Friday 10th June - a sight-seeing day ...
...we walked from our mooring to collect a map of the area and on the way we saw this notice on the National Trust Noticeboard ...
... all us dog owning boaters already know this is the best way ... isn't it good to actually see that it's what the National Trust recommend?
A lovely property on the other side of the river ...
... one of the many trip boats that travel up and down this stretch of the River Thames.
That's our objective for today - that tower you can just see at the top of Cooper's Hill ...
... it's a lovely walk ... even the fallen trees are piled up loosely - not too tidy ...
... you can imagine this lovely peaceful place can't you? But a picture doesn't always tell the whole story!
You will laugh when you watch this very short video - and no I didn't fall over - I tried to be clever by changing the orientation of the camera from landscape to portrait - you'll see the outcome for yourselves - I still burst out laughing every time I see it!
We're at the top of the hill - The Commonwealth Airforces Memorial ...
... dogs were not allowed in so I popped in for 10 minutes to take some pictures ...
... then George went in - he served 22 years in the Royal Air Force, albeit in a more peaceful time ...
... this was something he really wanted to see ...
... there are no words ..........
... we both had lumps in our throats when we emerged ...
... the memorial is so peaceful and of course so thought provoking ...
... the views from the tower are beautiful ...
... Rock n Roll is snug in her mooring in that gap in the trees ...
... far and wide - a huge sky ...
... the perfect landscape for this place ...
... military emblems from all over the Commonwealth ...
... and so may names carved into these cloisters ...
... opened by the Queen on 17th October 1953 ..
1. Her Majesty The Queen, 2. His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, 3. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and 4. His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester.
... Per Ardua Ad Astra - Through Struggle to the Stars ...
... a minuscule sample of names ...
... those poor men and their families ...
... the dot down by the gate ...
... is me and Molly ...
... on our way back down the hill ...
... to the Memorial of the ...
... Magna Carta - symbol of freedom under law
The Magna Carta entered the statute book in 1297 becoming the first constitutional document in the world and has led to the development of democracy throughout the world.
'All men are created equal in life, liberty and in the pursuit of happiness'
Interesting stuff! (click any picture to enlarge)
The most important document ever - originated in London in 1215 when King John placed his seal on this Charter of Liberties on Magna Carta Island on the River Thames here at Runnymede.
We leave the Magna Carta Memorial and continue along the footpath ...
... an Oak Tree planted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1987 ...
... the cobbled road leads to the John F Kennedy Memorial ..
... amid the trees ...
1917 - 1963 - Birthplace of Modern Democracy ...
... and near the end of our walk, the pretty Fairhaven Memorial Lodges which were designed by Sir Edward Lutyens and commissioned by Lady Fairhaven as a memorial to her husband Sir Urban Broughton MP who bought Runnymede in 1928 to safeguard its future...
... garden sculpture ...
... French Brothers have been operating boat passenger services on this part of the Thames since 1978 ...
... these pictures are taken at their base in Runnymede, they appear to be renovating boats to add to their fleet.
We spent the rest of the weekend here catching up on those jobs that wont go away - all in all a lovely place.
Hi Carol,
ReplyDeleteFor the purpose of my little survey, would you tell me how many miles you've travelled since you began continous cruising? I'm curious!
Cheers,
Elly in Oz