Royal Observatory, Greenwich, London

Introduction

As I walk through Greenwich Park and up a steep hill, I begin an approach to the former site of Greenwich Castle. Once at the top it is easy to see why this would have been the perfect location for a castle. The views from the top are rather impressive. Sadly, the castle is long gone, and though I was not here primarily for the wonderful views over the Thames and greater London they were a bonus. I was here to visit the ‘Royal Observatory’, another London Landmark and part of the Royal Museums Greenwich. This was to be a meandering full of education, and one that, as always, I hope provides inspiration! During this visit I delved into the world of astronomy, time, longitude and latitude. Read on as I walk back through the corridors of time on a voyage of discovery.

Early beginnings

During the 17^th century England had suffered some turbulent times. I have always been fascinated by the struggle between Oliver Cromwell and Charles I. I have never paid much attention to what happened next. After the Civil War, then the execution of the king in early 1649, the subsequent republic and then the death of Oliver Cromwell, the monarchy was restored. Charles II was defeated by Cromwell at the Battle of Worcester in 1651 and had to flee to Europe where he remained in exile until 1660 when the English throne was restored to him. He was 30 years old. He was a controversial character but left a lasting impression by way of improvements in navigation and ship design.

Under his orders he founded the Royal Observatory at Greenwich. The world and, particularly, European nations, were now relying on the sea for trade as their empires were expanding. These ships needed to know where they were headed. Incredibly they could work out their position using the sun and stars to work out North and South (latitude). They had no idea how to work out East and West (longitude). So, Charles was convinced by leading scientists that an observatory was needed to find longitude and put England back at the forefront of seamanship.

Flamsteed House

John Flamsteed was appointed as Charles II’s astronomical observer. As he was the first Royal Astronomer, I begin to understand why the oldest building at the Royal Observatory is named after him – Flamsteed House. John was appointed on 4^th March 1675, but it wasn’t till 22^nd June that the decision was made to build ‘a small observatory within our park at Greenwich, upon the highest ground’.

The name Christopher Wren has come up in my previous meanderings in Oxford and more recently at Kensington Palace. A well-known architect, I have yet to write about his most famous work, St Paul’s Cathedral, London. Watch this space! Before Christopher became a well-known architect, he had been a professor of astronomy at Oxford. He and his assistant, Robert Hooke, suggested the ruined site of Greenwich Castle. They reasoned that solid foundations were already in place, there was excellent access to London via road and river, and the site was far enough away to avoid air pollution from the city.

The foundation stone was laid 10^th August 1675 by John and 11 months later, on 10 July 1676, he moved in. John was to spend the next 40 years observing the moon and the stars. On entering Flamsteed House, you are provided with information regarding the 10 Astronomers Royal that lived and worked here:

John Flamsteed (1675-1719), Edmond Halley (1720-1742), James Bradley (1742-1762), Nathaniel Bliss (1762-1764), Nevil Maskelyne (1765-1811), John Pond (1811-1835), Sir George Biddell Airy (1835-1881), Sir William Henry Mahoney Christie (1881-1910), Sir Frank Watson Dyson (1910-1933), Sir Harold Spencer Jones (1933-1955) & Sir Richard van der Riet Woolley (1956-1971).

As I walk round Flamsteed House it becomes clear that the Royal Observatory’s life began to evolve from the early days of a basic observation post into more of a family home. The tour looks at the families of two of the Astronomers Royal and their families – The Maskelyne & Airy Family. Observatory life began to change as guests would be wined and dined, and the families began to live with the astronomers. This meant that Flamsteed House was expanded to accommodate more people as seen when walking around.

The Octagon Room

As I leave the first rooms visited, we make our way up into the Octagon room. It is a bland and tall room, full of windows which beam natural light in and is filled with clocks. The eye is drawn to the many fascinating devices. When the room was built there were no instruments installed so John Flamsteed had to bring in all his own.

