King's Lynn: Castle Rising Castle/Sandringham Estate

Countryside Drive
Sunday was a nice day (or at least one of the nicest days we've had in a while) for a drive. The sky was slightly overcast, but allowed the sun to come every now and again. We decided to set out to see something new. We drove up the A10 to King's Lynn. The River Great Ouse (or the Ten Mile Bank as its name changes) flowed alongside the A10 before giving way to beautiful countryside. The road was surprisingly well maintained, making for an easy drive. The scenery was very diverse, river bank homes and small communities, flat farmlands, and wooded areas.

Castle Rising
First we traveled to the see Castle Rising on the outskirts of King's Lynn. The castle is a medieval fortification which was built around 1140 by William D'Albini (later known as the Earl of Arundel) after his increased importance after marrying the widow of Henry I, Alice of Louvian. The castle passed down through William's descendants before passing to the de Montalt family whom later sold the castle to Queen Isabella, known for killing her husband, Edward II.

In 1544, the castle was sold to the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Howard, and has remained in the Howard family to this day.

For a mere four pounds, Castle Rising is definitely worth seeing! The castle is now mostly ruins; most of the roof is gone. The castle was built on higher ground and there is a very large moat (or what used to be a river bed) that surrounds the castle. There is a bridge leading up to a stone archway leading to castle. Around the castle are ruins of an old chapel and an old Norman church. Even with the chilly wind, it was much fun touring the castle on our own. We went through the basement that had a deep well, then went up a narrow, spiral staircase to see the different levels and rooms.

After walking around the castle and the village, we headed to Caithness Crystals to see how glassblowing works. Unfortunately for us, the glassblowing workshop wouldn't open back up for the public until mid-February. However, the Caithness Crystal shop was very interesting to browse. When we were done browsing, we headed for King Lynn's town centre. We visited King's Lynn Minister, King's Lynn Tower (what remains) which also had a nearby Great War (WWI) remembrance statue.

The only bad thing about venturing out on a Sunday is that many of the shops and restaurants are closed. Some of the chain stores and restaurants were open and we grabbed a quick bite to eat before heading home!

Sandringham Estate

Sandringham Estate has been a private home of the royal family since 1862, so not relatively long in history of royal homes. The gardens and grounds of Sandringham are extensive, some 8,000 hectares.  The gardens were open to the public in 1908 by King Edward the VII, the museum in 1930 by King George V, and finally, the house in 1977 on Queen Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee. It is rumored that Sandringham will be left to William and Kate as it is also rumored that the couple currently reside there as Prince William is part of a helicopter rescue team in the Cambridgshire/Norfolk area.

I really enjoyed walking the grounds and seeing all the beautiful nature. The inside of the home is breathtaking as well; however, photos aren't allowed so you'll just have to go see for yourself. The staff were very knowledgeable and not just about the home and many tapestries and objects it housed, but politics as well! We had a friendly and lively chat about American and British politicians!

Berry Picking

Who doesn't love berries- strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc! Well I do! My friends and I went to a couple berry picking place, one in Isleham and one somewhere in Norfolk. In Isleham, we picked strawberries and raspberries which I made strawberry ice cream and raspberry pies! After picking berries, we went to a nearby pub and grabbed some lunch then went to another place for sticky toffee pudding! At the Norfolk place, we picked blueberries (which I turned into fruit roll-ups) and bought some blueberry wine!