The American Cemetery, Cambridge

Opened in 1956, on land donated by Cambridge University, this cemetery is the only American Memorial site in England. Lying on a gentle slope, framed by woodland, it looks out across the arable Cambridgshire fens. The cemetery contains the remains of 3,812 military and a further 5,127 names are recorded on the Tablets of the Missing during WWll. Most died in the Battle of the Atlantic or in the strategic air bombardment of northwest Europe.

Peaceful surroundings overlooking ripe cereal fields

The Memorial Chapel has a mosaic ceiling, and windows commemorating every US State. A large map detailing the Battle of the Atlantic and the air campaign fought over the skies of occupied Europe

Four of the state windows 

Four representative statues of servicemen beside the inscribed Wall of the Missing, sculptured by American artist Wheeler Williams

They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

at the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

Robert Laurence Binyon

visited 17th August 2014

August Holiday Weekend

A family walk in the sunshine

through the village

a stop at the church

explain to the grandchildren how to interpret tomb effigies 

then off down into the valley

Baa! this is my field

Of his ilk I suppose he is a fine specimen, but.... 

its onwards and downwards to the forest

return climb back up the hill 

and home for supper

Quiz Answer

The tomb stones seen lining the pathway were a big clue!

it is a lych gate but with a difference because....... 

it has a coffin gate  - the coffin is placed on the pivoting brackets at the top of the gate and then the gate is turned thus allowing the pall bearers to lift the coffin up and proceed to the church. They most likely rest the coffin on the gate to catch their breath as it is a steep climb from the road to the lych gate. There are several examples of pivoting gates leading to churches, particularly in the Sussex area, where they are known as a Tapsel gate. This is the only coffin gate that I am aware of with pivoting brackets on top

Correct answers in the order that they arrived
Celia Hart
Helva
Elaine
Jean
Parnassus
Nilly
Well done everyone

Artifact Quiz

You know that it is a gate, but what kind of gate is it, or what is its function? It is made out of wood with a central metal post on which it pivots open.

Like this

On top of the gate are two sturdy pieces of metalwork, they are not there just for show but are an important part of the gates function

They also pivot and turn

Now the gate is open, enabling people to pass either side of it with ease.

I will switch on comments moderation as usual and the answer will be given on Thursday at 12 noon GMT

The clues are there!

Journey's End

Lewis Castle has commanding views across the waterfront at Stornoway

Stornoway is the capital of the Outer Hebrides on the east coast of Lewis. The town's true beginnings are now lost in the mists of time, but it is known that it was founded by Vikings in the early C9 under the norse name Stjórnavágr. You feel as if you are well on your way to the top of the world, next stop north across the ocean being the Faroe Islands, Iceland, then Greenland.

Harbour reflections

A bronze statue of a herring seller on Stornoway waterfront  

The island women will vote "YES" to independence. I respect their choice but personally, I am hoping the majority vote is "NO" - it would feel like a bereavement in the UK family. Scotland is a part of my life, it is where we lived for several years, and where my eldest son and youngest granddaughter were both born. Now, however, that I have travelled to these far distant islands, I do appreciate just how remote from London they are. Indeed, they are also a very long way from Edinburgh as this journey back reveals.

But what's this notice in the window upstairs? - it seems not all islanders agree - "UK OK better together - A stronger Scotland, a United Kingdom"

Gaelic street names

Colourful fishing nets drying in the sun

The ferry has arrived, and

the end of our eight island adventure. So it's farewell to this beautiful archipelago of islands formed in the Precambrian period some three billion years ago

The journey takes almost three hours back to Ullapool on the Scottish mainland

On the return journey we saw dolphins, porpoises, guillemots, cormorants and a huge variety of seabirds flying overhead - some people also spotted cute little puffins

via

An overnight stay near the pretty packhorse bridge in the Cairngorms, a familiar spot if you follow this blog, and then a final journey down through Perthshire

 a walk along the riverbank, then over the River Tummel back into Pitlochry

More than 5000 Atlantic salmon swim up this river each year where they negotiate a salmon ladder installed by the Scottish Hydro Electric scheme to enable them to spawn higher up the river

Salmon Ladder

next stop Edinburgh, and a quick plane ride home