Last week, we went to Pontefract to visit friends for a few days. We have kept in touch with John and Rose Place since we met them years ago. They are fellow RVers (or caravaners, as they are called in the UK). We first met at Granite Lake Park in Clarkston and they came to see us in Springfield on a subsequent trip to the States. 
We took the National Express from Victoria Station to Wakefield, about 8 miles from their home. When John picked us up at the station, it was the first time we'd been in a private car since the end of April.
John and Rose treated us like royalty! They were excellent hosts and tour guides and we got to see a little bit of Yorkshire. The best thing was visiting with these lovely people.
This is their home (note the caravan on the side yard) and the beautiful view from their kitchen and dining room windows. Yorkshire has had terrible rains this summer, but you can see that we lucked out with weather.
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We went to visit the Pontefract Castle ruins. The Castle is gone, but the grounds remain property of the Queen, with a Conservation Committee caring for it, and working on archaeological excavation.
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The painting on the right, which is in the adjoining museum, was made in the early 17th Century. The castle was first started at the end of the 1080s, following the Norman Conquest. Among other uses, it was a temporary home for Kings, a cell for important prisoners, and the site of a few executions. During the (British) Civil War, it was held for the King and, in fact, was the last Royalist stronghold . It was under at least three full attacks before it was surrendered in 1649. Whenever the castle was under siege, the town and townspeople suffered peripheral damage and it is said they were very happy to have the castle demolished, as it was following its surrender.
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We toured this grand mansion called Nostell Priory. The land was a 12th Century Augustinian Priory. On the same site now is a "stately home" built in 1733 for a Sir Richard Winn. It has been owned by the same family ever since. A few years ago, to escape death taxes, the family gave it to the public and can use only a part of it privately. (They live somewhere else now and use their private rooms for special occasions only.) The rooms are as they were when in use, and the furnishings still actually belong to the family. They include valuable paintings and about 300 or so pieces of Chippendale furniture.
In the pictures you can see a large red spot around the windows between the two colums on the left. This was caused by a massive fire in those rooms. John ran the Pontefract fire department, and was called out the night this happened. He said when he arrived, the servants were carrying out the paintings and Chippendales, stacking them on the lawn. John put 10 engines on the fire, and saved the building with only three rooms destroyed (they have been restored).
There are over 300 acres of parkland (once the family lawn). The present Lord uses the former stable buildings as his offices (for charities he runs, and to manage the 2000 acres of surrounding farmland that the family still owns). There is also a tearoom and a small restaurant with tables in the former horse stalls.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Those are just a couple of the things we did during our visit. We got to tour the historic market town of Pontefract. They have a very nice public market going on Wednesdays, one of the days we were there. We visited the Anglican Church, which is old and beautiful, ate lots of wonderful meals and good conversation, and in general had a lovely time. This is us in the Place's backyard. We truly enjoyed ourselves. 
I was born in Wakefield and my mother grew up in Newmillar Dam nearby. I wonder if it is near where your friends live.
Posted by: diane | August 27, 2012 at 02:24 AM