Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be:
Q1. Maesteg
Q2. A Run For Your Money
The initial clues appear to place us in the town of Maesteg, in Wales. The Welsh national anthem 'Land of my Fathers', was according to some of the references I checked, written c 1856 by Evan James, with its first public airing being performed by Elizabeth John, in Capel Tabor, Maesteg, the same year. A poet called Vernon Phillips Watkins was, according to some of his biographies, born at Lloyds Bank House, Talbot Street, Maesteg c 27 June 1906. One of his poems was titled 'North Sea'.
Maesteg has a railway which terminates in the settlement, the viaduct referred to in the clues is possibly the Cymmer viaduct but it seems to be the Cymmer tunnel that is one thousand five hundred and ninety five yards in length.
Travelling south east, then east from Maesteg would bring us to the village of Llangeinor and it was here in an area called Tynton, that some of his bios claim the radical free thinker 'Richard Price' was born c 1723. He moved to London and does appear to have hung out with/influenced people like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.
After leaving Llangeinor and turning left, the puzzle author is probably driving north on the A4064, which terminates about a mile south west of a five hundred and sixty eight meter/one thousand eight hundred and sixty four foot high plateau, called 'Werfa' (aka 'Mynydd Llangeinwyr'). Returning to the village and then motoring east round a hairpin bend would place the puzzle writer on the A4061, which would bring him eventually to the village of Nant-y-moel. It was here, according to some sources I checked, that scenes from the 1949 film 'A Run For Your Money', were shot. The movie is about two Welsh miners who win a cash prize and a trip to London. Starred Donald Houston, Meredith Edwards and Alec Guiness. I did find a reference which claims that the last passenger train service, left Nant-y-Moel station, on the third of May, 1958.
N.B. Due to the number of people who normally write poison pen letters in green ink posting on his page, the Eastender has moved to moderated comments but if you have a non abusive comment or quip, related to the puzzle and its solution, he will endeavour to publish it.
Saturday, 20 February 2016
Saturday, 13 February 2016
Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition
Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be:
Q1. Tenterden
Q2. Dungeness National Nature Reserve
The initial clues seem to place us at Tenterden, in the county of Kent. Tenterden appears to be the Northern terminus of the Kent and East Sussex Heritage Railway. The other terminus of the K&ES railway is at Bodiam and from the pictures I saw of it, the castle there is particularly beautiful. The original line closed c 1961 but used to go further north, to Headcorn.
Driving south from Tenterden, on the B2082, would take us through Smallhythe and it was here, according to some of her biographies, that an actress called Ellen Terry (born c 1847), had a house 'Smallhythe Place' . Ellen Terry made her acting debut playing the part of a boy 'Mamillius', in Charles Kean's production of 'The Winters Tale', c 1856.
Continuing South down the B2082, would eventually bring us to Rye, which some sources claim had a steam tramway, called the Rye & Camber Tramway (opened c 1895), that was built to carry passengers to and from Rye Golf Club (opened c 1894). The tramway was around three miles long. Rye golf course, according to their web site, hosts a tournament called 'The Bernard Darwin Salver', which is a good fit for the 'Australian sounding' clue. The engineer who built the tramway was probably Holman Fred Stephens (born c 1868). Some of his biographies claim that he also worked on the Kent & East Sussex Railway.
The hints about shingle, nuclear power stations and chip shops are to the Eastender at least, a huge giveaway, as these words bring to mind the movie director Derek Jarman, who had a beach hut and garden on the shingle next to Dungeness nuclear power station and claimed that the nearby Pilot Inn, provides "simply the finest fish and chips in all England" . The spit of land does seem to have a branch line on it also and travelling East from Rye would bring us into the vicinity of Dungeness.
N.B. Due to the number of people who normally write poison pen letters in green ink posting on his page, the Eastender has moved to moderated comments but rest assured if you have a non abusive comment or quip relating to the puzzle and its solution, he will endeavour to publish it.
