Environs of Grantham, England This morning we traveled to Woolsthorpe Manor, outside of Grantham in Lincolnshire. This was a pilgrimage to the home of Sir Isaac Newton, born here in 1643.
Young Isaac had no aptitude for sheep farming, though his family’s lands and flocks were quite impressive, making him the Lord of Manor after the death of his father. His mother begrudgingly allowed him to pursue higher education, as it seemed that was all he was good for.
By a fortuitous turn of events Isaac was sent home from Cambridge in 1665 – 1667 as the university was closed because of the plague. We can relate.
As it turned out, this was exactly the opportunity he needed to think and experiment, thus laying the foundation for groundbreaking scientific revolutions.
The house had been rented out after being sold after his death, and somewhat modernized, but eventually put in the hands of the National Trust, which was able to restore it generally to Newton’s time. The kitchen area and the room in which he was born are quite authentic, as is his study/bedroom.
In the actual room where he slept and worked, there is an amazing recreation of his study of light, showing exactly where he used a prism to demonstrate the waves of color in white light, focusing it over his bed.
Evidently, at one point in the 20th century, there was a knock on the door of the house, at that point occupied by a renting family. The caller was Albert Einstein, who just wanted to experience the house where Newton has worked. He was graciously given a tour. Other famous callers included Stephen Hawking, and probably every other luminary in the world of physics.
And then, of course, there is The Tree. Its progeny have been to the moon and reside as well in many centers of scientific learning around the world.
Would you have questioned why its apples did not fall up, or sideways? This is the actual tree, somewhat gnarled, that is documented as the site of the influential event.
Our second stop today was Easton Walled Gardens. These are the recently restored gardens of a now-demolished manor house that stood in one form or another for over 400 years. The layout of the gardens is as old. While not the sweeping vistas of a Capability Brown landscape, as we saw yesterday at Burghley House, this garden included different rooms of vegetable, cottage, cut flowers, and flower borders as well as orchards spread out over 12 acres. There was an adjoining pasture area for sheep.
To help with the upkeep, robot lawn mowers hummed quietly over the vast grass areas.
The restoration is being carried out by the 14th generation of the original owners of the land. Remnants of the original building have been converted into short-term rentals. A beautiful setting.
Our last stop of the day was Grantham House, situated near the center of Grantham. This is a 15th century manor house that today has the look of an 18th century home. Only a few rooms are open to the public. It is used as a type of community center and is surrounded by several acres of developed gardens.
Don’s Food Corner
We decided to go fancy this evening and have dinner at the restaurant attached to the hotel. It looked promising, with beautifully ironed table cloths and napkins, nice cutlery and glassware. The menu was traditional British.
I ordered whitebait for a starter. Nicely done. Fried crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Jo went with a soup that was called “roasted” tomato soup. It was unusually smoky and I suspect it got its smokiness from the addition of liquid smoke, instead of actually being roasted over some hickory fire. But maybe not. Still, it was too smoky and didn’t even taste like tomato.
I went on to a plate of Lancashire sausage and mash, with a side of kale/carrots and onion gravy. The sausage, piled on top of the potato mash, had an onion chutney on top. I found the sausage to be very mild to the point of flavorless. I’m so used to the stronger flavor of Cumberland sausage. The onion chutney was fine, as was the onion gravy. The kale was cooked, but almost raw, and the baby carrots, which were nestled inside the kale, were not peeled. I guess that makes it a modern dish.
Jo ordered a steak-and-ale pie. It was a disappointment. The version she had at the pub in Portsmouth (at half the price) was better. Here the bottom of the pie was burned and the interior ingredients were undercooked, leaving the meat tough and lacking the rich sauce that should really make the dish.
Full pints of excellent pale ale made things seem a little better.
Earlier in the day we had a chance to take a break to sample a cream tea. This was at Isaac’s place. The fruit (raisin) scones were disappointing. Dry. Crumbly. Maybe a day old? Grade: C+.
Again, not a good food day.
“we can relate” heehee. You are getting served too much burned food.