The Octagon room design didn’t consider the true north south line so, was unsuitable for measuring star positions. Instead, John used this room for the observation of specific events like the appearance of comets and eclipses. Most of his work was completed in a purpose-built structure nearby. A lot of the clocks in there were supplied by Thomas Tompion, London’s leading clock maker and paid for by John’s patron, Sir Jonas Moore.

The time ball at Royal Observatory

The rest of the visit to Flamsteed house is spent looking at a vast array of clocks, chronometers and other such devices. The Royal Observatory established itself as a centre for measuring and sharing time.

When leaving the house, look immediately at its roof. You will notice a funny looking pole, located on top of the Octagon Roof, with a large red ball. This was an installation by John Pond, the sixth Astronomer Royal, in 1833. Nearly 200 years later it is still in operation. Fortunately, I timed my visit to witness the time ball descend at 1300 though I had no prior knowledge that this event took place each day. This time ball is dropped to provide a visual time signal. Having walked up from the River Thames I reckon that a telescope is needed to observe the red ball and its movement.

It was designed so that all the ships at the docks in London could see the ball drop and know that it was 1pm and set their clocks to the right time. You could say that this was the beginning of establishing Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) as measured at the Meridian Line (the earth’s zero degree line of longitude). I found it interesting to learn that, around Britian up until the mid-19^th century, the sun was used to set local time in villages, towns and cities. For example, this meant that Yarmouth to the east was 7 minutes ahead of Greenwich and somewhere as far west at Penzance was 22 minutes behind.

The development of railways was to change all this. There was the need for a centralized time. The chaos and lack of management from trying to run a timetable where every destination was in a different time zone on such a small island is beyond contemplation. Sir George Airy saw the potential in a new clock system. He ordered one for Greenwich which was made by Charles Shepherd of London and had it mounted on the gates to the Observatory. It is known as ‘The Shepherd Gate Clock’. It was then linked to other parts of the observatory and London train stations.

Airy wrote of this system ‘I cannot help but feel a satisfaction in thinking that the Royal Observatory is thus quietly contributing to the punctuality of business through a large portion of this busy country’.

Shepherd Gate Clock at Royal Observatory

The Meridian Observatory

The other important building of the Royal Observatory is the Meridian Observatory building. I mentioned above that John Flamsteed did most of his work away from the octagonal room in a purpose-built structure. By the time his successor took over the building was subsiding and falling away which meant that subsidence rates had to be factored in to measurements of star positions!! Edmund Halley commissioned a new building to replace the old and installed an improved quadrant device and accurate timekeeper supplied by the prestigious clock maker from London George Graham.

James Bradley was Halley’s successor, and he was granted money to build additional spaces to Halley’s original buildings, which included a new observatory, bedroom for the assistant, a library and calculating room. These were the rooms which I saw on my visit. It is also where the astronomical work was completed until the 1950s before such work was carried out at the rural location of Herstmonceux in East Sussex.

As time went on, each Royal Astronomer kept collecting more data and improving the instruments in use. The 7^th Astronomer, George Biddell Airy, designed the Airy transit circle. This was the defining instrument of the world’s prime meridian. Unlike the equator which provides a natural zero line north and south there wasn’t a natural prime meridian for longitude.

In 1884 at the international Meridian Conference in Washington delegates recommended that the Meridan passing through Greenwich should be used. They also recommended that Greenwich be the starting point of the day, year and millennium at the stroke of midnight Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). This applied to the whole world thus creating the time zones system with which we are familiar today.

Transit instrument, Edward Troughton, 1816

Device from inside the Meridian Observatory

The Camera Obscura

Across the courtyard from the Prime Meridian line is the camera obscura. This is an example of how attempts were made to capture images before photography was invented and developed. This obscura was a former summerhouse. On clear days you can see a projection of Romney Road and the Queen’s house.

Sadly, this isn’t the original. John Flamsteed’s original was removed quickly after his tenure before Nevil Maskelyne installed a new one during his stint at the observatory. The one that I visited today was built in 1994 and provides a chance to see London the way they did back in the day.

