A Castle and an Acre's Ragged Rambling

Attending: Mr. Many Coats; Thadeus Basil-Snapper; Munro Tweeder-Harris, Esq.

As part of our planning for our Ragged Ramblers' Summer Picnic event scheduled for September of this year, members of the R.S.A.R. travelled to the wonderfully rich site of Castle Acre in the North-West of Norfolk. As you can see, it was a peach of a Spring day...

"The sap is rising!" exclaimed Munro as he tore up the earthworks, clad in full tweed attire, complete with deerstalker.

Happily, although the keep has been extensively robbed out, the earthworks of the southern bailey remain intact, giving a sense of the extent of this extravagant manorial 'statement'. It will also be a grand setting for the Ragged Ramblers' summer picnic; a place to gather to hear wonderous tales from the Yarnsmith of Norwich; space enough to perambulate the site in the company of Aunty Gary and Munro Tweeder-Harris, Esq.. The Ramblers will even be offering a history-photograph walk from castle to church in the company of antiquarians and, in particular, Thadeus Basil-Snapper. It is going to be a splendid gathering!

Thus, having explored the castle, the antiquarians made their way, Raggedly, to the church of St Lukes. For some reason - and we know not! - the common people in the village tea shops were nudging one another and pointing at us as we passed...

"Look, our fame grows!" exclaimed Mr. Many Coats (for we members of the R.S.A.R. love to exclaim!)

In the time it takes to say "The Ragged Society of Antiquarian Ramblers" (saying it, r-e-a-l-l-y s...l...o...w...l...y), Members were within the church - and began immediately to explore...

The antiquarians enjoyed a long discussion about the splendid late mediaeval rood screen and the process of Reformation; which was succinctly summed up by Mr. Many Coats, thus...

"We were Catholic, and then we were Protestant!"

Before leaving to explore the church yard, one of the antiquarians was accorded the honour of leaving an  R.S.A.R. comment (his first!) in the church's comment book...

Then, once again they were outside, walking through a space redolent with meaning; pain, loss, growth... the shadows of the past - the passing of time...
"All you who doe this place passe bye..."

By-passing the village this time, they happened upon a short-cut back to the castle grounds. At a steady antiquarian pace, they made their way up to the summit of the precipitous earthworks which surround the remains of the castle keep.

And from here, what a vista presented itself to them!

With their eyes fully feasted, it was time for tea and home-baked treacle tarts drizzled in custard.

"Huzzah!" cried the Ramblers, as they made their way back to their picnic baskets

Click on link to Ragged Ramblers' Google map in order to see the route we took...

Ragged Ramblers' Google Map

~ Munro Tweeder Harris, Esq.  R.S.A.R. ~