On our trip down south last month we stayed for one night only at Ashby de la Zouch in Leicestershire, just because I’ve always been intrigued by the French name of the town. However the road signs pointing to it only say Ashby well let’s face it, it’s a lot easier and cheaper, but it turns out that the town was originally called Ashby – right up until 1086 and the de la Zouch was added on after the Norman conquest when the town became a possession of the La Zouch family, during the reign of Henry III.
I had no idea that there was a castle there, it dates from the 12th century, is a short walk from Market Street and although it’s a ruin it’s still well worth a visit. Sir Walter Scott mentions it in Ivanhoe – which might be what g0t me interested in Ashby. In Regency times the town was a popular spa destination. Can you believe that when we drove into the town we couldn’t get down the main street which is Market Street because there was a fair in full swing? It was strung all along the street. I thought it was only St Andrews in Fife that had a fair like that. It made it difficult to see the buildings and not that easy to get into the shops, I doubt if the heavier footfall does anything for the local economy.
As you can see, it was a beautiful blue sky day, and really hot and the local church bells were ringing, probably practising. This seems to be something that happens in England a lot.
The edges of the grounds are a bit wild but beyond this fankle of greenery below is (I think) what was the jousting ground as mentioned in Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe.
The photo below is a stitch of the castle so looks a wee bit wonky. If you happen to be near Ashby de la Zouch it’s definitely worth a visit, or even if you aren’t near as we travelled quite along way and weren’t disappointed. The town looks like a nice wee place – from what we managed to see of it through fair rides!
We climbed up the 96 steps of the castle tower and took a video of the view from the top – where it was quite windy.
I think you might have heard something rather special with that peal of bells:
https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=1302532
Since I read Dorothy Sayers’ “The Nine Tailors” I’ve understood something of the interest in Campanology and its fascinating lore.
What a beautiful day depicted in your photos.
Valerie,
Thanks for the link. I know that quite a lot of people weren’t keen on all the detail that Dorothy Sayers went into in The Nine Tailors but I really enjoyed it. I thought it might be for a wedding but it went on quite along time.
One thing I hoped we didn’t hear when we moved to England was bells. I cannot stand them; I find them boring and obtrusive. These days I am surprised the PC crowd haven’t banned them as overt shows of religion or a noise nuisance ?
H,
I don’t ever remember hearing any bells like that in Scotland, but I know there have been a lot of complaints about bell ringers over the years by people living close to them in England. Even when we stayed at Gladstone’s Library in Hawarden – just in Wales, there was a lot of bell ringing from the nearby church.
I was going to suggest that the bells could have been ringing for a wedding; or if it was a Saturday, it could have been a visiting “tower”. Bell ringing teams often have outings to ring the bells at other churches, but Valerie’s research seems to have produced the most likely answer.
Practice sessions are usually held on a weekday evening.
Janet,
At first I assumed they were for a wedding as it was a Saturday but it did go on rather a long time. I had no idea that there was a sort of bell ringing tourism going on. I imagine that might annoy the locals.
You know Ashby de la Zouch from Sir Walter Scott and Ivanhoe. I know it from the address on the back of KP Nuts packets. I am duly ashamed… ?
Great pictures!
FictionFan,
LOL as THEY say! Thanks.