A Medieval Fair In Portugal

Recently one of our team went to the Alentejo which is north of the Algarve in rural Portugal and was surprised to learn just how much medieval history there is there - from medieval villages and towns to medieval castles.

As chance would have it, they were there on 25 April which is "Revolution Day" in Portugal, celebrating the Carnation Revolution. There are festas and parties in every town throughout Portugal that weekend and our team member managed to get to Almodovar where there was a rather special 'party' taking place.

The first photograph he took on the way there and shows the magnificent, unspoiled countryside that stretches for miles into the distance.

The second photograph he took in Almodovar itself where they were making preparations for a medieval fair of some kind. The heraldry, helmets and axes in the photograph are replicas of what would have been used in medieval Portugal.

It's interesting to note that Portugal’s medieval castles, like the majority of those built in England and Scotland, were built for defence purposes - primarly against Spanish kingdoms to the north and hostile Moors to the south. They were certainly effective and it is said that Portugal today has the longest standing border in Europe.

Our team member was so taken by the lakeside quinta retreat which he used as his base, that he suggested we pass on the recommendation. Called 'Paradise In Portugal' it enjoys a unique, tranquil, lakeside setting and friendly atmosphere - a great base for a central Portugal holiday. It certainly looks a stunning place!

Medieval Gardening & Herbs

Gardens were a great source of ingredients for both cooking and medicinal purposes in medieval times. Some herbs and plants were also used for religious ceremonies and for dyeing of fabrics.

A selection of herbs and plants grown in medieval gardens are still around today with a few still used for the same purpose – eg. Rosemary (Romarinus officinalis) was used then, as it is now, in cookery for seasoning.

Others include:
Angelica (Angelica archangelica)
Borage (Borage officinalis)
Dill (Anethum graveolens)
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia
Sage (Salvia officinalis)
Thyme (Thymus spp)


Photo: Rosemary growing in my garden

Many medieval castles have gardens, not all dating from the medieval era admittedly, but many of the families who have owned these castles over the centuries have developed herb gardens within their castle gardens. I once enjoyed a super meal cooked by Lady Carlisle at Naworth Castle and recall how she enthused about the quality of the herbs in the recipe – all from her own herb garden within the castle grounds. I must admit, the food did taste really good!

Medieval Court In Cumbria

Lanercost Priory is a fascinating place. Dating back to the late 12th century (1169 is the generally accepted year of construction of the Augustinian priory built by Robert de Vaux), it is a fine example of early medieval monastic architecture. Although the monks have long since left, it is still a place of worship today.

The Priory was visited no less than 3 times by King Edward I of England. During one stay which lasted for more than 5 months in 1306-1307, it became a 'royal palace' - something few monasteries could ever lay claim to. Edward brought the Seal with him to Lanercost and thus, for the duration of his stay, technically made this tiny Cumbrian village the centre of government for the whole of Britain. With the king came a large retinue of servants and although it benefited the local community by way of an increased demand for food, game, wine and fuel, it also brought great pressure to bear on the monks and others who were expected to serve without excuse or hesitation. One thing the king's stay did achieve, however, was to halt the previously commonplace attacks by the Scots raiding from across the border.

In 7 July 1307, after leaving the Priory and heading North towards Scotland, King Edward I took ill and died near Burgh by Sands in Cumbria (a large stone cross marking the spot can be seen there today).

His son became King Edward II but paid little attention to the North of his kingdom and, as a result, Scottish raids on the area around Lanercost became more frequent. This culminated in the attack on Lanercost Priory by Robert Bruce in 1311 and then later in 1346 by a large Scottish army which crossed the border and plundered the Priory. Although some rebuilding took place including a new roof over the Nave with further renovations continuing over the centuries, the Presbytery of Lanercost Priory still has no roof even toay and remains open to the elements.

For those interested in medieval castles, King Edward I also owned Skipton Castle (built in 1090) and visited both Norham Castle (built 1160) and Chillingham Castle (en route to do battle with William Wallace).

Azaleas With A Medieval Connection

This photograph was taken by my dear friend Mary Spain on a recent trip to Richmond Park near London, England. It is of azaleas blooming within the Isabella Plantation there. She sent me the photograph in order to share the magnificent and stunning variety of colours and kindly agreed to letting me share it with our Medieval Castle Blog readers. So here it is!

