10 May - Wheels

It's supposed to be wonderful weather till Sunday, so we struck out to pick up a rental car. We took the bus from Barrington and James was once again our driver. What a lovely guy he is, and an amazing driver. We crossed the park

and were amazed to see the cattle that graze in the public park. They must be incredibly docile, because pedestrians pass by them constantly.

Anyway, we chose to rent a car from Sixt, the company that was so terrific in California when we drove from San Francisco to Monterey. Again, we experienced wonderful customer service and Lewis, our service rep, went above and beyond.

Bruce then drove us to Anglesey Abbey, a National Trust property that was on my must-see list. The National Trust site describes it thusly:

"A passion for tradition and impressing guests inspired one man to transform a run-down country house and desolate landscape.

At the age of 30, the future Lord Fairhaven began to create his first home. Wanting to inspire and surprise visitors, he created a spectacular garden with planting for all seasons and a cosy house in which to entertain. Life revolved around horse racing and shooting, and guests enjoyed 1930s luxury.

Inside: fine furnishings, books, paintings, silver and rare clocks give a feeling of opulence.

Outside: 46 hectares (114 acres) offer vibrant colour, delicious scents and the simple pleasures of nature."

It was founded as a hospital of St. Mary by Henry I between 1100 and 1135 and endowed as a priory in 1212. It was closed in 1536 during the dissolution of the monasteries during the reign of Henry VIII. It passed through many hands but was eventually sold to two brothers who were born in the US. Their father trained as a civil engineer and helped construct Felixstowe docks. He went to the US in 1887 and made a fortune in the booming railroad industry. He married the daughter of an oil tycoon and used his wealth for the public good. His philanthropy was recognized with a peerage, but he died in 1929 before it could be conferred. The title passed instead to his widow and to his eldest son, who, in 1931, together presented Runnymede to the National Trust in his memory. The title was that of Lord Fairhaven. This is where my connection comes in. I was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, which borders the town of Fairhaven. Lord Fairhaven's grandfather began his career selling paraffin at his local market in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. In 1861, he decided to try his luck in the oil fields of Pennsylvania, where 'black gold' had been discovered two years before. Over the next few years, he made his fortune, eventually becoming a leader at Standard Oil. So the "Fairhaven" of the title comes from Fairhaven, MA. Additionally, he was descended from a carpenter who came over on the Mayflower. I have four ancestors who also came over on the Mayflower.

Walking to the Abbey is a treat. A beautiful walk lead us through lovely stands of trees

and on to the mill which still mills corn and wheat flour. There's to be a "mill weekend" at National Trust properties, so the mill was closed for preparations and sprucing up. but the beauty of the mill pond made up for the disappointment of not seeing it.

The house is quite interesting

though there are only a few rooms one can access and only one room remains from the original construction.

The reception room is a small-ish room, but has a glorious ceiling and fireplace.

From the drawing room we walked down the hall past a column that was clearly designed by a cat lover.

The original part of the house was made into the dining room by Lord Fairhaven and boasts a magnificent ceiling as well.

On display is a silver model of the Mayflower.

One last room on display is the drawing room and the big attraction there is the pagoda clock. It chimes at noon and at 3pm; we arrived at 12:15, so we missed it. It has been the big attraction for years because if its automaton-type movement, though the original works were removed and replaced with a modern electrical movement. Sadly, that no longer functions completely. They post a QR code near the clock so that you can go online and watch it.

Before exiting, we made our way through the servants' area.

Clearly they didn't trust the servants, because the good china and silver is kept in a safe.

Blanchie, the chicken we're sitting for, is supposed to be released from her enclosure at about noon and since we kept her cooped up (pun intended) for a very long time yesterday, we headed back to free her after a quick lunch at the National Trust cafe.

I posted photos of the outside of the house in an earlier post. Here are a couple more more shots to illustrate how unique and beautiful it is.

Height restrictions in place:

Square angles are so overrated:

By the way, if you're looking to move to the Cambridge area, this lovely cottage happens to be for sale.

I did a bit more work on my coat while Blanchie kept me company.