A bit of business in Gainsborough, then a bimble

I went to see Gareth this morning, he's the solicitor you know, he's dealing with my will writing. He seems pretty clued up, and he is young and charming, and good looking. It didn't take very long, some updates to the previous will which was ten years old. It's looking better now, changes had to be made. If I pop my clogs soon after I sign it, it will be relevant, but as I am planning to linger on a good few years, I may well find myself in the position of having to change it again. Life goes on.

Anyway, while I was in Gainsborough I thought I would have a look round. I took the scenic route alongside the river to get there. It was lovely and quiet, free of traffic. This is the route I walked at the end of my River Trent walk, the last leg of a 119 mile walk. Driving it today made me think, blimey, I walked this distance. Seemed ever so long in a car.

The weather was a bit dull, but never mind, I was well wrapped up. Marshall's Yard is where the solicitor hangs out, so I had a walk round there first. Britannia Ironworks used to occupy this site. Owned by the Marshall family, it was founded in 1848. The factory closed in the 1980's. Many of the original structures were listed, and these have been refurbished and retained. New architecture has been designed to blend the old with the new.

There is lots of parking in the centre of a big square, all the shops are around the outside. The cost to park is very reasonable, 50p for two hours, or £1 for four hours, and you can get this refunded in the shops when you buy something. I was too mean to pay that, I parked ten minutes walk away in a side street.

The Council offices are housed here.

I hoped the fountains were not suddenly turned on again to drench this little girl. They weren't.

This is one of two pedestrian entrances to the square. The archway design continues all along the perimeter wall to the next entrance further along the road. 

I didn't linger long around the shops, as you know I have no interest in shopping. I made my way to the river bridge, just generally looking around, but searching for Gainsborough Old Hall. I caught the whiff of fish and chips and followed my nose. It's about time I was due a treat of freshly cooked chips, haven't had any for months. Lots of months in fact. This is where the main road crosses the river, I walked this bit on my long walk. It was a bit chilly today, and it was threatening rain, but I didn't care, I had my chips in my bag.

Oh bliss, find a bench and sit in the open air and eat chips. They were lovely. I didn't eat all of them, brought some home and heated them in the microwave. All gone now, yum.

Aha, here is Gainsborough Old Hall. I don't know why but I had it in my head that this building was in acres of parkland, that's how it looks in the advertising bumf. Not in parkland, it's quite close to the town centre. It's an English Heritage site so there is a charge to go in. I didn't bother to go and have a look but it says on the web site that it's £4 for a senior to get in. Not so bad I suppose considering there is a lot more to see here than the ruins of Thornton Abbey which is the same price.  

The hall is over 500 years old, and one of the best preserved timber framed medieval manor houses in the England. I won't go into all the ins and outs of it here, but if you want to know more, they have an excellent web site here.  If you click on the Explore button you can take a 360 degree tour of some of the rooms. The community textile project is interesting, and there is a floor plan with photographs.

It had started raining so I did a quick walk round and took photo's under the shelter of my umbrella.

Pretty amazing, don't you think.

 Just across the road is the library. Looks a bit like an old school house.

Close by is this magnificent church.

By now the rain was getting quite heavy, time to go back to the car I think. A walk across the old market square, and had a look in a few charity shops. Didn't buy anything, nothing took my fancy, nothing I needed.

I was home by 2.30pm, and it's still raining. Best spend the rest of the day indoors. It's 'orrible out there. Toodle pip.