Craven Museum II

On a recent trip to Skipton, we stopped in at the Craven Museum again on our way back to the car. Previously we didn't get much beyond the first few exhibits. This visit got us much further into the museum.

Last visit, Lucy was the one who did the dress up activity. This time, Jacob wanted to try out something new. He found something appropriate for a boy that was thematically quite old.

Caveman grinds grains for flour!

He wore the caveman skins the whole time. He enjoyed grinding flour, especially explaining to me how it was done. But that is not all that we saw.

Curious about his own caveman past, he tried out the archeological excavation exhibit, where children can dig through some small rocks to discover pottery and other artifacts that are glued to the bottom of the display (keeping people from making off with valuable replicas of actual artifacts). Lucy and Jacob enjoyed digging.

The only challenge was the awkward angle for taking pictures

We saw more recent technology, like this washing machine.

We couldn't quite figure out how to work it

More familiar was a pair of pianos. The sign told us not to touch and our budding musicians resisted their natural urges to play.

Cavemen have cool songs, just ask Fred Flintstone

Jacob also liked the model locomotive on display.

Where was Lucy? She was still excavating!

The star attraction of the museum is the Shakespeare First Folio. Printed just seven years after his death, it is a single volume edition of 36 of his 38 plays. At most 750 copies were printed. Only 230 survive today. Fewer than fifty are still in the British Isles. Impressively, this copy is one of only four that are on permanent display in the entire world. It is kept in low lighting in a glass case. Patrick Stewart (who hails from the Yorkshire area) recorded an audio-interpretation (including some speeches from plays) that plays as the curious onlookers look on the amazing book.

Open to Julius Caesar

Downstairs in the town hall, a small craft fair was being held. The crafts were not so interesting to us but the tea and snacks lured us in. Jacob, Lucy, and I shared a slice of cake and had drinks for each of us. It was a nice refreshment before our journey home. It was a great visit to the museum.

The Parish Church of the Holy Trinity, Skipton

The Parish Church of the Holy Trinity in Skipton, UK, is a rather unassuming building from the outside, looking like a lot of other churches dating back hundreds of years.

Holy Trinity Church, Skipton

Originally built circa 1300, additions and refinements were made throughout the centuries. King Richard III donated £20 in 1483 contributing to the chancel and the oak roof. The church tower and roof were damaged during the bombardment of Skipton Castle in 1645. Lady Anne Clifford, Countess of Pembroke, had the damaged tower repaired in 1655, along with restoring the stolen church bells and repairing the Clifford tombs inside the church (her family, after all). The church was struck by lightning several times: twice on the tower in 1766 and 1853 and once on the north transept in 1925, all requiring repairs to the roof and some internal fixtures, including the organ.

After a visit to the loo (which was cramped and cold--Jacob was undaunted in his desire to try it out anyway) and a peek into the refectory where tea and such is served, we came back into the main body of the church. The children instantly gravitated to the play area, which included a short video on the history of the church.

The bear tried out all the different chairs

We went down the main aisle and saw the paschal candle and the organ.

The nave of the church

Jacob with the paschal candle

The organ

The organ was completely rebuilt in 1966 using the pipes from the 1866 organ (presumably the only survivors of the 1925 lightning-induced fire).

Nearby is the Royal Coat of Arms of King George III, dated 1798. Since the Reformation, it was customary to put the Royal Coat of Arms in churches.

George III's Coat of Arms

We continued to the main altar.

Main altar

The Reredos has Christ in Majesty surrounded by symbols of the four evangelists. The side statues are of the Virgin Mary, Sts. Peter and Paul, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Stephen, and St. James the Great.

The Lady Chapel is off to the right.

The Lady Chapel

In between is the tomb of George, Third Earl of Cumberland, from 1654 (another contribution from Lady Anne Clifford, who was his daughter). The tomb is especially striking with all the coats of arms on it.

By the main altar

Tomb of George, 3rd Earl of Cumberland

The church also has many amazing stained glass windows.

Sts. John and Stephen

St. Michael and the Dragon

Presentation of the Lord in the Temple

At the back of the church is the baptismal font. The stone font dates from the 1300s and the elaborate three-tiered top is from Jacobean times.

The top could be raised and lowered by ropes; here it is raised

We also found a small representation of Cavalry (since we were visiting during Easter week, it was not so surprising).

Cavalry with empty tomb

The back or western window was also a nice example of stained glass.

Dedicated to those who died in World War I

Off to the side, we noticed a little sign describing a discovery of the 1909 restoration: an anchorite's cell.

Note the small window behind the flowers

The sign reads:

Anchorite's Cell: In the Middle Ages an Anchorite (a man or woman who has withdrawn from the world to meditate and pray) lived in a cell attached to the church. The cell would be blocked up after the Anchorite entered and she or he remained there for life, spending the time in prayer and in offering advice and wisdom to visitors. A small window admitted light and food and gave a view of the church's altar. This is quite likely such a cell, and was revealed in 1909 during restoration work and the building of new vestries. The challenge to spend time apart from the world to meditate and pray is just as important a challenge for us today, even if we can only manage a few minutes...

