Epping Forest & Waltham Abbey - 24-11-13

Time for a quick Selfie, before we set off for the day.

To be fair, Epping Forest was more of a ‘drive by’. It did look beautiful but the small parking  areas were full, well it was a Sunday and when we did find a space, there was a slightly dodgy looking group of men, who were dismantling motor bikes and racing round on a quad bike. They may have been totally honourable but when you’re parking not only your vehicle but also your home and your life, I wasn’t leaving The Goddess out of my sight.

Apart from the security issue it was bloody muddy, in the serious, trying to pull your boots off way. So we let Rowley have a little run and met some exquisitely shaped and constructed trees that must have lived through the reigns of several British Monarchs. Keeping one eye on our home all the time we were soon on our way back to Waltham Abbey.

What a lovely building the Abbey is. Prior to the reformation it was very much larger and the hapless King Harold, who caught an arrow in the eye at the Battle of Hastings is said to be buried there. Supposedly behind the High Alter, the land where he rests in peace is now some distance from the remaining Abbey buildings.

This is a most unusual burial vault, the figures below the couple represent their children at the time of their parent's death. The boys wearing swords were old enough to bear arms. The young girl and boy on the right, linking arms, were twins.

 The believed site of Harold's grave.

The walls of the much larger Abbey are clearly seen here.

Some churches exude a feeling of peace and communion with the Earth and those who went before us. This was one of those.