Conclusions about Royal Observatory

This concludes a fascinating and educational visit to the Royal Observatory. Being close to the Cutty Sark it was convenient to expand my knowledge of Maritime Greenwich. The visit to the Royal Observatory taught me about longitude and latitude. I found out that it is possible to navigate using the moon and the stars! The importance and history of this site will be remembered every time I talk about time, travel, etc.

The visit has also challenged me to revisit Christopher Wren’s masterpiece and finally write about St Paul’s Cathedral. Yet, surprisingly, it has given me a completely different direction in which to travel as I feel a visit to Herstmonceux in East Sussex would prove very inquisitive and interesting in building on the knowledge gathered here. I hope that you have enjoyed reading about my visit to the Royal Observatory and have joined me in learning about longitude, latitude and GMT.

April 27, 2025May 19, 2025

Dunster Castle

Dunster Castle
Dunster, Exmoor

The strength and power of England is encapsulated in the majestic view of Dunster Castle which is gained when arriving along the A39. The view from the railway line that runs between Minehead and Bishop’s Lydeard (now run by the West Somerset Railway and using preserved steam and diesel locomotives) is equally grand. It’s an artist’s dream and quite photogenic. Cattle graze lazily to give a canvas of England’s green and glorious lands which lay low in foreground coupled with the darker hues of green which grace the hills that surround Dunster castle and village in the background. Between the two and perched on top of the tor, Dunster Castle is a classic picture of English stately elegance. The exotic and diverse shades of greenery surrounding the castle almost camouflage its very existence. Read on as my ‘education through exploration’ follows on from my visit to St George’s church. In St George’s we discovered two family names – de Mohun and Luttrell. On this visit I discovered that they were the only families to own the castle. A visit to Dunster Castle explores 1000 years of history and expands my recently acquired knowledge and caused me to search for further details regarding the families. During my tour of the castle I made a fascinating discovery before going off to explore the castle grounds and working watermill.

View from Cafe — Looking out from the cafe

The de Mohun’s – a medieval military base – 1086-1376

The castle’s history covers all the great and iconic moments of England’s history over the past 1000 years. If buildings could talk, I’m sure that it would have many tales to tell. Dunster Castle’s history begins not long after the Norman invasion of 1066 and subsequent victory at the battle of Hastings. William de Moyon (this was his French name, and he adapted this to his English family name of de Mohun) was a Norman lord who assisted William in his conquering invasion. His efforts and loyalty were rewarded when he was granted some 55 west county manors which included lands in and around Dunster. In 1084 he became the sheriff of Somerset and is also credited with the founding of Dunster Priory (which we learnt about in our visit to St George’s Church). His son William de Mohun II became the first Earl of Somerset and between him and his father set about building a motte and bailey timber castle atop the tor to keep guard over a rebellious west country. William de Mohun II was the most prominent of the de Mohuns, becoming infamous in the west country during the power struggle between Matilda and Stephen in the Civil War of 1139-1153. The castle was run by the de Mohuns for about 300 years. During the ownership of the castle by the de Mohuns, they built it into a powerful medieval stronghold as stone battlements, towers (there is half a tower remaining) and the lower-level gateway and oak doors (the only complete parts that remain) were added to its fortifications. In 1376 John de Mohun died and was the last senior male in the line of the de Mohuns of Dunster. Having no heir, his widow, Joan, then decided to sell the castle to Lady Elizabeth Luttrell (you might remember her name, when we discovered her tomb in St George’s church). Lady Elizabeth was the head of the Luttrell family and agreed to pay 5000 marks (in England and Scotland we used marks as having monetary value though they did not appear as a physical coin; their value at this this time was two thirds of a pound sterling) to transfer the ownership of the Dunster castle and estate post Joan’s death.

