I've spent the last three days in the prettiest bits of Northamptonshire. It was a spur of the moment decision, with no planning whatsoever. The weather looked good mid-week and as Mac the microcamper had passed his MoT test this week, I decided a little adventure was in order. I have to get Mac back to the garage next week for some additional work, so I thought just nipping across the border into Northants would be the best option.
As mentioned, I hadn't planned for this, so didn't really have a destination in mind. I browsed the Google map and stuck a (virtual) pin on the Three Shires Stone as a starting point.
It is at this point that, unsurprisingly, the three shires of Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, and Huntingdonshire (now technically part of Cambridgeshire, but I prefer the old County system) .
From there I decided on a collection of little villages around the town of Oundle.
I did what I could to find what each village had to offer in terms of listed buildings, war graves, benchmarks, y'know, my usual nerd stuff.
I have taken so many photos that I will have to pace myself in getting them uploaded. It was very enjoyable to embrace the solitude of solo adventures. I had time to think as I was wandering from place to place, and I've come up with several new ideas for articles I want to write.
As I ventured down back streets and circled around the hidden parts of typical English villages, I wondered if there would be any interest in some articles on 'reading' old villages. For me, understanding the significance of how villages developed and evolved through time is one of the most fascinating parts of any visit. The importance of rural trades, at a time when each village was far more self sufficient than they are now, should be remembered and celebrated. Even learning the origin story of how different lanes got their names can help bring even the sleepiest village alive in a historical sense, if you have the imagination for it.
These little trips are also giving me a better idea of how many places I can cover per day on average, and therfore how long it may take to complete this project 😳 It's going to be a while... but I've thoroughly enjoyed it so far. I have no budget for anything much, but apparently I'm surviving and forging a life that I genuinely love....
It seems that there us such a rich vein of history all around us. Many of us are too busy to notice their own surroundings.
It would be nice to hear more localised stories based on the villages you visit, like you suggested.
As you also said, the villages all developed and grew where they are for many a reason. So in a way you would be bringing that history back to life.
You should let your inner nerdism lead the way on your visits, (both the planned and unplanned ones).
Excellent photos too, especially the Three Shires Stone. ☺️