The Village of Sulgrave

Eagle House

We have been in our "housesitting job for a week with another to go.  We are in Sulgrave, Branbury, South Northhamptonshire about a 45 minute train ride from Birmingham. 

the house has a slate roof

This door mysteriously leads to the front entry way

Our house is called "Eagle House"(no house number, just a name) and was built in the early 1700's and was "added on to" in the mid 19th century.  The Georgian three-story house sits on the corner of Church Street and School Street and is made of stone.

Ouch!!

One of the three fireplaces-this is a huge stone one maybe originally for cooking?

The floors of the oldest part of the house are original stone and shows its 300 years of wear.  Most of the old doors have doorframes shorter than Jack and the locks use "skeleton keys". 

the second floor surface is wood planks that are worn

stone steps to the cellar

The kitchen, however, is a large, modern, "country kitchen", and is dominated by a five foot wide cast-iron green Aga cooker.  These are popular here but we had never seen one.

The AGA cooker is a heat storage stove and cooker, which works on the principle that a heavy frame made of cast iron can absorb heat from a relatively low-intensity but continuously burning source, and the accumulated heat can then be used for cooking. Originally heated by slow-burning coal, the Aga cooker was invented in 1922 by the Nobel Prize–winning Swedish physicist Gustaf Dalén

the two hobs have covers and are hot all the time

This Aga uses oil and stays on permanently, also heating the water for the house and keeping the kitchen warm.  The two large hobs (or "burners") can heat water almost instantly; there are 4 ovens: a roasting, baking and two for warming and proofing.  We are having fun just trying to figure out how to cook on it, not to mention drying our shoes and socks after a wet morning ramble.

entrance to the village

many of the home have thatched roofs and date 400 years

This is just a small village with about 300 people and only two businesses:  the pub and a community-owned village shop with a post office counter which doubles for limited banking services.  The school closed down about 20 years ago and the only public phone booth was recently removed for lack of calls!  

The beautiful parish Church of St. James the Less (the only church remaining) was built during the reign of Edward III 1327-1377

on the site of a Norman Ringwork Castle which was built on an older Saxon settlement (about 975 AD to 1125 AD). This definitely reminds us of "The Vicar of Dibley" British TV series and the locals say there is some similarity:-)

 
One of the other very special sites is the Sulgrave Manor built in 1539 by Lawrence Washington, a wealthy wool merchant who purchased the manor from Henry VIII. 

Note the two flags

L. Washington is buried with his wife in the Parish Church. The Sulgrave Manor is the ancestral home to George Washington and the building was saved in 1914 to commemorate 100 year of peace between Britain and America. 

It is actually jointly owned by Britain and the U.S. and the Society of Colonial Dames in America have been providing support for Sulgrave Manor ever since!

Queen Elizabeth I shield

Washington family coat of arms with stars and stripes is said to have influenced the design of the American flag

 It offers tours, along with gardens and a tea room.

Since we don't have a car and the public transportation is minimal, we have been absorbing the village and all it has to offer. 
The Sulgrave Village Shop is a non-profit store run by volunteers that offers a wide variety of fresh vegies & fruits, breads, wines and beers, cheeses as well as just about everything you could need from birthday candles to chutney to Kleenex. 

This all is crammed into one floor of an old house that was formerly a charity school.  We have been visiting the shop at least twice a day for our necessities such as croissants, grainery bread, strawberries, wine and sharp cheddar cheese. 

Plus we have purchased fresh cod and haddock and delicious meat from the mobile butcher and fish monger who calls at the house.

Now for the pubs!  So far we have  frequented the Red Lion in Culworth, a village 2 miles away and the Star Inn right here in Sulgrave. The Star Inn is over 300 years old and is said to be the only English Pub frequented by John "Duke" Wayne. 

The Star Inn

Jack and our English friend Tony

"Our" pub is not a "free house" (an independent pub that can serve any brand of beer) but instead serves Hook Norton beer which is a family brewery about 10 miles away in Banbury.  We've tasted all four of their beers that they have on tap now.  On Wednesday evenings they serve Sulgrave Supper definitely a step up from what we think of pub food!  We've eaten there three times-course there isn't any other choice....

We had the most interesting and coincidental stop at a church near the Fawsley Manor.  In 1316 Sir Richard Knightley owned the manor and decedents of Knightley lived there until 1932.

Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin dates from around 1209

Another short Saxon doorway into the church

services are still held 2x month!!

Alabaster tomb to Sir Richard Knightley and Jan Skenard surrounded by 12 figures of their children!!  Their clothing gives indication of their professions.  Hmmm, we couldn't determine any.... He kept 2500 sheep and made judicious marriage arrangement with the Washingtons at Sulgrave and the Spences at Wormleighton (Sir Winston Churchill & Diana)

Lady Eleanor Knightley, granddaughter to Sir Richard, married Sir Thomas Cotton.  Geneology that Jack's older brother did many years ago shows the lineage link to Sir Thomas Cotton, and back to Sir Richard Knightley!  It may be....or not.  Regardless, Jack likes to think he has some aristocracy in his ancestors.  

Finally, we are loving the countryside walks around the area.  Public rights of way include footpaths, byways and bridleways and are hundreds if not thousands of years old.  They generally take you across fields and farmland and between villages.

"Lettuce" says let's go! Yep!  those are sheep in the field

Karen climbing over the stile

"Kissing Gates"are V shape gates on hinges letting people in and out but keeping the animals in the field

 As you can see, we are really enjoying our stay in Sulgrave and the housesitting gig is working out very well! We've had a couple of issues, like losing water and electricity one day but we are used to that from north Idaho.  This village is so charming and the people so very welcoming!  We keep thinking of several of our favorite British shows including  "Lark Rise to Candleford", "Dad's Army" and "Midsommer Murders".