Iron bound doors through defensive inlet

Looking out the gateway with the stables and St George's church in the view

The Luttrell’s – a family home – 1376 – 1976

Lady Elizabeth (a granddaughter of Edward I) died before Joan, so her son Sir Hugh Luttrell acquired the castle after Joan’s death in 1404. You can begin to see why he had such a grand tomb in St George’s church as the first of the Luttrells to own the castle. Sir Hugh didn’t move into the castle till Christmas 1405 but set about repairing and expanding it into a country home fit for the family. This included glazing all the windows and, in 1420, building the gatehouse (at a cost of £250) by which entrance to the castle is made to this day.
When the quick tempered and argumentative George Luttrell inherited the castle in 1571, he set about converting it into a luxurious country home. In 1617 he employed William Arnold (a master mason and designer who had worked on Wadham College, Oxford and Montacute House, Somerset) to reform the castle into a Jacobean-style mansion (James I was king of England at the time).
Luttrell allegiances during the years of the Civil Wars of 1642-1651 changed back and forth. They were on the side of Parliament when the wars broke out. When the castle was under attack by the Royalists (those loyal to King Charles I), the Luttrells surrendered to the Royalists and switched sides! This change in allegiance meant that Prince Charles (later Charles II king of England, Scotland and Ireland 1660-1685) stayed in the castle (a bedroom has been named after him). Parliament forces then seized the castle in 1645.
After the war Oliver Cromwell (Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland 1653-1658) decided that the castle walls needed to be demolished to ‘slight’ the castle (we saw the same evidence of this when we visited Berkley Castle, Gloucestershire). It took about 200 men 12 days to complete his wishes. Thankfully, and for our benefit George Luttrell managed to convince the men to only destroy the outer walls.

Former passage to church at Dunster Castle

After the turmoil of the English Civil Wars and over the next few centuries, each generation of Luttrells spent money on improving the “castle” (castle in inverted commas as it became a country mansion rather than remain a castle). One of those whose improvements that can still be seen today happened after Francis Luttrell married a wealthy Dorset heiress, Mary Tregonwell, in 1680. She brought much needed funds to the project. These additions included the wooden staircase that provides us with access between the two floors, a new dining room and elaborate plasterwork ceilings.
Other improvements were made by the next generations, which included the employment of Salvin. He altered the exterior of the house to resemble a castle once more. Two new towers and battlements were added to give it a more aesthetic appearance. George Luttrell inherited the house in 1867, and with the help of Salvin they altered the exterior of the property by building two new towers and adding some additional battlements to ensure a more picturesque castle. He probably did as much destruction as he did construction, as, sadly, he removed the chapel. His extensive modernization project also included the supply of running hot water, the conservatory, Victorian windows, a billiard room, drawing room, a library, outer hall and a new gallery on the first floor.
The end of the Luttrells’ association with Dunster Caste came in 1976 when Lieutenant Colonel Walter Luttrell gave the castle to the National Trust thus concluding his family’s fascinating history with Dunster Castle.
Dunster Castle has a fascinating history from its origins as a Norman and medieval fortress before evolving into a family home. The current keepers of the castle are the National Trust who do a great job striking the right balance between conserving the castle and allowing people to enjoy its special charm and character.

Wooden carvings on chairs at Dunster Castle

The leather Gallery In Dunster Castle

One room in a tour of the castle requires special attention as the works displayed there are unique. A conversation with the gentleman who kept an eye on this room’s treasures revealed that if there was a fire then everyone would run to this room to save the paintings. The paintings on display depict the love story of Roman general Anthony and the Egyptian queen Cleopatra. The detail in these paintings is incredible and unique as they’re painted on leather. Details of how they were produced is given on note boards. On closer inspection one can see where the work was cut and stuck back together. As I read my guidebook it informs me that, as they weren’t commissioned for Dunster, they were altered to fit the room. It is astonishing that such works of art were so freely cut and rehung. As the only collection in the UK, they should draw a crowd, but I wonder how many pass by, blissfully unaware of the significance and wealth in these paintings.

