Braving the Wind in Poppyland

We awoke to bright sunny skies after an extra hour’s sleep last night ! (Europe turned back the clocks last night.) How exciting was that?

The only downfall was the wind which was full force as predicted.  As we discussed just what we might be able to do to salvage the day, our B&B host, Jack, offered the excellent suggestion that we check out the steam train that runs from nearby Sheringham.  This was definitely FAR better in my mind that visiting a tank museum, which was Marty's suggestion.  Thank goodness, he agreed that the train sounded more exciting. 

So, we hopped in the car and drove to the station.

One there, we were greeted by a North Norfolk Railway Line employee who set us up with Phil in order to purchase tickets.  Phil was excited to tell us that we had chosen the perfect day to travel by steam train, as this weekend was the annual Fall Gala!  And, there were six different vintage steam trains running today, and we could "hop on/hop off" according to our whim. 

Now, how lucky was that? 

So, Marty purchased two tickets and we walked along the train that was sitting in the station waiting to depart. 

This was the 9077 Royal Norfolk Railway and she was built in Glasgow in 1943. 

She had worked in Egypt, then Greece, where she worked until 1979 before being returned this area. 

While we were waiting to board, another engine came rolling in.  

The one was the Newstead built in 1929 by Hunslet Leeds.  Information states that this engine was lost for 4 decades, having been hidden in a nunnery.  Now that might be a story worth investigating! 

We settled in for the ride and admired the amazing scenery in the distance. 

You can see the North Sea in the distance, and closer to the train line there stands a Dutch Style windmill, right in the middle of a field!

Halfway along the ride is the station for Weybourne.  It's located in a remote area, pretty far from the village.  We opted to stay on the train to Holt. 

Once in Holt, everything got busier.  I attribute that to the free parking as compared to paid parking in Sheringham.  Lots of people were excitedly waiting to board a train.

We hopped off to check out what the station had to offer.   First of all, there was this miniature railway that featured an operating train.

Glass cases filled with collectible cars

and this interesting museum that told the history of just how this railway came to be.  A man named William Marriott was the mind and money behind building this railway back in 1877.  This area of the coast was quite popular in that time period, and the railway was built strictly to accommodate tourists who flocked to the sea. 

The museum featured quite a number of signs that would have hung in any of the local train stations. 

There were these Tablet Issuing instruments, built during Victorian times.  One was housed in the signal box at each end of a section and were linked by electronic telegraph.  

There were several tourism posters.  Cromer is the village just west of Overstrand where we are staying. 

And when I saw this map, I suddenly realized the connection between the Mill  House B&B where we are staying, and Poppyland.  I'll  touch on that later. 

While we were in Holt, this Victorian engine rolled in.

It was built in 1863 and is Britain's oldest working steam locomotive. It was paired with the Victorian carriages, but we didn't seek it out to look at the interior. 

The signalbox was open, and Marty was quite interested in hearing the ins and outs of just how the safety signals were transferred.  The box is elevated so that the signalman can see in the distance.  

This signalbox does not control real trains.   It's a digital model that replicates the operation of automated signaling and traffic management. 

It gives an opportunity to the observer to see what is required by a signalman for controlling a mainline junction. Levers were pulled and bells were rung. 

Marty was happy to volunteer. 

So much fun for him! Personally, I found the old stove in the room to be very interesting.  It was obviously pretty old. 

We headed back down the stairs to the station to see what train we would take on our return. 

The pick was Hercules. 

Her history involved hauling heavy coal trains in South Wales before her retirement.

She had super plush seats, which was really surprising considering her past role, but we certainly weren't complaining!

The ride was very comfortable, and we were back where we started in short time.  We decided to get some refreshment, so we headed to a cafe that I had spotted which is located near the sea. 

I ordered the Cream Tea.  I can honestly say that it was the best one that I enjoyed on this trip. 

We went out to brave the wind and check out the area near the sea.  Don't let those brilliant blue skies fool you. The wind was gusting up to nearly 50 mph!

Marty took a photo of me with the wind blowing, but I'm too vain to post it. It looks like I've undergone an electric shock with my hair standing straight up!  

After being billeting by the wind for awhile, we decided it was time to make the hike back to the car and head back to the Mill House B&B.   

