Return to the Water Tower

A couple of weekends ago we were back in the Water Tower on the Chester city walls, as it was one of the many historic places that welcomed visitors for Heritage Open Days.  We've done this event for eight years now and it always brings out a great number of people who are walking the walls and keen to have a peep inside.

We set up displays exploring pilgrimage in medieval Chester and also music as the tower's rib vaulting gives a great acoustic.

The tower was built in 1322, at the grand cost of £100, to guard the port of Chester.  At this time, the port was the most important in the North West of England with spices, wine, stone and cloth being imported and hides, wool and salt heading out.  It was also the main route to Ireland.  As the River Dee had been silting up and changing course away from the city walls, an extra spur wall had to be built and a new tower in the river itself.  This could then be used defensively and to check the amount of goods coming in so the appropriate tolls and taxes could be levied.  Within another 150 years the river had shifted its course again and the tower was left high and dry.  As it is difficult today to imagine the scene of a bustling port in its 14th century heyday, we asked Vanessa Ryall to produce a medieval style painted hanging to depict it.  She did this wonderfully as you can see, not just capturing the style of the period, but also getting in all of the city buildings in correct detail and location.  Some people are just too talented...

We'll be back at the Water Tower on Halloween Night for two sessions of "Dark Tales at the Tower".  Come along if you enjoy creepy, unsettling folk tales!

The Hermit's Haunt

We made a return visit to one of the best castles in England, Warkworth in Northumberland.  If you're after a classic medieval fortress, this is the place.

We wandered around the labyrinthine keep and the many majestic towers within the castle.

But then it was off for a stroll along the River Coquet below the castle, where herons glided by gracefully, until we reached a ferry crossing.  We clambered aboard a boat, our unfamiliarity with such vessels causing it to wobble, but we stayed afloat and we were rowed across the water.

Then it was a short stroll along a wooded path...

Past an upside-down tree...

Until we glimpsed a medieval hermitage framed by branches.

Entering the hermitage we passed under an image of the Crucifixion carved in the rock, though weathered by the wind and rain of centuries.

Inside the hermitage appears as any other medieval chapel with rib vaulting and roof bosses, except that here it is simply for effect as the whole thing is carved into a sandstone cliff.

Every architectural detail is there in the rock, with pillars and corbels everywhere, a sort of Northumbrian Petra in miniature.

The hermit himself would have slept in an adjacent room, also carved in the rock, where he could look through the deep windows to the chapel. 

Later generations of hermits had extensions built outside for their accomodation.  Now, I often think I could live in many of the historic places we visit, but despite its quirky charm, this didn't quite give the same cosy feeling.

And then it was a wander back along the river, as we wondered whether the hermit would really have spent his time praying for the souls of the Percys of Warkworth Castle in his hideaway half a mile away and tucked into a cliff on the other side of the river. 

The ferryman gave us more details about the job to help us consider the position of hermit; a salary of 20 marks a year and the rights to sell all the firewood along the riverbank.  We chose to cross the water and leave behind the little chapel in the rock.

Keeping House at Plas Mawr

We've just returned from a lovely day working at Plas Mawr in Conwy.  It's been one of our favourite places for a long time and we've visited a couple of times a year for over a decade, but in recent years been delighted to work in the house and help bring it to life.

Plas Mawr claims to be the best preserved Elizabethan town house in Britain and I'm sure they're quite right to say that.  The building sprawls out over several levels, with dozens of rooms inside, two courtyards and a grand gatehouse too but all squeezed into a plot in the centre of the medieval town.

The interior is beautifully dressed and evocative of the period, but usually without people to bring it to life, so that's the reason we were there.  Sue set up a housekeeping display in the wonderful kitchen, demonstrating everything from cooking, through cleaning and keeping away pests to household medicine.

I was lucky enough to spend the day in the parlour, playing some Tudor tunes, chatting about bagpipes and just enjoying meeting lots of visitors with fascinating stories.

Outside, the Company of Artisans were working wonders with plaster demonstrating how the wonderful plaster decorated ceilings at Plas Mawr were constructed.  They do a fantastic job engaging the public and had a wonderfully constructed wall and ceiling which they plastered in completely authentic manner during the day, as well as making miniature plaster casts for the children visiting, this was the results of my effort..!

After all the times we've been to visit this ancient house, it still holds a magic and charm.

Musitioners get their Licences

Bit of a delay, but we've only just got the pictures from the happenings at this year's Minstrels' Court and it has been a pleasure looking back at the event, the best yet, and that's down to all of the support of many friends who came to share their musical skills or historic crafts.  Thank you!  It is a unique happening, but simply would not happen without this help and friendly support. 

Far too much was happening to show it all, but here's a taster.

The day began with musicians gathering from across the land, including Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, South Wales, Leicestershire, Warwickshire, Northamptonshire and of course many from Cheshire.

