Washout

Another rainy day.

I had planned to take a some of a lunchbreak on Mousehold Heath. This Heath used to cover many miles into the countryside, but is now much more limited in scope. It is significant for being the encampment of Ketts rebellion in summer 1549, where peasants and locals, numbering around 15000 people, gathered before marching on the city and taking on the royal forces in Norwich's streets. Many peasants died, 300 (including Robert Kett) were later executed at the castle.

In the first world war Mousehold housed one of the largest airfields in the country, including a Boulton and Paul aircraft factory. Between the wars it closed, and in the second world war was a Q site - a fake airfield to draw the bombers away from the city and genuine airfields. Not so clever if you happened to live on Supple Close, a street about a mile away which caught the bombs one night.

This is the view from my car in a parking space. The rain was very heavy. I did take a picture of a memorial too, to Colin Barton (New Zealand), James Lemon, Robert Kater (both Canadian) and Donald Carpenter (British); who were the crew of the Bristol Beaufort which crashed here on 25th July 1942, and Ernest Nightingale, whose Hampden Bomber crashed here on 12th February 1942. The memorial is well hidden, set into a slope beside a main road, you have to know to look for it. It was going to be my Blip for the day, particularly in light of the savage cuts to defence and public services announced yesterday and today, but the pictures just weren't up to it, so I'll have to try again. Although it's well hidden, I was pleased to see a couple of recent small wooden crosses and poppies.

Although I've passed through it many times, I don't really know the Heath very well. I pass it most days, so I should take the time to explore properly. It has a colourful history and although shrunken, is still impressive. Oh, and it's also neighbour to Brittania Barracks, now Norwich Prison, whose Victorian visage glowers across the city taunting the elegant cathedrals.