You might ask: where’s the medieval connection? Well, having lived in London a number of years myself, I too had Richmond Park on my itinerary for the occasional trip out of the city ‘smog’. It was always a wonderfully pleasant place to go and get away for a few hours. So I know a little about its history. Although there is no castle within Richmond Park itself, the land does have royal connections dating back to the 13th century when it was known as the Manor of Sheen. Indeed, Richmond Park is the largest "Royal Park" in London and covers 2,500 acres.

Read more about the the history of Richmond Park and the Isabella Plantation.

Castle Gardens: Arundel Castle, Leeds Castle, Naworth Castle

"How many kinds of sweet flowers grow in an English country garden? "

A famous line from a famous song ... and a very good question too. What is 'an English country garden' anyway? Just a garden of someone living in the country? To my mind, the best of all country gardens is a castle garden, especially a medieval castle. Many of today's common flowers as well as some fruits and herbs were being grown in or around castle gardens as far back as the 1300's.

A great example is Naworth Castle in Cumbria. The Howard family still live there today and their garden is a credit to them as well as to previous generations who loved and nurtured it. The herb garden in particular has contributed to everyday meals and banquets held at the Castle for centuries and the flowers are too numerous to mention. There is also a wonderfully characterful, wooden seat at one end of the castle garden known as ‘Tennyson's Seat' where the great poet used to enjoy sitting when paying one of his customary visits to the Howard family at Naworth (seat, now painted white, is featured in the photograph). In summer the castle garden is awash with colour and a sense of timelessness seems to pervade the air.

There are many other castle gardens like this, especially in England, including Eastnor Castle which also has a marvellous arboretum with a collection of cedar trees thought by many to be the finest in Britain. Other medieval castles with superb gardens include:

Arundel Castle - A new garden was opened by HRH Prince Of Wales (14 May 2008)
Berkeley Castle - Elizabethan gardens and Queen Elizabeth I's bowling green
Dunster Castle – The National Collection of strawberry trees is here
Herstmonceux Castle - Elizabethan gardens
Hever Castle - Award-winning gardens
Leeds Castle - Extensive gardens and lake setting

Kings & Saints In A Coastal Fortress - Tynemouth Priory & Castle

As you read the notice board by the railings that surround Tynemouth Priory & Castle, one line leaps out and grabs the attention:

"Burial place for kings and saints"

Quite a statement! How many places in a lifetime does anyone get to visit such a place? Normally one would associate places such as Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral in London with such a claim. So to find a medieval priory/castle on the Northumberland coast not far from the city of Newcastle with event a hint of a similar 'provenance' was a wonderful discovery.

Set high up on a headland overlooking the North Sea, the ruins were once home to both a military fortress (playing a role against Napoleon and in both World Wars) as well as a religious site - and for many, many centuries; as a religious site, its history goes back as far as the 7th century.

So who is buried here? The answer ... 3 sainted kings. I must admit to never having heard of any of them before visiting Tynemouth but having read more, I can begin to appreciate why there were 'sainted'. Their names were Oswin, Osred and Malcolm.

Oswin (died AD 651) King of Northumbria
Osred (died AD 792) King of Northumbria
Malcolm (died AD 1093) King of Scotland

There is also a legend that another Northumbrian king, Ceolwolf, had caves carved out of the great rock on which the Priory stands and that he spent his last days there. The caves have become known locally as Jingling Geordie's Hotel.

A Medieval Turn of Phrase - Medieval Glossary

Anyone interested in medieval history and medieval castles simply has to read Sir Walter Scott's 'Ivanhoe'. It is a magnificent piece of writing which brings to life all things medieval - eg. the quality of life enjoyed by a nobleman compared to that of a serf, the code of chivalry amongst knights, the prejudices of class and religion that existed, the role played by women in medieval times and what life in a medieval castle was like.

One of the most striking things about the book, however is the language used. Granted, Scott deliberately used a very 'flowery' language throughout his story, but he also made reference to many truly medieval terms and phrases, some of which we still use today and some that we don't.

For example ....

• words we still use today - gaiters (leggings), muscadine (sweet wine), bodkin (needle)
  
  
• words we no longer hear - capul (horse), fortalice (fortress), senechal (steward)
  

To read more of the kind of vocabulary popular in medieval England, visit our Medieval Glossary.

If you're interested to read more about Sir Walter Scott, there's lots of information in the Walter Scott Digital Archive.