This is the second post looking at our long road trip to the beautiful Orkney Islands. The first post looked at the islands' unique Neolithic heritage. This post will look at some of the more recent historic sites we visited, and some of the natural beauty on offer.
One of the most unusual sites on Orkney is the 'Italian Chapel' near the Churchill Barriers. Built by Italian POWs in 1943 from Nissen Huts to serve their nearby POW camp, the chapel is both an amazing survival and the interior a wonderful piece of artwork in its own right - particularly the painted 'stonework'.
The capital of Orkney, Kirkwall, contains a number of interesting historical sights, as well as being a very nice place to explore and do a bit of shopping in. The cathedral is the star attraction, with its solid red sandstone Romanesque architecture.
A particularly unusual feature of the cathedral was the sheer number of 17th Century tombstones lined up inside featuring variations on a skull and crossbones motif. While no doubt intended to carry a form of 'as I am, so you shall be' message, it was striking to see so many in one building and so many with such wonderful quality carvings. Here are just a small selection.
Kirkwall also boasts two historic palaces - the Bishop's Palace and the Earl's Palace. We actually arrived quite late in the day and just got inside before last entry so didn't have as long to explore as we might have liked.
Essentially, the Bishop's Palace is the older of the two, and dates to the 12th Century. The adjacent Earl's Palace was begun in the early 17th Century and was the replacement for the Bishop's Palace, by then seen to be too small and old fashioned. The Earl's Palace was built in French Renaissance style and the grandeur it once had is still clear to see.
Of course, one of the great joys of Orkney is simply enjoying its natural beauty, be it on the endless coastline at Yesnaby or at the top of a viewing point like Wideford Hill. To finish, here are some of my favourite images taken while travelling around.
I was recently fortunate enough to be able, as part of a trip to London for work, to call off at Wimpole Hall near Cambridge for the first time. Wimpole Hall is a large National Trust property with quite a few strings to its bow - large house, formal gardens, large parks with a dramatic folly, and a working farm. Sadly, time constraints meant that I could only see the hall and have a quick browse around the little array of shops in the stable yard. Needless to say, I fully intend to return at some point and have a more leisurely look around.
One thing that immediately struck me about the Hall was it that it seems to reflect the face of a new, more progressive National Trust. The ability to take photographs inside, the way that the interpretation was managed, features such as floor cushions so you could lie down to look at ceilings and being able to see conservators in action all added to the feeling of a modern heritage attraction, not a mothballed 'Stately Home'. Allied to this, and perhaps most important of all, was the fact that the staff genuinely seemed to love the place. When walking into a room, it felt as if the room stewards were wanting to chat about their own personal interests, rather than launching into a set spiel that you were going to receive in full whether you wanted it or not.
Construction on the house began in 1640, but the most obvious influence on it today is that of Elsie Bambridge, the daughter of Rudyard Kipling. She and her husband bought the house in 1938, and much of the furniture and decoration is hers. It is this sense of personality and homeliness that gives the hall its character, and it makes it more charming than many other much grander, but colder, houses in the country.
In 2010, the hall's library sadly suffered a leak and around 400 books were water damaged. These are now undergoing a very public conservation programme, and visitors can see the conservators 'in action'.