Conveniently enough, the Steelers were playing in Paris, which put them in the same time zone as us, so Marty was able to listen to the final part of the game, which turned out in the Steeler's favor. That made his day even better!  He didn't once mention that he wished we would have gone to look at tanks. 

For dinner, we drove to the nearby restaurant.  Although there was a brilliant full moon tonight, it simply wasn't bright enough to illuminate, and with the wind gusts, it made more sense to stay safe and take the car.  Plus....it was quicker.

When we left last evening, we had asked the manager if she could book us something in the bar.  There was one table left, so she saved it for us.   It was in a cozy corner of a bay window and offered this lovely view of the fireplace. 

It was really the perfect way to enjoy our last meal here in Norfolk.   

Tomorrow we leave the B&B to drive to London as we fly out on Tuesday morning if all goes according to plan. 

But before I finish for the night, let me elaborate on the Poppyland story.  Back in the late 19th century, wild poppies grew scattered in the fields along the cliffs here in Overstrand.   There was a man named Clement Scott, who was a theater critic as well as a famous poet. (Personally, I'd never heard of him but that's not saying much.) 

Clement had visited the area in 1883 when he took the new railway line from Norwich to Cromer, disembarking at the latter.  He looked for a place to stay, but nothing was available, so he kept walking until he came to the Mill House, owned by the miller, Mr. Jermy.  This is the B&B where we are staying. 

Clement fell in love with the house and the peacefulness it offered him.  He also fell in love with Mr. Jermy's daughter, Louie.    He wrote articles about beautiful poppy-filled meadows on the cliffs, surrounding the fishing villages of Overstrand, Sidestrand and Mundesley for the magazine The Daily Telegraph.  

He used the word "Poppyland" in his descriptions, and he is credited for starting a tourism boom in this area, in combination with the new train line.  But I honestly don't know what happened with Louie! 

I'll leave you with his poem "The Garden of Sleep", which is highlighted in the information pack that comes with our room. 

 On the grass of the cliff, at the edge of the steep,

God planted a garden - a garden of sleep!

'Neath the blue of sky, in the green of the corn,

It is there that the regal red poppies are born!

Brief days of desire, and long dreams of delight,

They are mine when Poppy-Land cometh in sight.

In music of distance, with eyes that are wet,

It is there I remember, and there I forget!

O! heart of my heart! where the poppies are born,

I am waiting for thee, in the hush of the corn.

     Sleep!     Sleep!

                   From the Cliff to the Deep!

                                 Sleep, my Poppy-Land,

                                                Sleep!

In my garden of sleep, where red poppies are spread,

I wait for the living, alone with the dead!

For a tower in ruins stands guard o'er the deep,

At whose feet are green graves of dear women asleep!

Did they love as I love, when they lived by the sea?

Did they wait as I wait, for the days that may be?

Was it hope or fulfilling that entered each breast,

Ere death gave release, and the poppies gave rest?

O! life of my life! on the cliffs by the sea,

By the graves in the grass, I am waiting for thee!

     Sleep!     Sleep!

                   In the Dews of the Deep!

                                Sleep, my Poppy-Land,

                                               Sleep!

I kind of feel like it's time to sleep, how about you? 

Until next time...

Yellow Warning in Cromer

We were fortunate to squeeze in one last National Trust property today, as the strong winds are forcing many of the places to close for the rest of the weekend.

So, we'll have to rethink tomorrow's plans. I'm not quite sure what 50 mph winds feel like. Nor do I think that I want to find out.  But' we'll face that challenge tomorrow. 

In the meantime, we started out with a delicious breakfast made by our young hosts here at the Mill House.

Then we headed out to Felbrigg Hall early so that we could see most of it before the predicted bad weather hit. 

Febrigg Hall is a country home that can be traced back to Tudor times. Parts of the present day house date back to 1620 with a wing added in 1680. The west wing was added onto the house in 1680. 

When we first arrived, the house was not yet open for touring, so we opted to take a walk, while the weather was still decent, and head to the church on the grounds.  Funny, but while we were looking at the map, attempting to find the path, a local man asked if he could help. He commented that the maps could be confusing, which lifted my spirits as it proved that we aren't the only people having issues following these maps! 

He pointed the direction to us, through a gate, then along a path in an open field where sheep were grazing.   Wouldn't be a first for us.  