Back outside, we ran into the town crier, who was about to do his duty at the town market on Skipton's High Street. He was glad to pose with Jacob, though Lucy was not at all interested in posing with him.

Skipton's Town Crier, sheltering from the rain for a little bit

The visit to the church was a great experience. Since we were in Skipton, we visited the Craven Museum again, though that is a story for tomorrow's blog post.

Skipton Castle

Skipton Castle dates from 1090 AD but was vastly improved in 1310 by Robert the first Clifford Lord of Skipton. In 1536 the Tudor Wing was added for King Henry VIII's niece, Lady Eleanor Brandon. The castle was under siege for three years during the Civil War and was the last northern holdout for King Charles. When it finally fell, Parliament had the outer wall reduced and the flat roof dismantled so it would not bear the weight of cannons. In the 1650s Lady Anne Clifford made substantial restorations to the castle. An oak roof was put in as well as large windows in the walls. She planted a yew sapling in the Conduit Courtyard in 1659. It is now a large tree and a striking addition to the courtyard.

The castle grounds also includes the ruins of the Saint John the Evangelist church. It was built 700 years ago and still has the baptismal font inside. The outer wall of the castle includes the tea room and shop. Here is our tour of the castle.

The front gate of the castle has the Norman French challenge of the Clifford family, "Desormais" or "Henceforth." The front of the castle is defended with some cannons.

Main gate to the castle

Maybe not the best pose with a cannon

Jacob imitates Lucy's pose

Inside the front gate is the ticket room, housed in the Renaissance-style Shell Room. The walls are embedded with numerous sea shells. From there we headed to the ancient castle.

Watch Tower with Clifford family flag

Lady Anne's Steps lead through the old drawbridge and portcullis into the Conduit Court.

Lady Anne's Steps

Portcullis

The Conduit Courtyard is so named since it gives access to most of the rooms in the castle and is where the water pipes terminate. Also, the Lady Anne's yew tree is here.

Courtyard under repairs

Yew Tree

Inside is the Banqueting Hall where they would entertain or gather the garrison for meetings.

The only decor left was the antlers

View up the chimney

Next to the Banqueting Hall is the kitchen that served the castle's occupants from 1300 to 1680.

Not very well-lit kitchen

Jacob found another fireplace...

...and another chimney

Serving hatch from kitchen to the banqueting hall

The kitchen is also notable for having the "Long Drop" which is a medieval toilet (called "privies" or "garderobes"). Often these toilets were placed in an enclosed balcony over a moat or stream. A pile of moss would serve for the toilet paper.

Loo in the kitchen; Jacob said it wasn't a toilet because there was no sink

The long drop!

Off of the Banqueting Room is the Withdrawing Room, where the nobles might do their business.

Better windows than the kitchen

View from the Withdrawing Room

The room itself

The Lord's Day Room was where day to day business was conducted.

The Lord's Day Room

The muniment room housed the Lord's library and shows where Parliament had the castle walls reduced in size.

Jacob leads the way!

The base of the windows is where the walls were reduced to after the Civil War

Not part of the tour--where the current Lord lives

View of the entrance

Further on is the Lord's bed chamber. A niche provided space for a sentry or other attendant.

A cozy bedroom

The bedroom

The hiding spot for a sentry, secretary, or someone else?

The bed chamber also provides access to the Watch Tower's middle level.

Watch Tower room

View of the entrance

View of St. John the Evangelist chapel

Jacob's favorite--windy stairs

At this point we were chilly enough and hungry enough to go have a snack in the tea room before continuing our tour of the castle.

We didn't really waste our time taking pictures here, we ate!

Back in the castle, we went down a staircase into the castle's dungeon. In spite of the reputation of medieval dungeons, this one did not involve torture or rough treatment. Built when the moat was put in, usually the dungeon was used to house prisoners until the court in York would be in session. Typical stays were under thirteen weeks (York courts met quarterly) and one prisoner reported at the court that he was never so well fed as he was in the dungeon of Skipton Castle.

Prisoner's Graffiti

Sure, you're smiling now...

The way out

Back up the stairs, we continued to the wine and beer cellars where supplies were kept. Wine was reserved to the lord and lady and special guests; beer was more freely distributed.

Wine Room

Wine table

From there we found the new kitchen, in use from 1680 to 1900. Next to this kitchen is the curing room, where meats were prepared for long-term storage (usually by smoking or salting).

The appliances

The sink

The oven and the exit

The castle tour concluded with the base of the Watch Tower, which featured the bar used to secure the main door into the castle.

One end of the bar

Other end of the bar

Other hole for the bar

Outside again, we went to visit the  St. John the Evangelist chapel on the grounds.

Going to the chapel

The baptismal font is still there!

East end of the chapel

West end of the chapel

We stopped in the shop to see if any fascinating items were too good to resist. We did find a chart of the rulers of England starting from the 700s AD. Did you know there was a ruler named Sweyn Forkbeard? I must groom my beard so I can have a cool name too! The children were ready to go, so we quickly made some purchases and headed off to find our car. Along the way we discovered the information center and the Craven Museum, which I am sure we will visit again.