By Joan Hershberger
For The Sunday News
Rural England offers scenic views of lambs tagging their mothers, white belted cattle, green fields with mile upon mile of stone fences and green hedges. Through the centuries, the stones of the area have been shaped and assembled into the houses, churches and the market squares seen in the Cotswold region near Gloucestershire; ancient castles and the mystery of Stonehenge — the best known of the world’s rock circles.
The silence of rural England surrounding Stonehenge reflects the mystery of its origins. Archeologists have picked up whispers of its past dating as far back as 5,000 years. Scientific studies trace the origin of the largest rock pillars to Wales.
Now, the road to Stonehenge traverses a country road with little traffic other than those going to the national treasure. The great outdoors, open fields and clear skies subdue voices to a quiet murmur at the ticket booth. A visitor shop with snacks and souvenirs maintains a low profile away from the pillars and stones.
Individual burial mounds accent the green hills surrounding the circle of rock pillars in the middle of a country field, near Wiltshire, England. Archeological studies point to its use as a burial ground for cremations. A discreet rope-like barrier keeps tourists from eroding the area and defines the distance for walking around the rocks that have puzzled many for centuries. The highest stone rises 24-feet above the ground.
Walking to the side of the circle opposite from the entrance, we looked through the gaps between rocks and lined up the solstice rock on the other side.
Hand-held recorders review the history and such insights as have been garnered from those who have studied the rocks. Scientific studies revealed that there used to be two more rocks in a line of four corresponding to the advent of each season.
The largest rocks were cut with a tongue and groove pattern to secure the horizontal rocks on top of the vertical rocks like a window or door. A trench encircles the area. Other than the large boulders, the area has little to see, but it is an area rife with many questions and theories about its origins.
We heard a more precise history during our day-long tour of the once prosperous villages in the Cotswold District. The Cotswold villages developed when wool dominated the country’s fabric. Wool money built fine towns, houses and parish churches aspiring to be cathedrals. We learned that a typical prayer etched into a stained glass window at one of the churches reads, “I thank my God and ever shall, it is the sheep hath paid for all.”
The guide mentioned that the term ‘hanging on tenterhooks’ came from the monks stretching the sheared and washed wool on hooks to keep it from shrinking while drying.
The prosperity from wool lasted two centuries and then a drought, less expensive wool, the rise of cotton and the cotton gin, slowly took their toll. Cotswold towns fell into an economic depression as their major source of income declined. But the houses and churches, built of stone during the heyday, remain. The longevity of one church was reflected in a board listing the rectors from 1272 to the present time.
Cotswold is located on a limestone ridge that provided the stones for buildings raised between 1200 and 1400 A.D. In recent times, the rules for preservation have pretty much restricted housing to owners wealthy enough to preserve and maintain the exteriors. The houses serve as a holiday cottages or retirement homes.
There is hardly a Cotswold community without its church, and most of these have some level of historic interest. Many display Saxon and Normandy architecture. Some had foundations and walls dating as far back as 1000 A.D. and earlier.
Our tour began in Bath — so named for the hot water springs and the baths originating in the time of the Romans. Visitors may enjoy the modern baths and tour the ancient ones.
We boarded a small tour bus, which the driver assured us would allow us access to the single-lane roads of Cotswold. The straighter and wider roads used as freeways date back to the time of the Romans who built the roads which have lasted for centuries. As we pass by Badminton, a village in Gloucestershire, the guide says that the Baron of Badminton invented the game with the same name using a cork with feathers. The height of the net was set as the height of his fireplace. Other sources do not trace the origin as definitively.
We passed the estate owned by Prince Charles who practices organic farming and has the produce sold at the farm markets. The layers of stone added to the stone walls after he purchased the property insure that the view is blocked far above the head of most people.
His stone wall as well as most others in the area are built of rocks fitted together without mortar because they last longer. In the past, the walls contained the sheep and directed them down narrow foot paths.
Small villages dot the Cotswold formerly occupied by sheep farmers or monks. The villagers had community markets for the sale of the sheep and farm produce. The more prosperous the village, the finer the original market place. Geologists have traced the stones in one market place to Tuscany, Italy. Prosperous home owners added patterns of brass nails to their thick wooden doors simply for decoration, according to the tour guide.
Walking down the lane, I discovered a small table with baked goods and a sign directing us to pay by the honor system. “I’ve purchased some tasty baked goods from her,” our guide said as I selected a flapjack. I dropped a couple pounds into the mail slot to pay for the oatmeal confection.
The guide pointed out small signs for the footpaths lacing the green, rolling hills. He said that England is the most mapped area in the world — including the public foot paths which traverse the countryside.
During the times of the barons, the shepherds rented the land and buildings. The baron made sure that all the people on his land had their basic needs met.
In one small church, built in a style reminscent of an abbey, we saw the reclining statue of a tall, knight/baron who died and was buried in another country during the Crusades similar to sarcaphgi in Westminister Abbey.
As a good baron, he was remembered fondly with the statue. The reclining statue reflects his life: The armor indicates he went to the Crusades, crossed legs say he went twice. His feet rest on a lion (shaped like a lamb because the local people had never seen a lion, so they put claws on a lamb) indicating he fought and died in the exotic countries.
At the back of the church, a solitary pew held great stalks of rhubarb for sale beside the shelf with second hand books. A small sign requested a donation for the upkeep of the church. My husband studied the now disengaged ancient mechanism for ringing the bell in the tower. Very old headstones filled the tiny church yard. A few signs proclaimed the remaining plots as “reserved” for future use.
We passed by Ascot, about six miles from Windsor Castle. British royalty favor this English race course for their thoroughbred horse races.
The guide pointed out the battlements on outlying farm buildings: a popular facade during the 1800s. One baron also built an elaborate gate house at the entrance to his property where he could hold picnics during fox hunts.
In the Malmesbury, we visited the abbey — an impressive edifice with stones dating back to eighth century. It served as a center of learning and study. During the early 11th century, according to the guide, one monk attempted flight by attaching wings to his body and jumping from a tower. He flew over 200 yards, breaking both legs when he landed. As he recovered he realized, “I needed a tail,” an aeronautical structure seen on planes today.
With the extended history of the site, the structure has risen, fallen and been restored a few times. With the political changes during the English Civil War (in the mid-1600s), Malmesbury changed hands many times. The abbey still has hundreds of pock-marks left by bullets and shot on its south, west and east walls.
The third of the nave still standing serves as a house of worship. Inside this ancient building, we stopped for tea and observed toys for toddlers between the base of the arches and colorful, modern novels and Christian how-to books for their parents.
We had lunch in a traditional English pub with a low beamed ceiling and ancient rough wooden tables. Outside in the village square, tourists could try out the well preserved foot stocks used for punishment.
Even the trees in some areas date back up to 600 years as evidenced by the great wads of wood at the trunk. Visitors could easily spend a day or week just researching the history of the Malmesbury District. England is such an old, old country, with a such a lengthy recorded history that we definitely left plenty to see another time.