around! He enjoyed that. Then we saw his old home, still there although renovated. He said it was like a dream seeing all the old things, some had changed, some were almost the same.

Bridgnorth postcard

Postcard of Bridgnorth


Drop Cap hen we drove to Bridgnorth. This completely unheralded (as compared to Stratford and Broadway) mediaeval market town knocked us out! Even Geoff! There was a high street lined on both sides with black and white half timbered shops all leaning together. There were two arches, built over like bridges, across the street, part of the ruined castle ramparts, which the traffic had to manoeuvre very carefully through. One large truck gouged a track through one of them as we looked. It was absolutely fascinating and I hope my photos turn out.

Bridgnorth photograph

River Severn at Bridgnorth


Drop Cap e had a picnic lunch beside the Severn river (!) very pretty and then had to leave, unfortunately, because it was getting on for 3.30 and the light was going. After the previous day I am not risking getting benighted again, it's too scary.

Drop Cap omorrow, a rest day. We are getting the car's brakes fixed, they have been giving problems. So we can clean the van, do the shopping and the washing and generally have a rest. We are seeing so much history that I am getting hysterical. Geoff says he is history-logged. A rest day won't do any harm. We'll thoroughly explore Stourport.

Saturday, 9th December, 1989

Drop Cap oday we went to Wales, via Ludlow. Why has nobody mentioned these places, my guidebook has never heard of Ludlow, like Bridgnorth, another thoroughly unexpected mediaeval market town, with a ruined castle looking down on it. Gorgeous! We drove around the town, then up to the common which overlooks the town to take some photos. I love these places!

Drop Cap e then continued into Wales, very beautiful in a stark, wintry way. The Wye valley, Presteigne, Rhayader, Llandrindod Wells, and Radnor. These are all old stamping grounds of Mac and he was interested to see them again. We saw Knighton, the town on the Dyke (Offa's) but we did not see the Dyke - or if we did we did not recognise it. It was pretty cold and we did not get out of the car much, unfortunately. We came home by Leominster and Tenbury Wells.

Tomorrow, Worcester and Hereford.

Sunday, 10th December, 1989

Worcester photograph

Tudor shops in Worcester


Drop Cap o Worcester first - the Cathedral was lovely, but being Sunday they were having services so we just wandered in the cloisters. All the museums and the Civil War Centre (Commandery) were closed. However, Mac found a canal with a lock and he was happy. There was a pedestrian precinct with some Tudor shops which was quite picturesque.

 

Drop Cap hen on to Hereford. Another lovely Cathedral but it was rather disappointing that , being Sunday, both the chained library, (which I particularly wanted to see) and the Treasury were closed. However, we saw the Mappa Mundi (or at any rate, a Victorian reproduction) and lots of effigies, very old, 1087 AD, quite fascinating.

Drop Cap n the way back we went to Great Malvern and several other Malverns as well. Spectacular scenery, if you could see it, the valleys were full of mist. It's an Olde Worlde sort of place, the streetlights are gas! Another dark and misty trip home, but not as bad as from Stratford.

Drop Cap omorrow is Mac's birthday and we are having dinner with his parents at a pub called "The Running Horse" outside Bewdley. So a quiet day, washing, shopping and writing my diary. Also Mac wants to go to Bewdley again to see if he can find his old weekender at Northwood Halt.

 


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