But once through the gate, there was a lot of commotion. A loud string of bleating "Bahhh" was echoing around us, and when we looked up, this group was headed towards us at high speed, bleating while running. 

We were clueless as to what was happening, and I have to admit, it was slightly frightening for a few minutes as they came charging towards us.  

But then, they suddenly stopped. 

All as if frozen in time. How crazy is that?

We can only presume that they spotted a feed truck that was behind us, but driving away, when they came running.  But when it appeared that they were all staring at us, we didn't think to turn around and look back.  What a relief!

It didn't take long to come to St. Margaret's church.  

We had been told that it was closed, but a husband/wife couple were inside cleaning, and they welcomed us inside to take a peek. 

The church dates back to the 15th century. 

One of its unusual features is its collection of memorial brasses. These are flat, engraved, memorial plates.  There are several at the base of the altar.   This one of a young woman is missing the name plate.  It is unknown who she is.  

I was amused by these "booths" that were apparently assigned to families.  I'm fairly certain those were installed more recently. There were benches in there, four in each. 

Over time, the roof needed to be repaired, and this one dates to the 17th century. 

Other items caught my eye as well. 

This memorial is a genealogist's dream.  It mentions, births, wives, number of children, and death...all in one place.  

Of course, all of that information is recorded elsewhere, as this family kept very keen records. 

We walked out of the church to find that the weather was beginning to turn, so we headed to the Walled Garden to try to beat out the rain.  And, what we found behind the wall was nothing less than amazing!

I know, it's a lot of garden photos.  (I actually took more.) 

There was even a dovecote.  It was located behind the pleasure fountain.

And it was certainly a busy place with doves flying in and out.  I managed to get a photo of one who was just sitting inside.  Marty was buzzed by about half a dozen attempting to fly out. Luckily, he was wearing a hat! 

There was some interesting metal statuary scattered about.

And even a special place for bees.

Certainly a lot to see considering that the peak season is long gone. 

It was now time to enter the house.  

We were sent to the Morning Room which was from the 16th century.  It's pretty much used to show off the family paintings, as you can see. 

I was impressed with the fall floral arrangements, which came from flowers that had been picked and dried on the estate.   

Across the way and we were in the Great Hall.

The doorways, ceiling drops and stained glass windows were added in 1840.

The desk for Robert Wyndham Ketton-Cremeer, stands on the far end. He was the man responsible for maintaining the collections.  He had no children, so he donated the estate to the National Trust upon his death, to preserve all of the hard work he had put into the house. 

This led to the dining room.  It was remodeled in the 1750's.

From here we pass into the drawing room. 

A table in the corner holds a teapot gifted to the family by Queen Mary, who stayed a night in the estate. 

The staircase is from the 1750's.

It actually led to a very large library at the top.  Passing through, we came to this unique bathtub .  It is called a Victorian Slipper Bath.

I'd never seen one before, but was told that they are actually quite common. 

From here we walked through the Yellow Bedroom

to the Rose Bedroom

Red Bedroom

And, finally, the Chinese Bedroom.

It features wallpaper from 1752.

I couldn't get my ahead around the fact that the decor on these walls was the original paper from that time period, somehow miraculously preserved over the centuries. 

From here we walked down the servants staircase which took us to a long hall where the Butler's Pantry stands.  The tables were adorned with fruits and vegetables that came from the estate. 

Very impressive!

Now that the tour was finished and the rain was falling, we decided to stop for a cream tea in the cafe, then headed back to the B&B. 

We attended mass just up the road at a church entitled Our Lady of Refuge, which seemed appropriately named considering the weather conditions.

Afterwards, we enjoyed dinner in the same restaurant as last night, but this time, we drove instead of walking. 

I have NO idea what tomorrow's plan will be with the scheduled trust site being closed. 

Marty mentioned something about a tank museum.   I can't say that the prospect thrills me. 

 

But what IS really exciting is that we change the clocks an hour tonight, meaning we get an hour's extra sleep!  Then, next weekend at home, we get to do that again!  I'll be looking forward to that, believe me!

In any event, thanks for following along.   I hope you enjoyed the tour.

I'll be sure to keep you posted about tomorrow's plans. 

Until next time....