Keep Your Powder Dry

The entry for Cambridgeshire is supplemented by the separate entries for  Cromwell's House , the Cromwell Museum ,and the entry for Cambridge itself. St Andrews Church, Northborough is where Cromwell's widow, Elizabeth Cromwell is buried. Her memorial stone is all but worn away, little more than 'ell' remaining visible. A plaque dedicated to her by the Cromwell Association is on the wall nearby. Northborough Manor , home of the Claypoles (Cromwell's daughter, Elizabeth, married John Claypole in 1646), was fortified and the gatehouse garrisoned for Parliament. Reputedly visited by Old Knoll, this is, for once, quite a likely occurence (unlike most of the places Cromwell supposedly visited). The north wall has traces of gun loops cut into it.  Northborough's gatehouse Northborough's imposing gatehouse  can be rented as a holiday let; the house itself is privately owned, visits are possible by appointment only. St Ives market place  boasts a very fetching st...

The ECWtravelogue visited the Cromwell Museum (see  here ) what seems an age ago. In the intervening time the Museum closed for a major revamp and I've been waiting to re-visit for over a year (thanks to a global pandemic). Strangely the museum has been somewhat constrained by the building, they haven't been able to implement a TARDIS upgrade. What they have done is made everything much brighter, smarter, and well... much more nicely presented than it was. My first impression was that the extensive collection of portraits was easier to view. Might be a clue here as to whom this museum is 'dedicated to' (and it isn't Monck who has photobombed the shot) Riding gaiters When travelling I carry a first aid kit in my car, the Lord Protector was no different: his travelling apothecary set Cromwell's stirrups. Probably. Postcodes for SatNavs The Cromwell Museum PE29 3LF If you enjoyed reading this, or any of the other posts, please consider  supporting  the blog.  Thank...

The #ECWtravelogue took the opportunity to have a sneaky look at places of interest in Cambridge under the pretence of taking offspring #3 to look around the University. August update: proud dad moment - he got in! Charles I Dominion of The Seas medal, Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge was very firmly in the area loyal to Parliament, it was in fact the heartland, and headquarters of the Eastern Association.  In 1643, Oliver Cromwell was made governor of the town. The town's existing castle was fortified and earthworks were thrown up around the town. The King's men came within a few miles but never threatened Cambridge. Other than being a garrison, and the inevitable rambunctious behaviour of the soldiers, the Wars passed the town peacefully by.  On 3 January, 1644 the iconoclast William Dowsing and his troops destroy fourteen ‘superstitious pictures’ in the  Round Church . However, the carved wooden angels on the ceiling survive the ordeal intact. What's There Now? The medieva...