Fri August 10 - Hadrian's Wall to Manchester via lots of pubs...

Well today was a massive change in plans and we had to be VERY flexible.

Had a great sleep and breakfast was being served from 730-930 so we luxuriated a bit.  We had ordered the paper delivered as well and it was waiting for us when I got up and opened the door.  That was nice.  We got ready and headed down for breakfast about 9.  All the way down the stairs.  Breakfast was a nice buffet and we could order hot items off the menu.  After breakfast the front desk told us there was a tour of the castle starting at 1015 so we hurried upstairs and packed, left the luggage for the bellboys to cart down and went to the drawing room.  

One part of the lighting in our room was soft and above.

Tapestry behind glass of Arthur - it was hanging above the headboard.

The write up on a plaque outside our room

All going down the stairs were tapestries, suits of armor, pictures of the castle or lords and ladies.

Small picture in an alcove of the drawing room

In it's heyday, this castle stood at the heart of the barony of some 13,000 acres.  The original castle was built in 1350 by Sir Thomas de Lucy being finished in 1365.  This particular castle has a very long, very sordid history and passed through many hands.  I won't bore you with every single detail but in the fifteenth century the castle was gutted by fire however the stone walls were remarkably intact.  By the 18th century the Earl of Derwentwater opposed the 1705 Glorious Revolution which unseated the Stuart dynasty, he was executed at the Tower of London along with his brother Charles for their part as a leaders in the Jacobean Rebellion in 1714.  There is a stone cross below up a bit from the castle that commemorates their deaths.   By this time the castle was still in ruins.  In 1833, John Grey was appointed to oversee the estate and he made one of the towers habitable and started some fundamental work to preserve the exterior castle walls.  However the owners started to take a financial hit and were quick to sell the castle in 1882 to Cadwallader John Bates who got it at a steal of a deal at 250,000 pounds.  Bates saw Langley Castle as an embryo of reconstruction which would show his and future generations the true grandeur of the 14th century.  After much planning and research and his marriage to Josephine d'Echarvinces in 1895 he began the monumental task.  However he died in 1902 before it was finished.  Josephine continued the task finishing it in 1914.  Once completed she traveled to Rome to have the small chapel consecrated in dedication to Bates.  However when it was turned into an girls school in later years it was reconsecrated.  In 1985 the castle was acquired by Professor Stuart Madnick (US citizen).  He and his wife after careful renovations wanted to open it to the public as a luxury hotel and restaurant.

Interestingly the castle has no foundations of the conventional type.  Instead the walls are built upon huge boulders, a clever idea designed to frustrate potential besiegers who might attempt entry by sapping.  The castle also boasts an abundance of "garden-robes" (loos).  Each floor has several which is unusual for a simple place as this and suggests the defenses planned for the castle included a sizable garrison.

Only original stair case and door left

Water fountain in the front (new addition)

On the roof looking at one of the towers

Loo shoot

Grounds boasted peacocks and we noticed a momma and it's chicks

Stain glass in the chapel - Bates chosen patron saint

Alter in chapel

Tower we stayed in - top window it ours

This door was added in with the renovation - it is the main door now.

Entry

This tiny door was the original main entry to the castle

Grave stone mention previously

From Langley Castle we headed down to Manchester.  We had learned that morning the original tickets we had to the footy game for ManU was for Sat Aug 11 but were moved to Fri Aug 10 so we decided to forgo the 4 pubs down to one - the oldest pub according to the Guinness book of records. HOWEVER when we got to the Bingley Arms it turns out there are a number of pubs named that and when typed into google we overshot the one we were heading to by 40mins (it is in Leeds).  We didn't have time to go back so we settled on another pub and Kels had the best shepherds pie ever.

On the road down to Manchester we hit an accident and were delayed an hour and a half.  Once in Manchester it was difficult getting in touch with our host and we were further delayed another hour.  The KO was at 2000 but we had purchased an experience where we could get in 3 hours early and tour the museum, drinks, food and meet a former player etc.  We arrived at Old Trafford at 1900 and still had to find where to exchange our tickets.  We were misdirected multiple times and by the time we got to the museum they had shut it all up and could only give us our swag and direct us to the seats.

Despite the hectic day it was a great game - ManU won against Leicester 2-1.  The seats were great and it was pretty neat hearing all the fans.  The attendance was 74,433.  The venue holds 75,000.  Biggest event we've ever experienced.  

After the game we headed to the store as we had coupons from our package.  Kels got his jersey and I got a hat.  Walking back after the game we hit the 24 hr Tesco for some supplies (would you believe that our host was out of toilet paper?!?!?) and home for the night.

Up tomorrow - down day in Manchester!