Ashwell in Hertfordshire this afternoon.....

 

 

 

 

 

Ashwell gets its name from the springs which rise here and feeds the River Rhee which is one of the principal sources of the River Cam.  At Ely the Cam joins the Ouse and flows out to sea at The Wash, a total distance from Ashwell of 65 miles.......

 

 

I leapt (well, ok, inched) across the stepping stones....

 

 

 

... and then back again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The springs were used by households as a water source for centuries, and was the village laundry until the arrival of piped water in 1913.  Water piped directly from the springs was used by Fordham's and then Whitbread's breweries (laundry-flavoured beer maybe?) and the latter gave the springs to the village in 1972.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bear House built in the late 1300's....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ancient graffiti on the pillars ....

 

 

 

 

The next photo shows graffiti in the tower referring to the plague during the reign of Edward III and a great storm which swept across the country on 15th Jan 1361.

 

 

Believed to be a sketch of St Paul's Cathedral drawn in the 14th or 15th century.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A lovely village, and I can't wait to return.

 

 

Fleam Dyke, Cambridgeshire yesterday afternoon .......

Fleam Dyke is one of Cambridgeshire's most impressive ancient earthworks and a rare surviving example of chalk grassland environment.  It was built over a period of 150 years from late 5th to early 7th centuries AD and was probably built by the East Anglian Saxons to control the Icknield Way, the ancient routeway into East Anglia from the West.  The bank and ditch run for 5 Km between the former fen edge of Fulbourn and Balsham.  Such an interesting, peaceful and fascinating walk into history ....

We parked in Stonebridge Road, Fulbourn, and the start of Fleam Dyke is about 15 minutes walk from there....