The Best Easter Sunday Ever

After breakfast with lots of Easter eggs we took the A27 and M27 to Salisbury.  On the way we were intrigued to see groups of large nests high in bare birch trees.  We thought they were crows’ nests, but Bill later told us that if there’s a group of them they are rooks.  If there’s a solitary bird, it’s a crow.

We arrived at Salisbury Cathedral (13^th century) just in time for the last of the Easter sung Eucharist, and I was overwhelmed by the music and the ecclesiastical incense, which I love.  The Cathedral is unique in being almost entirely in one architectural style, Early English Gothic, and is the most beautiful I’ve seen, with arched roof and nave, leading to wonderful blue stained glass windows.  All the churches here have lots of blue in them, which of course is Mary’s colour.   We saw an original copy of Magna Carta – the most legible of four still existing – amazing to think that we were actually seeing this document which is the basis of so much of our law. 

Lunch was in the walled garden at Mompesson House (National Trust), then on towards Stonehenge.  Because Louise and Garvin are National Trust members we were sent to the front of the queue.  The stones are totally amazing, and I was surprised that we had such a good view.   I had expected to be peering over people’s shoulders, but the whole crowd organisation was very good.  They also give you audio guides, and of course, I had the benefit of Stephen’s many years of study of the area.  He is thrilled to finally have seen Stonehenge for himself.  As a child he’d driven past at least twice, but was always told that they’d stop “next time”.  It’s a lovely irony that his daughters have now taken him somewhere where his parents didn’t.

We saw a white chalk horse at Westbury, then drove on to Lacock, a medieval village seen in many movies (‘Pride and Prejudice”, “Emma”, “Harry Potter”). 

We stayed at The Sign of the Angel, built in the 15^th Century.  Low doorways, creaking sloping floors, but very luxurious rooms.  Ours was upstairs, with a kingsize brass bedstead and fullsize bath.  There were chickens in the yard (which supply eggs for breakfast) and friendly cats.  There was no lock on our door, but we were assured security would be fine, and it was.   We had a lovely dinner in the medieval dining room and one cat came to solicit tidbits.

This was definitely one of the most perfect days of my life, with memories I shall treasure for a very long time.