History Weekend Extraordinaire!

We rented a car.  The freedom is astounding!  We pulled out our English Heritage cards and toured all around, to take advantage of our free entry into...let's see...ten historic sites in one weekend! We also saw Midsummer Night's Dream in Stratford (opening night), and I cannot even begin to do it justice by describing it.  I had NO idea theatre could be that funny - Marc and I both were laughing so hard that tears were flowing freely down our faces! Here are some other highlights of our history-on-wheels-weekend: 

Wenlock Priory, located in the woods on the edge of the cutest little town called "Much Wenlock".  I love place names over here.

Wroxerter, a once huge Roman city now in the middle of pastureland.  Imagine naked Romans bathing behind me - it was the sauna/baths :).

Buildwas Abbey, complete with creepy crypt.

These are the kinds of things that remind me over and over why I love England.  Just hangin with the sheep in the green fields among centuries-old ruins. 

The world's first iron bridge!  Not impressed?  Yeah, I didn't think I could be enticed to get excited about a metal bridge.  But a little educational brochure can do wonders!  It was cool! 

Boscobel House - this place was crazy.  It was a safe house for Catholics during the madness of the 17th century.  Here Marc models the "Priest Hole" for you.  Catholic priests would hide in these tiny holes in the floor, and people would nail the boards back down on the top of them -- definitely reminiscent of hiding Jews during WWII. We toured the whole furnished house which was like being back in time.  We toured the servants quarters, too, and learned how they made butter and cheese - which made Marc want to be a cheese-maker.  Typical! 

Witley Court.  This seriously HUGE mansion was one of the hippest places for the rich to socialize in Victorian England.  It was gutted by a fire in the 1930s and now it is an eerie shell of a massive house.  The huge fancy gardens alone took us about two hours to walk around.  And that fountain was once the largest in Europe.  Awesome! 

Witley Church, "the finest Rococo Church in England".  The church was great but the sharp little old hostess lady sitting in a red velvet chair was the best part.

And now you have joined us on some of our tour of olde England.  Aren't you exhausted??  Us, too!