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You can see the mound behind us![/caption]
Britain is full of wonderful hidden gems. One of these is Fotheringhay, It's in Northamptonshire, not far from Peterborough, and is a place full of both history and beauty.
Fotheringhay is a gorgeous, very small village which we visited simply because I remembered going there as a child and being fascinated by its history. I've always been interested in the Tudors and this was the place given to Catherine of Aragon by Henry VIII, and where Mary Queen of Scots met her end, being imprisoned, tried and then literally losing her head in the castle's great hall, in 1587.
The castle itself was built over 1000 years ago, in around 1100. A king who has been very much in the news, Richard III, was born there in 1452 and soil from the castle - blessed by the Bishop of Leicester - will be used at his reburial tomorrow. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, will also sprinkle a portion of the sample into Richard III’s coffin.
You approach the castle via a footpath and it is now basically a mound, flattened on the top, which you climb up - only the earthworks and a conical motte remain. There is no building, and yet it's still a great place to visit. The climb is fun, the views are gorgeous (you are right beside the river Nene) and it's very peaceful.
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The peaceful Nene Valley in Fotheringhay[/caption]
Fotheringhay also has a beautiful church and an array of lovely stone houses. It also has a delicious restaurant, the Falcon Inn, where we sat down for a spot of lunch. However, it is a tiny village, so it won't take you very long to see what's on offer. Enjoy this taste of history!
We loved being in the country and have linked up with Country Kids this week!
If you like history, you may enjoy:
Visiting Selby Abbey, nearly 1000 years of history
Winchester, Wolf Hall and moreLabels: Blog, Catherine of Aragon, history, Richard III, Tudor history, Tudors, UK