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Author Archives: Patricia

A Tale of Two Carols

My favorite part of Christmas is the singing of carols – in the midst of darkness a plea for light. The music of the carols, some of their melodies floating down to us from the Middle Ages, can lift hearts … Read More

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Ringmere

On May 5, 1010, a great battle was fought between the Anglo-Saxons and the Danes at Ringmere Heath. At battle’s end, it was the Danes who remained masters of the field of slaughter. It was a terrible loss for England, … Read More

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Return to West Stow Village

West Stow Village in Suffolk was a sixth century Anglo-Saxon settlement. Nothing remarkable happened in this spot, it was just a place where several family groups settled to farm and to raise their children. The village stood for roughly two … Read More

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The Lovely Bones

For the past 300 years, anyone who has visited Winchester Cathedral could see, high atop the choir screen, 6 beautifully carved, wooden mortuary chests containing the remains of Anglo-Saxon royalty and ecclesiastics, dating back to A.D. 786. One of them, … Read More

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Searching for Swein

Many of Britain’s historical sites are clearly visible and extremely well preserved, sometimes as museums or parks. London’s Tower, for example, accommodates thousands of visitors a day. The ruins of the abbey at Bury St. Edmunds or the castle at … Read More

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Adventures in the Cotswolds

My current work in progress has a scene set in Gloucestershire on top of a hill called Ciresdune, which is now called Churchdown, and while we were staying in the Cotswolds we set out to explore it. From its summit … Read More

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The Sport of Kings

It is a ninety minute drive from Stow-on-the-Wold in Oxfordshire to Holdenby House in Northamptonshire. We didn’t mind it one bit, because it’s a lovely drive, because I was keen to see the countryside, and because at the end of … Read More

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Anglo-Saxon Oxford & Stow-on-the-Wold

Driving in Britain is such a thrill for Americans. Not a good thrill, mind you. Some people refuse to even attempt it, but I am married to an intrepid Canadian who is unfazed by the demands of left-handed driving. This … Read More

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All Hallows, Physic and the HNS Conference

One of the things you’re reminded of on the London Walks is how much of London was destroyed in the blitz. A great deal of it was simply built anew, but some places were painstakingly restored just as they had … Read More

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About London

I am, once more, way behind in my posts. Today I am in Stow on the Wold, about to leave for points north, yet still dredging up my memories of last week in London. We stayed in a little flat … Read More

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