Another Day in Bishop's Castle

In January 2022, I had another chance to visit Bishop's Castle.  Please note that there is an apostrophe so as not to confuse it with a place in Colorado. My daughter has Morris practice here, and I went walkabout while she played accordion. (Feel free to fill in all of the accordion and Morris Dance jokes you know at this point.)

This is not a curated walk, just my thoughts rambling around this interesting place. Their web site is very British.  Lots of modern stuff, but really not useful unless you know the local ways.  Their tourism page is also quirky.  Just imagine you are in any BBC show and it will start to make sense. Their list of walks is quite tempting.  If you are going to go on walking tours, you should start to look at the British Walking way of describing paths. It is not what you are expecting.  Do not plan to look at street/road signs for information.  They are often not their, or refer to some other name of the road. If possible, carry something with Satnav (GPS).

This map was taken from the first walk on the list, BC1 Wintles & Woodbatch. It covers just about everywhere I went.

I started near the top of the map, and at the top of the town, at Castle Street and Bull Lane.

The first castle was built in 1087, or so the sign says. Motte and bailey.  Over the next 80 years, the town and church was built. 

Later it was rebuilt in stone, added on to, was part of battles and revolutions, etc, etc.

The last constable was appointed in 1610.  By 1700 the whole thing was in ruins. Much of the stone was harvested to make other things.  Lots of the walls still exist and are built into other things. I mean, why waste a good wall? 

Looking back up the street, one can see something that really tweeks me out.  Doorways that were once set close to the path are now right into the street.  If you put something out on your doorstep, it would probably get hit by a truck.  After coming to the UK for a decade, I am still a bit skwoogy about how close they go with their cars.

  This is the posh hotel in town.  It is just down from the Castle. The wall at the end of the hotel car park is part of the castle's curtain wall that still stands

 

I found this amusing. "Bicycle, Dog, & Boot wash area." I guess we know who they cater to.

Nominally, I was trying to do the March of the Elephants, but I did not find many of them.  I think it was an art event that was trying to be a permanent thing, but kind of got lost. It was still fun.

This mural is right behind where I stood to take the photo of the hotel.

The old part of town has many quirky bits of art.  These two buildings have murals, sculpture, or other art. 

In a place where things are tight, the stores get creative in putting displays outside.

One of the elephants.

The town hall, on the right, is an old building made new and modern. It is an odd combination of historic eras, but it works.

The only stairs I encountered are in the front of this building, but there is a slightly more accessible entrance on the other side of the building. This goes over some wicked cobbles.  There is a lift available, but you must make arrangements by phone ahead of time.

The toilets are also on the other side. More on that later

On the left is the Poetry Pharmacy. They are suffering from the events of 2020. I hope to find it open in a future trip.

   

This fairy warrior started one of the best part of my day.

Here I met Tahira, owner of the Chai shop just next door. She said that this, and much of the other metal sculpture was done by the late Roger Williams. But I can find nothing about him.

This building is one of the oldest in town.  At one time it was the Red Lion Inn.  Ok there are currently over 600 Red Lion's in the UK. 

The most recent incarnation is the Porch House.  

Here is Tahira talking to her friend who just scored a set of orange chairs.  Her favorite color.

There are several trails, marked with those diamond shape tiles.  There are maps that go with the markers, but finding a useful copy of the map is not always possible. 

There is a Lost Pubs Trail that I will be doing at some point in the future.

The Porch House markers are also for future exploration. 

 

 

  

So my photos of the Chai House didn't come out so well.  The floors are from the original castle, and this was an add on to the Red Lion next door.

I spent a happy hour listening to her stories, and meeting the various people that came and went. And eating wonderful cake.

That tiny building skwooshed in there was the school. 

 

There is a lot of unexpectedly bright color on the buildings

Click on this photo to see the subtle art.

       

At the bottom of the hill is Church Street, where there is a church, surprise surprise. But in the graveyard there is one particular "beautifully decorated" head stone. If you enjoy odd bits of history with unanswered questions, check out The African's Grave at Bishop’s Castle monument. 

While we are in the world of tangents, here is a bit of aviation history to add to your pocket 

Amazing lost film of Amy Johnson flying in Shropshire. 

These odd little bits are the best part of travel for me.

  

I walked as far as the new side of town.  

There I found a gate  that had a wonderful new park with play equipment. It is kind of hard for me to figure out when it is a gate to someone's yard, and when it is a gate to animals, and when it is a gate to a park.  Apparently what I think of these things looking like does not translate.  So I guess a lot.  Some times with hilarious adventures.

The park entrance at the other end looking back there was a nifty arch.  I don't know why there is a tick at the top of the arch.

 

 Up the hill from the park, passed the police station and car repair right in the middle of the residential section was this ally.  Y'all know I love the odd alley, and this one seemed safe and legit to walk down.  

  

Laburnum Alley.  It was referenced in a sign as one of the paths the drovers used to bring cattle and sheep into the market.

The public/private interface is so much closer than I am accustomed to. It was difficult to understand the back door of a house so undefined from the public space of the path.

Then the gate, hardly discernable from a gate to someone's yard

  

  

At this point I am at the back of the Town Hall.  The first photo is from the top, the second from the bottom of this path.

The toilets (modern and clean) are just up from the black box with the yellow stripes.

There was a gentleman that may have been a shop owner or resident of the alley with a watering can of what appeared to be hot water with sanitizer.  There are major differences in public vs private space and responsibility. When a person from one culture looks at the actions of someone from another, they may see certain behaviors as rude, or quaint, but actually it is a matter of what is culturally expected in one place, but forbidden in another.

As I approached the end of my walk, I ended back at the Market Hall.  Ok there is no hall there anymore, just a square where the Hall  used to stand.  There is some lovely informational stuff, and cool buildings around the perimeter. Really  old buildings, more than one cat watching.

The sign about history has led me down several rabbit holes.

Why elephants?  It sort of started with Lord Clive.  He was the first Governor of of Bengal (aka India.)

The sign is very clear that this is not about celebrating imperialism or racism. It has a lot to do with circuses and what do you do with your elephants in a blitz. Check out this bit of Old film, new research, and Emperor Haile Selassie . Really. I can't make this stuff up.

I ended up back where it all started: The Three Tuns Brewery. When I say it started there, it is because that is where The Shropshire Bedlams and Martha Rhoden's Tuppenny Dish practice. That is the team my daughter dances with.

Mushrooms in Stilton Sauce......mmmmmust go back.