It's all about me!

Sunday 2nd October 2016

We woke up to a nice day at Ashbourne.

This is a rather superior supermarket car park and was a lovely place to stay for the night.  Not far to go for my Sunday paper.

Mid morning, we set off the short distance to Sudbury Hall, east of Uttoxeter.  This was inherited by Sir John Vernon in 1515 but the House was built in its current grand style by George Vernon in 1660.

The branch of the Vernon family had come from Haddon Hall.

We had a Sunday lunch at......where else....The Vernon Arms.

The Vernon motto is 'Vernon Semper Viret', which apparently means 'Vernon always green'!  It doesn't sound too impressive but the literal translation of 'Semper' is loyal or committed and 'Viret' means flourishing.  So, 'Vernon always thriving' would be a better translation, well that's what I think.

We also saw a re-enactment group with bows and muskets and cooking food on fires etc.

Very interesting but you wouldn't get me doing any of that.

We had a look around the Hall and were very interested by all the Vernon family tree.  Again, some of the interiors were used in the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice.  The Long Gallery is especially good...

The current 11th Lord Vernon is living in Saffron Walden and he took the title by surprise recently as the male line dried up and they had to go back to a half brother called Edward Vernon who was Archbishop of York in the early 1800's and the new Lord is one of his descendants.

We have booked our Monday nights destination at Cromer, Norfolk.  However, tonight we thought we would wild camp somewhere enroute.  So.....where better than Belvoir (pronounced Beever) Castle, near Grantham.  The Castle has closed for the season but we are staying overnight on its car park.  Belvoir is owned by the Manners family that took over from the Vernons at Haddon Hall.  I am only staking my claim to the space on the car park for the Vernons.  They must owe us something!