Waltham Abbey

The Abbey Church of Waltham Holy Cross was founded by King Harold, in 1060. Located in the market town of Waltham Abbey it lies in the south west of the county Essex in the south east of England. Those hallowed walls have witnessed the prayers, praises, grief, anguish, and joy for nearly a thousand years...In 1066 King Harold, the royal founder knelt in prayer there before going out to meet a soldier's death in battle with William the Conqueror on the shores of Sussex. To really study the beauty of this beautiful church which is the oldest Norman church in the United Kingdom it amazes me to realize that much of the intricate stone work was not carved by the usual mason tools, but with an axe.



The above vaulted cloister so inspired one happy visitor to Waltham that upon her return to the states she commissioned a wonderful artist to reproduce its glory in commemoration. That was 40 years ago. Then about 5 years ago at age 88, that lovely, and dedicated artist decided to try her hand at the painting once again.. in an attempt to recreate the gentle arches and mottled coloring of the ancient stonework, the play of light and shadow within the recesses of the chamber. Unsure about the changes she was wroughting as what before had demonstrated the subtle roses of the hewn out stones of this conventual ruin... now a definite azure tone seemingly superceded the rosy mood. From the first moment I had seen her work, as she dabbled with it so painstakingly to correct her memory, I loved it.. I secretly dreamed that she would give to me... and then just as she was taking it off of the easel for the last time and preparing to roll it up and put it away in dismay she unhappily stated, "I just don't understand why there is so much blue!" Without thinking I said, Becuase it would look so wonderful in my house , and lo and behold, she handed to me and said, "Please have it then... to remember me".. That was 4 years ago.. on the occasion of our last oil painting class we shared together.




Just one more reason why I am so enamored with the olde country!

P.S. I had a comment which questioned the date of King Harold's advance to the throne etc. and all I can say in defense of the information is that it came from the pamphlet that the long ago visitor gave the artist which I now own. This periodical says "This short history of Waltham Abbey ( as written by the Rev. H.R. Darby) is published by the authority of the Churchwardens and the Parochial Church Council.1965

Roots!

It is always enticing for me to review the known facts of my lineage and origins... to begin one line of the Cox family originated in Drayton, Berkshire dating back to 1675.


Another branch of the family (Cox) hails from Gloucestershire,England circa 1657


.. The Baugess line from England circa 1753... The Higgins and McCarthy lines from Waterford, Ireland, 1755, 1770. The Mitchell line from Derry County Northern Ireland, circa 1682, and the Blairs from Scotland circa 1740s as well as the Lindsey's from Scotland there abouts the same..... Now with all this British blood circulating within me it is no wonder I walk with a jig, tell a tale tale, dream about the moors, and choose to tarry upon the stile..ummmm!

On the Moors of Haworth

One day you are happily ensconsed in the everyday events of life... you know the myriad things that drive a day where minutes turn into hours and whole days pass you by with nothing really to hang your hat on... and then suddenly inspiration comes from the most untoward places... maybe a chance comment spoken.... a chance meeting.. whatever it might be.... and the next thing you know, you become completely engaged in a renewed interest... a simple side step into a new dimension of an well weathered friendly idea of yore that had simply passed into the oblivion of days. It fairly enchants me to resume the daydream.. to dive into that realm of fact/fiction that begins and ends in my quest for knowledge about my beloved ancestral lands. Today inspiration grabbed my intense interest through the memories of classic literature... the gothic mysteries revealed through writings of the sisters Bronte~ the desolate moors of Haworth pictured above so resplendent in scented heather and grandeur, belie the windswept lonely heath so described in Charlotte's haunting tale.. The simplistic remoteness of the landscape speaks to me of peace, tranquility and complete rest... heaven on earth..nothing dark and foreboding... perhaps though to live there.... to experience the howling nature of the winds... the ageless wind that has seen so much, so many, over such a varied past... therein may lie the mystery of the moor.... these and so many wonders are for me, to be discovered.... so much to learn... so little time!

Tempted to Want to Go

Now these shots really tempt me... I can definitely put Yorkshire on my bucket list of places to see.The shire is calling to me..



and the dales charm me to my soul!!


This one, perhaps my favorite of all... I simply adore sheep... such serene yet frolicsome animals.

Now if you are like me you might be wondering exactly what is a dale... i mean I have heard of them before,, but to the exact meaning...

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English dæl; akin to Old High German tal valley, Welsh dôl

Date: before 12th century

: valley, vale

As copied from wikipedia the below information contained a wealth of information I researching for further investigation... Why is it that research is so much more fun now than it was 4o years ago!!

The Yorkshire Dales (also known as The Dales) is the name given to an upland area, in Northern England.

The Dales is a collection of river valleys and the hills among them, rising from the Vale of York westwards to the hilltops of the main Pennine watershed (the British English meaning). In some places the area even extends westwards across the watershed, but most of the valleys drain eastwards to the Vale of York, into the Ouse and then the Humber.

The Pennines are a low-rising mountain range in northern England and southern Scotland. They separate the North West of England from Yorkshire and the North East.

Often said to be the "backbone of England",^[1][2][3] they form an unbroken range stretching from the Peak District in Derbyshire, through the Yorkshire Dales, around the northern and eastern edges of Greater Manchester, the West Pennine Moors of Lancashire and Cumbrian Fells to the Cheviot Hills on the Anglo-Scottish border. North of the Aire Gap the Pennines give out a western spur into Lancashire, the Forest of Bowland and south of the gap is a similar spur, the Rossendale Fells.^[4]

Although the above is a common definition, the Cheviot Hills are not strictly speaking part of the Pennines, being separated by the Tyne Gap and the Whin Sill, along which run the A69 and Hadrian's Wall - however due to the Pennine Way route crossing them they are often treated as such. Conversely, although the southern end of the Pennines is commonly said to be somewhere in the High Peak district of Derbyshire, often Edale (the start of the Pennine Way); they in fact extend south into Staffordshire and Cheshire, as can be seen by looking at a relief map. The true southern end of the Pennines is actually in the Stoke on Trent area, around 40 mi (64 km) south of Edale.Now to get out my pen and paper and draw myself a map!!

I'll leave everyone with this thought.. by a famous Yorkshire resident of yore...

"'I think it was the fact that I liked it so much that made the writing just come out of me automatically. "
James Herriot

Now there is someone I can really associate with!!! Aw... so much to learn!!!

Diversion....Yorkshire..However...

As most folks know I am always seeking to research and learn more and more about my beloved ancestral homeland the United Kingdom..and just recently I have been perusing the environs about Yorkshire... the Dales, and the mighty long range vistas... the wide open plains and craggy tors. The quaint country villages all appeal to my inner sensibilities and give me quite warm fuzzy feeling about mt soulful connections to the place..

but..
I claim no blood line or deep-rooted connection to this!!
Well, tried to fix it and it just wont go!! I suppose it is double the fun!!