With 270 miles between Morpeth & Stratford-Upon-Avon, the A1(M1) provided the most direct route for today's travels. Our diversions required tricky manoeuvres & intense concentration to rejoin the motorway.
First port of call was Richmond, Yorkshire, a Georgian Market Town. It wasn't as quaint as its Tasmanian namesake, but had all the charm we have come to expect of old towns & villages in rural Britain. We found ourselves in the market place, Phil at the food stall, me bartering for pieces of old china.
With Phil sated & me satisfied with my purchases, we pushed on towards Lincoln, a distance of 117 miles. As we passed Selby we shared fond thoughts of friends, Barbara & Amos.
As we approached Nottinghamshire, the romance of Sherwood Forest beckoned, the place where the legend of Robin Hood was born, the outlaw who, with his band of loyal followers robbed the rich & gave to the poor.
Many oak trees once stood in Sherwood Forest, but most have gone. Many from old age, many from human intervention, but a 'Major Oak' remains. It is estimated to be more than 1150 years old, has a circumference of 33 feet & its large canopy has a spread of 92 feet. It is said to be the very tree where Robin Hood & his Merry Men hid from the Sheriff of Nottingham. This was an unscheduled stop on today's itinerary, but one I'm pleased we made.
Our welcome to Dunham on Trent was a bridge toll of 30p + VAT. Compared with the pounds we have fed to parking meters it was a bargain!
We arrived at Lincoln to an awe-inspiring sight of Lincoln Cathedral. Built in 1072 on the orders of William the Conqueror, it has dominated the city for 940 years. Lincoln's copy of the Magna Carta was brought to the cathedral in 1215.
In 1068, two years after Tha Battle of Hastings, the nearby Lincoln Castle was also commissioned by William the Conqueror.
We have arrived at Stratford-Upon-Avon, our base for the next three days.
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