Day trip on Sunday

Old Country Churchyard

We made our way to the Trafalgar office, and the bus took us to a small town outside of London. Here we explored an old church. It was Sunday morning so we couldn't go inside because services were underway.

Country Churchyard

On the left, below, you can see the Domesday plaque that indicates that this church was listed in the Domesday Book.

On the right is a photo of the rear of the church.

Country Church

Domesday Plaque

Thames River Cruise

After leaving the church, we were taken to the Thames River where we boarded a boat for a trip to Windsor. This trip included passing through one of the locks on the river, and also included lunch on board. Lunch was lamb cooked on a grill at the back of the boat. I usually don't care much for lamb, but right off the grill, while it was still hot, it wasn't bad. Once it cooled off, however, I didn't care for it.

Approaching a lock

Looking over the captain's shoulder

Here are some photos of the lock that we passed through.

Leaving a lock

The lock behind us

Looking downriver with Windsor Castle in the distance

These are a couple of the houses we saw along the river.
The one on the right was undergoing restoration — you can see the scaffolding.

Manor house along the river

Windsor

The next stop on our tour was Windsor, where we had a tour of Winsor Castle.

The view as we approached the dock at Windsor

Windsor Train Station

Below are several views of Windsor Castle. No flags are flying, which means her majesty was not there at the time.

Windsor Castle

This photo shows the round stone castle which was built on top of the hill, to replace the original wooden one that was first built here by William the Conqueror after winning the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

Below are some photos of the flora within the castle.

Flowers at Windsor Castle

This photo is a courtyard within the castle, and a portion of the living quarters of the royal family when they are here. I believe that this is the portion of the castle which was involved in the fire.

The next four photos show the view from the upper part of the castle, leading down to the lower ward. This portion of the castle, among other things, would be used to protect the people of the town when under attack. In the first three photos, the building on the right is the chapel. In the fourth photo, as we progress down into the ward, you can see the stables on the right side of the photo.

Windsor Castle

As we left Windsor, we passed this spot where you can get a view of the castle from a distance. This is known as the "long walk" and is 2.6 miles long.

Magna Carta

On our drive from Windsor Castle to Hampton Court, we passed the spot where the Magna Carta was signed.

Magna Carta

Hampton Court

Our last stop of the day was Hampton Court. I know I took more photos here, but these are all I can find at this time. There are some interesting things to see inside, especially the kitchens and the wine cellar. The biggest disapointment was that most of the rooms were empty, with no furnishings which would have given us a better idea of what life was like here.

The main entrance to Hampton Court

Character in period costume

Something that Hampton Court is known for are its beautiful gardens, which include a maze.

Hampton Court gardens

Karen at Hampton Court gardens

Hampton Court gardens