Courting History

After our usual food shop and customary Sunday pint at The Horseshoes we didn't feel like going straight home as it was such a glorious day so we headed back to Teston Bridge Country Park. Not only is it a lovely place for a walk with a river, a lock, a medieval bridge, pasture and meadows it also has a little trailer where you can get great coffee and a delicious muffin if you're so inclined - which we usually are! :-)
Today's main image is looking back from the park up towards the imposing white edifice of the Grade II listed Barham Court which sits atop the hill at Teston. It has quite the history including being the home of one of the knights who murdered Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170, being sacked by Cromwell's New Army during the English Civil War when it was owned by Royalists and playing a role in the abolition of slavery with William Wilberforce - who wrote in an accolade to it "for the charm of softness and elegance I never beheld a superior to Barham Court" - being a frequent house guest of the first Lady Barham, who is said to have inspired and supported him in his fight against slavery. It was later very badly damaged by a huge fire in 1932, subsequently restored and rebuilt and is today rather more prosaically home to offices, conference facilities and a wedding venue.
My extra is a view of the medieval bridge that skirts one edge of the park. It almost looks like it's floating on a sea of wild flowers which have proliferated in the meadow and virtually obscure the River Medway over which it passes entirely.