Dunster Castle gardens

Remember our first view of Dunster Castle, where an exotic and diverse view of greenery almost camouflages the castle! One imagines that this was not always the case, as we learnt about the castle’s strategic importance. Flourishing flowers and green trees would have been the last thing on a garrison’s mind. It was during the Luttrell family occupancy that the castle became a family home, and changes were also made to the gardens. The castle’s location perched on top of a tor means that the gardens are steep. Different Luttrells have added their splash of creativity to the gardens as fashion and trends have changed through the centuries. It was in the 19^th and 20^th century that the garden really took the form that we see today as George Luttrell built an impressive Victorian garden full of terraces and colorful borders. But it was Alys Luttrell, an avid gardener and plant collector, who transformed the Victorian garden into a subtropical haven. Dunster’s climate provides the opportunity to thrive! Meandering along the eastern edge of the castle grounds is the river Avill.

View from the Southern Terrace out to Bristol Channel

View from Southern Terace over the Dunster Estate

Watermill

The river Avill provides the water to power this working watermill. A watermill was a necessity years ago, but it is remarkable to see one still in action and producing goods. The watermill currently produces 14 tonnes of flour a year.

Conclusion

Dunster Castle has provided a fascinating insight into the history of two families closely associated with the village of Dunster. Details of this history are in notes on display in the various rooms of Dunster castle. Specialized tours are also available at various times and at an extra cost. Dunster Castle is a lesser-known castle compared to some of the more illustrious of our land, Windsor, Edinburgh, Warwick, Cardiff, Dover, etc. It is, however, fascinating with its own story to tell. My explorations have built on the initial findings made in St Georges Church as meaning was put to the names of the tombs found inside the church. Dunster Castle has survived the ravages of war and somehow managed to remain in the family during so many political and social changes. As the castle has evolved the transformation from a timber motte and bailey into a splendid country house is remarkable and well worth a visit. Though no longer a family home it has been carefully passed on to the public to enjoy as their country home!! I hope, like me, you enjoy a visit to this castle, and feel free to let me know your thoughts!

September 26, 2018

Outstanding Oxford

I have a soft spot for Oxford. I had been taken there as a kid on a number of occasions. In 2014 a friend and I walked the Thames path in 9 days. The first few days were somewhat boring and then….. Oxford. The ‘dreaming spires’, the curious colleges, the stunning architecture, the plethora of push bikes, the pubs – surely this is a poet’s dream. Publishing brands of renown, well known industrial brands, history etched all over, museums, etc. Perhaps most tourists are drawn to its filming locations as used in the Harry Potter films or sit and muse over Morse, Lewis and now Endeavour episodes-so far, I haven’t been tempted in.

Oxford must surely be one of the jewels in the English crown, and along with Bath is one of my favourite places in this extraordinary country of my birth. I made it my intention to visit this place when I completed that Thames path odyssey, and ever since that time I’ve always thought why it was that I didn’t discover this place earlier.

My normal route to the city seems to be on a bus these days, although arriving by train and foot has been ticked off! To use the bus is very unlike me. Enjoying the view as I am carried along, the excitement builds as I travel up the Woodstock Road, past St Giles church and see through the tree lined St Giles Avenue the Martyrs memorial. The sight of this structure is the realisation that I have arrived at the heart of this wonderful city. Oxford delivers so much by way of diversity. It is apparent in that first glimpse as religion, pubs, museums, colleges all meet at that one site.

The Martyrs memorial requires some research. I find out that the 3 people commemorated on it were from Tudor times. Bishops Latimer, Ridley and Cranmer were all burnt at the stake for their beliefs. This statue wasn’t raised until 300 years after their brutal deaths. It is claimed that the road level cross in the middle of Broad Street tarmac marks the actual spot rather than the site of the memorial.

