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Author Archives: Patricia

Jorvik. Part 2

Posted on January 12, 2013 by Patricia

Once you step inside the city walls of York, the modern world seems to recede. York revels in its history, from the artifacts of Viking Jorvik to the motte built by William the Conqueror to the glorious high medieval cathedral … Read More →

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Jorvik!

Posted on December 30, 2012 by Patricia

I first visited York in the 1970’s, and I was utterly smitten by the medieval city: the magnificent York Minster, York Castle and Clifford’s Tower, abbey ruins, the warren of medieval streets known as The Shambles, the museums, the shops … Read More →

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A Tale of Two Carols

Posted on December 23, 2012 by Patricia

My favorite part of Christmas is the singing of carols – in the midst of darkness a plea for light. The music of the carols, some of their melodies floating down to us from the Middle Ages, can lift hearts … Read More →

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Ringmere

Posted on December 8, 2012 by Patricia

On May 5, 1010, a great battle was fought between the Anglo-Saxons and the Danes at Ringmere Heath. At battle’s end, it was the Danes who remained masters of the field of slaughter. It was a terrible loss for England, … Read More →

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Return to West Stow Village

Posted on November 22, 2012 by Patricia

West Stow Village in Suffolk was a sixth century Anglo-Saxon settlement. Nothing remarkable happened in this spot, it was just a place where several family groups settled to farm and to raise their children. The village stood for roughly two … Read More →

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The Lovely Bones

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Patricia

For the past 300 years, anyone who has visited Winchester Cathedral could see, high atop the choir screen, 6 beautifully carved, wooden mortuary chests containing the remains of Anglo-Saxon royalty and ecclesiastics, dating back to A.D. 786. One of them, … Read More →

Posted in History | 6 Comments

Searching for Swein

Posted on October 28, 2012 by Patricia

Many of Britain’s historical sites are clearly visible and extremely well preserved, sometimes as museums or parks. London’s Tower, for example, accommodates thousands of visitors a day. The ruins of the abbey at Bury St. Edmunds or the castle at … Read More →

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Adventures in the Cotswolds

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Patricia

My current work in progress has a scene set in Gloucestershire on top of a hill called Ciresdune, which is now called Churchdown, and while we were staying in the Cotswolds we set out to explore it. From its summit … Read More →

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The Sport of Kings

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Patricia

It is a ninety minute drive from Stow-on-the-Wold in Oxfordshire to Holdenby House in Northamptonshire. We didn’t mind it one bit, because it’s a lovely drive, because I was keen to see the countryside, and because at the end of … Read More →

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Anglo-Saxon Oxford & Stow-on-the-Wold

Posted on October 6, 2012 by Patricia

Driving in Britain is such a thrill for Americans. Not a good thrill, mind you. Some people refuse to even attempt it, but I am married to an intrepid Canadian who is unfazed by the demands of left-handed driving. This … Read More →

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