Ockwells Manor and John Howard, Duke of Norfolk….

Ockwells Manor in Berkshire is surely one of the most beautiful old houses in the United Kingdom. It encapsulates everything we sigh for longingly when it comes to rambling, romantic half-timbered medieval properties with gables and a good few chimneys. And it predates the Tudors! More than its beauty and desirability, Ockwells Manor has a… Continue reading Ockwells Manor and John Howard, Duke of Norfolk….

The imposition of ransom….

    My latest target for research is the English garrison/bastion of Brest, on the coast of Brittany, specifically the final years of the 14th century before it was handed back to the Bretons. My interest had been aroused when reading Ducal Brittany 1364-1399, by Michael Jones. In it I learned of the practice of… Continue reading The imposition of ransom….

Medieval thoughts of Stonehenge and the solstices….?

I remember the good old days when a visit to Stonehenge meant actually walking around inside it, instead of having to view it from paths at a distance. You could just park and walk, without all the razzmatazz that applies today. Some people even sat on the lower stones! Shock, horror. Closing the monument off… Continue reading Medieval thoughts of Stonehenge and the solstices….?

SIR MATTHEW CRADDOCK 1468 – 1531

 Matthew Craddock was the son of Richard ap Gwilliam ap Evan ap Craddock Vreichfras and Jennet Horton of Candleston Castle in Glamorgan. His great grandfather, William Horton of Tregwynt in Pembrokeshire, married Joan de Canteloupe the heiress of Candleston. Jennet Horton was their granddaughter. I first came across Matthew Craddock while looking at anything that… Continue reading SIR MATTHEW CRADDOCK 1468 – 1531