Oxford captivates my curiosity; its prestigious pedigree as a leading educational institute has been built up over many a century. One wonders why I’m so fascinated with this as I never had an interest in higher education. I’m not going to bore you in this blog with the individual beauty and splendour of these colleges, but challenge you to explore it for yourself, for it will truly blow your mind. This aspect is probably worthy of its own blog…. watch this space.

Oxford and its surrounding areas boast the most delightful pubs, full of charm and character, and deliver local brews. It’s not surprising to see why they have made it into so many episodes of Morse, Endeavour, etc. The Trout Inn, The Eagle and Child, Turf and Tavern, Lamb and Flag, and White Horse are among those that have been blessed with celebrity visits, used as TV sets or provided inspiration for writers. As pubs become a part of yesteryear, (they are closing at an alarming rate over here), one cannot beat an evening after work just pub crawling around the many quaint pubs. It could be argued that this is one of the best ways to explore Oxford.

Opposite the White Flag pub is perhaps one of my favourite areas of Oxford and includes the Sheldonian Theatre, Bodleian Library and Radcliffe camera sandwich. These iconic buildings are surrounded on all sides by a number of the university’s colleges. These beautiful buildings are one of my favourite views in this country.

Another fascinating part of Oxford is the number of museums it possesses. The Ashmolean is best described as Oxford’s answer to the British Museum and probably deserves its own blog. The River Pitts museum is madness. The building itself is tremendous was filled with excited children and perhaps they were slightly off putting as regards this curious and quirky collection. Granted I visited both museums on a wet and wild day in the school holidays. The calm and peace of the Ashmolean meant I was able to study and challenge my limited knowledge. The crazy Arthur Pitts was manic.

Perhaps Oxford’s best view is from above. It led the Victorian poet to describe it as ‘a city of dreaming spires’. I’m still trying to find my favourite to enjoy the view (perhaps Carfax Tower is a candidate) but one cannot argue with this description.

As I keep returning to this wonderful place I discover somewhere new and intriguing each time. This blog has only scratched the surface of this incredible place. Until next time Oxford – I cannot wait.

Oxford, England, United Kingdom

April 24, 2018

Looks like a good fellow but was he married to his nuts and bolts?

This is my second blog on my use of National Trust membership. My visit took me to Nuffield Place, by no means glamorous and is well hidden but these observations did not detract from my fascination with the place. Walking along the pathway to see the house it did not grab my attention as some of the larger, more glamorous properties do. My immediate thought was that I had wasted a visit but it only proves the adage that we should not judge a book by its cover.

The house was like a time warp and, though I can’t be sure, seemed that everything was set in the 1930s. The owner died in 1963. There were no lavish surroundings, just simple living space.

My knowledge of this William Morris (I am informed there is another famous person by that name whose wallpapers feature in many a National Trust property; indeed one can visit his house somewhere down Kent way) started at zero so that this visit was educational. The family name Morris did not ring any bells with me having neither little interest in cars and none in wallpapers. Those in the know associate Morris with Morris motor cars. I was born too late to see Morris motor cars on every corner of every road in the land.

Lord Nuffield was one of Britain’s greatest philanthropists. How refreshing to hear of someone with so much wealth being so generous. It left me thinking of a world where money seems to rule everything, and confirms to my heart that money doesn’t buy happiness. Perhaps this man was happy. It is clear that he achieved a lot with the years allotted to him.

Apparently Lord Nuffield was one of the richest men in the world during his time but you would never have guessed this from a visit to his house. These days the iron lung, of which he became a principle donor, is confined to a shed in the garden. He was a successful business man, clearly a practical man (I mean, who has a workshop in their bedroom?!!?). It would appear from the house that Lord Nuffield did not do frippery. The house almost seems like it has been thrown together and suggests that the person who lived there was married to his work with nuts and bolts. I left the property with an inquisitive mind. In endowing part of his considerable fortune to Nuffield College in Oxford I feel it is high time I went to visit this place ahead of the other colleges in that wonderful city.

Nuffield, Huntercombe RG9 5RY, UK