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Woolly says – It’s amazing what a good night’s sleep can do and feeling that my body clock had adjusted somewhat I was eager to take up Nanty Carys’s suggestion of exploring some of the villages in the area. As we drove through the leafy countryside it still felt strange to see fields of rape seed and animals, Jo and I both miss the wandering cows of India and the wonderful elephants. Britain though has some of the most beautiful vistas you can find and as the car pulled up next to the village green, I remembered how quaint the country is. There has been a settlement in Finchingfield since historical records of the area began and the village had been recorded in the Domesday Book as Phincingfelda, a name that probably means 'the land cleared by Finc's people'. Once an official stop for horse-drawn coaches travelling from London to Norwich today it seemed a sleepy place, with ducks sitting in the sun having a doze. As Nanty Carys and Nuncle Les led the way I trotted along the pavement admiring the lovely cosy cottages, each uniquely different with small windows and thatched on some and exterior walls patterned on others. I love a thatched cottage which is a trade that is sadly in decline. As we passed the village green and duck pond I caught of glimpse of something that I knew my small friend would like.
Woolly says – A WINDMILL! A lovely little white windmill stood behind a row of cottages, as we took a small track towards it I raced on ahead. Duck End Mill, Letch's Mill or Finchingfield Post Mill is a grade II listed Post mill which was built in the mid eighteenth century, originally an open trestle mill, the roundhouse was added in 1840 and it was used until 1890. It was squeezed onto a tiny piece of land but was in excellent condition and although it’s sails wouldn’t be moving today it is shown off to the public on a Sunday. I trotted further along the path passing another beautiful home set in a picturesque English garden before arriving at the entrance to the church. The Church of Saint John the Baptist dates from the 14th century, it’s lovely pebbled square tower was lovely and as we crossed the road I hoped that we would be able to have a peek inside.
Even the graveyard was worth a picture with old memorials covered in creeping vines and trees dotted around making it a serene place to wander.
Woolly says – As Jo pushed open the heavy wooden door a musty smell tickled my trunk, it was small inside with arches rising to the ceiling and a lovely large font taking centre stage. One window had a beautiful stained glass display which was charming to look at. Our walk back to the car took us past some more of the pretty houses and as I waved to the ducks I heard a solitary quack, such a peaceful place. A few miles along the narrow windy roads we pulled into a carpark and headed into the centre of Thaxted, the former home of the British composer Gustav Holst. As we entered the grounds of the towns church I stopped to admire the wonderful building which was bigger than some cathedrals we have visited, Thaxted Church is known as one of the grandest in the county of Essex, 183 feet long and 87 feet wide, and is described as the finest parish church in the country, construction began in 1340 and like many churches it faces a constant battle to raise funds to maintain it. Inside it’s bright white walls set off the wooden ceilings to a tee, as I peered upwards I noticed that wooden carvings of figures and roses had been used as decoration whilst keeping the rest of the building quite simple. Several stained glass windows caught my attention and on closer inspection you could see how intricate and wonderfully done they were. Having wandered in the silence for a while I headed back outside to inspect the exterior. Its pebbled finish gave a soft look to the building with each entrance having wonderful carvings of shield’s, I spotted a gargoyle up above who had a very fierce expression although that might have been due to the drain pipe that was coming out of his mouth. A small lane took us past more thatched and quaint buildings before my attention was grabbed by another WINDMILL!
He galloped ahead to take a closer look, again the windmill wasn’t in operation, but this didn’t seem to disappoint him.
Woolly says - Built in 1804, John Webb's Windmill is a tower mill which had been abandoned in the 1930’s, the parish council now maintain it and given how fine it looked they are doing a very good job of it. It was lovely and quite a lot bigger than the mill we had seen earlier, as I raced around it I could only wish that the sails would move and that I could see it fully working, maybe another time. The walking and fresh air had given me quite an appetite and for the first time in many months we found ourselves in a traditional British pub tucking into baked potato’s and lashings of ginger beer, it might be strange to be back, but it was wonderful to be able to eat some of my favourite foods once more.
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