Hertford Castle

[Graham Serretta]

Last Sunday my Best Beloved and I took visiting family to Hertford where we visited Hertford Castle.  Here are some of the photographs that I took, for your amusement. 

All taken with a Nikon D90 and 18-105mm f3.5/5.6 VR DX lens.


The stone and flint curtain wall

In 1170 King Henry built the present massive curtain wall of flint and stone, seven feet thick, around Hertford Castle keep.  There are interesting details in this wall. The pointed archway was the ancient postern gate, a sort of side entrance from the town, and led to a bridge across the moat, which was guarded by the adjoining tower. In the south-west corner a patch of brickwork can be seen, all that remains of the great angle tower that here rose above the moat and overlooked the town. When the moat was drained the tower was converted into a house and named Tower House. In the 1780s this was a school for boys under John Worsley, a famous scholar who translated the New Testament from the Greek.


Hertford Castle today - used by the Town Council as offices. Charles I brought the centuries of royal possession to an end by granting the Town and Castle of Hertford to William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Salisbury, whose descendants own the Castle to this day.

 
This is my Best Beloved and sister and cousin, looking at this:


This stone commorates the first General Synod of the Christian Church in England, held here in 673AD (or CE if you prefer).  Accoering to the inscription, it was held under the presidency of Theodore of Tarsus, seventh Archbishop of Canterbury and first Primate of all England.
You can read more of the fascinating history of the castle here:

http://www.hertford.gov.uk/History-of-the-Castle-History-and-Tours-of-Hertford-Castle-4445.asp?page=4445

You may see the more of my photographs by following this link:   http://graham.serretta.fotopic.net/c1885536.html

[Dennis Gallus]

Graham,

As usual a great photo tour.  Although you have not been a Nikon user in many a year, you are obviously making that D90 perform!

Thanks for the post,
Dennis

[Julio1fer]

Another beautiful tour of old England, and good use of that Nikon kit.  I gather the Cecils are the same line as the Victorian PM? Awesome.

[LarryD]

Bet the Pope would hate to visit that stone. Those are great pictures....

[jamesmck]

Very nice!

James

[lesged]

Graham,

Your new delightful photos are another reminder of what I’ve missed by never having seen an English city, countryside or old town except in photos, film or videos.

Shamefully, I have only been aboard transatlantic ships docked at the ports of Plymouth and Southampton. It was not by choice, as I was en route to Le Havre or Calais and debarking the ship was not allowed. The same applies to Heathrow, which was a stop over for several flights to other countries.

England is on my wish list and if I go again to Europe, I’ll try real hard to work it into our itinerary. Meanwhile, continue to show the beauty of your second homeland.

[Graham Serretta]

Thank you, good people!  Julio, yes, it is the same family.  Larry, in 673 AD there was only one Christian church.  The English church broke away from Rome in the 16th century under Henry VIII.  Recently I have read reports that the Church of England and the Catholic Church may be talking about getting back together.  Les, if you ever make it to this green and gentle island, I would look forward to meeting you.