There were living history demonstrations featuring a range of historic characters.

Minstrels and visitors enjoyed Renaissance dance workshops.

Lively performances took place in the chancel of St John's,

Whilst informal sessions took place in the porch.

The Minstrels left for a perambulation of the city,

Wandering down Eastgate to the Cross at the centre of the city was a rousing show and introduced today's Cestrians to a range of wonderful instruments, not least English bagpipes!

The Minstrels played a medieval processional tune all the way from the Cross to St Johns,

Where we got our licences in a recreation of the original ceremony.

Then shared more music through the day and a memorable evening concert.

We're doing it all again next year, Saturday 15th June 2013, once more in the original and authentic location of the church of St John the Baptist, Chester.  See you there!

Minstrels' Court

We're looking forward to the Minstrels' Court, coming up very soon, on Saturday 16th June 2012.  It's the recreation of an old Cheshire tradition where all musicians, and other entertainers, gathered at St John's Church at midsummer to gain their licence to perform, without which they risked arrest if performing.

The story goes that Ranulf, sixth earl of Chester, was at Rhuddlan Castle and besieged by the Welsh.  Word was sent to the constable of Chester Castle for more soldiers.  But the messenger arrived at the time of the midsummer fair and all the soldiers were in the taverns.  Instead the constable rounded up musitioners, players, bearwards and divers lewd persons and headed off into Wales with them.  They made such a din as they approached Rhuddlan that the Welsh feared a great army and fled.  The earl gave them his gratitude and protection to be renewed annually on the anniversary of this event.  That was in 1204 and the tradition continued annually until 1756.

When we heard about this and realised that this ancient tradition which ran for five and a half centuries had been neglected ever since.  It was such a great story that it had to be revived.  So, we spoke with David Chesters, the Rector of Chester, who is responsible for St John's church where the Minstrels' Court originally happened, who was equally excited about the idea and so the revival began. 

It is a really special place to play music, so atmospheric.  Listening in that location, you really understand why churches are built in this shape.  And, when so many medieval events are in tents in muddy fields, it is also great to be in an original and authentic location where the real historic event actually happened.  St John's church is a fascinating place, the oldest church in Cheshire, packed full of stories and an architectural gem.

The event has grown a little each year as more and more musicians have heard about the background and want to be involved, and this year there is a great mix including Richard York, Blast from the Past, Trouvere, Halfe Pannikin, and the Time Bandits along with many other musicians who will be coming and joining in with performances and playing together. 

There will also be storytelling, mummers' plays, a range of medieval characters including knights, archers, weavers, relic peddlers and physicians.  The Grosvenor Museum are also running children's activities and a display of archaeological finds from medieval Cheshire.

The Minstrels' will be processing through some of the city streets around 1pm, arriving at the church at 1.30pm to collect licences in a recreation of the original ceremony.   

The Minstrels' Court this year is on Saturday 16th June, starting at 10.30am and concluding at 5pm.  It's free admission too.  See you there!

Sandstone Tales

I'm often telling folk tales from the county of Cheshire, and so it was a delight to attend a course exploring Cheshire legends.  It was led by Johnny Gillett, a friend and fellow storyteller.  Johnny has collected tales exploring the landscape and even developed creation myths for Cheshire's Sandstone Ridge, giving it life through the Ridge Wyrm. 

Is this rocky outcrop the dragon like head of the Ridgewyrm?

We explored themes of the Devil's exploits in the area before climbing up to Queen's Parlour, a spectacular and evocative cave high up on the ridge.  A perfect location for listening to stories and for gaining inspiration from the shapes in the sandstone. 

Is this a pensive writer in the rock?

We shared more stories over a lovely lunch in the Sandstone pub. 

Then it was back to Harthill Creative Centre to develop our tales and explore characters.  The workshop helped me give shape to a set of stories featuring bagpipers, which balance happier endings with dark and foreboding warnings.

I'm now packed full of ideas and ready for more storytelling.  And also looking forward to Johnny's forthcoming book 'Cheshire Folk Tales' which is out on 1st June.

Little Pilgrims

For various reasons we've got some miniature versions of ourselves in medieval pilgrim guise and from other centuries which I thought I would share.

Here's a little pilgrim Tom - a rag doll, or poppet, made for me by Sue, using offcuts of the cloth that my cote, hose and a bag are made from.

This was a gift from a good friend of ours, Colin Mann, who often joins us for medieval and Tudor events.  He's modified model soldier figures to depict a version of one of the folk tales I tell.

These are some Bartholomew Babies with clothes hand stitched by Sue.  These wooden dolls get the name from Bartholomew Fair, the summer festival that was held for centuries at Smithfields in London, where they were sold.  The clothing shows 14th, 16th and 17th century versions.

Finally, another present, this fantastic jig doll was carved and painted by the wonderfully talented Chris Harvey, and you'll see him dancing and helping to tell stories at some of our events.