Catherine of Aragon day

Yesterday was given over completely to Catherine of Aragon. We went to three places all very important in the last two years of her life.

Kimbolton Castle, was first up geographically. It's where she died and is said to haunt. The place is now a school with about 650 students and not generally open to the public, only special tours allowed. The place is very diferent from when Catherine knew it, it had a huge amount of works done in the 1700's but the chapel she was laid in and the rooms she lived and died in are there still. Our tour guide read out Catherine's last letter in the room it was written, that gave you a funny feeling to say the least.

The second place was Buckden Towers, a Bishops Palace and where Catherine was held for a time before being moved to Kimbolton and where the Duke of Suffolk tried with a few armed men to take her away but the local men stood in his way and would not let her be taken. This stand off lasted for 5 days before the Duke went off to get some more men. Our special guide was so enthusiastic about the place from the gardens to the tower that it was hard to tear ourselves away and on to the next place.

Lastly was Peterborough Cathedral where she is buried. A simple black marble slab markes the grave paid for in the 1800's when all women called Catherine was asked to make a small donation. The people of England loved her when she was alive and they love her still, rarely a day goes by without fresh flowers on her grave. As it was Mothering Sunday we stayed for evensong and the power of the sound when the organ was playing was incredible, The type of power that you get when you turn up the volume on the stereo up to 11 on the dial, I was away and soaring. We had a bit more time after with our special guide to see some of the secrets of this magnificent Cathedral. We timed our exit from the Cathedral just has the heavens opened nad rained heavily for the first time this week.

Along the way we also saw a pair of red kites, a very rare bird in England only 600pairs in the whole country