Long lost Cousin.

Thursday 13th October 2016 - Much Wenlock.

Lots of things happening today.  More Vernon links but I will 'cut to the chase' and hit the headline first.

Last year my brother David discovered a cousin of my mum's that we had never heard of and he visited her at her home in Much Wenlock earlier this year.  Tonight, Janice and I visited her at her home in Much Wenlock.  She is Maureen and she is my maternal grandfather's sister's daughter, so my mum's cousin and my second cousin.

I will have to be careful what I write as she will be reading this blog with interest.

Maureen had her son in law, Nic with her and she was lovely (he was nice too).  We had 3 hours of non stop chatting, talking about our respective families.  It could be rather confusing at times as all males on Maureen's side of the family are called Jack.  There is an element of mystery because we had never previously heard of Maureen or her parents and Maureen has never met my mum even though they are cousins.  Maybe there was a rift between the Bolton family (mum's maiden name) and the Bradshaw family (Maureen's maiden name)??  Although Maureen had met my mum's brother Jack.  Maureen's husband, John, passed away 14 years ago and they have two daughters, Libby and Lesley.  Overall it was a lovely experience and nice to talk to someone who knew my grandad, as he died near the time I was born.

We left the house to return to the van that was strategically positioned on the Much Wenlock Abbey car park, ready for a night of wild camping.

Earlier in the day we had had a morning walk around the Ironbridge and Coalbrookdale area.  It was very interesting.

There was plenty of industrial heritage where the iron process was revolutionised.  The walk also included some lovely woodland and views over the gorge.  At the conclusion of the walk I managed to satisfy my cravings for a pie by purchasing a 'Cornish Pasty' and had it for lunch.

I don't think the pasty had ever been to Cornwall....it was rather small by my standards (only a mouthful) and not up to the high standards I was used to in Cornwall.  

After lunch we moved off site and in the afternoon we visited Attingham Park (National Trust) near Shrewsbury.  

The Hall is larger than it appears on the photo.  On arrival I found the family tree of the Hill's who built and owned the house.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that Noel Hill, the 1st Lord Berwick married Anne Vernon in 1768.  She came from Hilton Park and I also found Vernon connections to Harefield Park and Wentworth.....so exciting (I can hear you say!).  I can also hear you thinking that Hilton Park is an M6 Service Station and Wentworth is a golf course, so don't get too excited.  Attingham was excellent, very interesting rooms, fantastic paintings and a very unusual wrought iron roof that been made at Coalbrookdale and had needed lots of complicated renovations to stop leaks.

Dining room set out in a darkened room like it would have been during an evening dinner.

We travelled back to Much Wenlock and got the van established at the Abbey car park.  The Abbey is a ruin but we could just see it through a gap in the trees.

We walked through town, which is quintessentially English with nice independent shops and proper pubs and hotels.  We had a bar meal at the Fox Hotel before going to see 'our' Maureen.  I told you it was an action packed day.