Q1. Tenterden
Q2. Dungeness National Nature Reserve
The initial clues seem to place us at Tenterden, in the county of Kent. Tenterden appears to be the Northern terminus of the Kent and East Sussex Heritage Railway. The other terminus of the K&ES railway is at Bodiam and from the pictures I saw of it, the castle there is particularly beautiful. The original line closed c 1961 but used to go further north, to Headcorn.
Driving south from Tenterden, on the B2082, would take us through Smallhythe and it was here, according to some of her biographies, that an actress called Ellen Terry (born c 1847), had a house 'Smallhythe Place' . Ellen Terry made her acting debut playing the part of a boy 'Mamillius', in Charles Kean's production of 'The Winters Tale', c 1856.
Continuing South down the B2082, would eventually bring us to Rye, which some sources claim had a steam tramway, called the Rye & Camber Tramway (opened c 1895), that was built to carry passengers to and from Rye Golf Club (opened c 1894). The tramway was around three miles long. Rye golf course, according to their web site, hosts a tournament called 'The Bernard Darwin Salver', which is a good fit for the 'Australian sounding' clue. The engineer who built the tramway was probably Holman Fred Stephens (born c 1868). Some of his biographies claim that he also worked on the Kent & East Sussex Railway.
The hints about shingle, nuclear power stations and chip shops are to the Eastender at least, a huge giveaway, as these words bring to mind the movie director Derek Jarman, who had a beach hut and garden on the shingle next to Dungeness nuclear power station and claimed that the nearby Pilot Inn, provides "simply the finest fish and chips in all England" . The spit of land does seem to have a branch line on it also and travelling East from Rye would bring us into the vicinity of Dungeness.
N.B. Due to the number of people who normally write poison pen letters in green ink posting on his page, the Eastender has moved to moderated comments but rest assured if you have a non abusive comment or quip relating to the puzzle and its solution, he will endeavour to publish it.
Saturday, 6 February 2016
Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition
Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be:
Q1. Innerpeffray
Q2. Drummond Castle
The initial clues appear to place us in the hamlet of Innerpeffray, which lies around three miles 南東of Crieff, in Scotland. Innerpeffray sits on the 北 bank of the thirty two mile long 'River Earn' and is the site of one of Scotland's oldest free lending libraries, which according to some of the sources I checked, seems to have been founded c 1680, by David Drummond, third Lord Madertie. Drummond was the brother in law of David Graham, first Marquis of Montrose. Innerpeffray castle is thought to be of 15th century origin and from the photographs I looked at, the stonework still seems to be in good condition.
Four miles 西 of Innerpeffray, lies Drummond Castle and the fortress and its gardens, were used in the nineteen ninty five film 'Rob Roy', as the location for the home of the Marquis of Montrose (played by a great British actor, called John Hurt).
The Gask ridge lies 東 of Innerpeffray and some sources claim that a line of Roman signal towers stretched along it, from the fort of Strageath to the fort at Bertha, near Perth. Some OS maps show a line of signal stations, starting at Innerpeffray and following the route of the Roman road to the 東.
The 東ender, surmises that manning the signal stations, may not have been the most popular duty for the fort's personnel, as they would likely be standing in a wooden tower for hours on end, in the howling wind and very vulnerable to attack by disgruntled locals, direwolves, kelpies, barrow wights, Lannisters, etc
N.B. Due to the number of people who normally write poison pen letters in green ink posting on his page, the 東 ender has moved to moderated comments but rest assured, if you have a non abusive post or quip relating to the puzzle and its solution, he will endeavour to publish it.
Saturday, 23 January 2016
Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition
Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be:
Q1. The River Idle
Q2. Gainsborough
The initial clues appear to place us in the town of Retford, in the county of Nottinghamshire. Some of the sources I checked claim that two railways arrived in the town c 1849, The Sheffield and Lincolnshire Junction Railway and The Great Northern Railway and that these crossed on the level at Retford, forming a traffic bottleneck and potentially dangerous intersection, which was subsequently replaced c 1965, by what is known in the trade, as a 'Dive Under' where the track from one line is lowered to pass beneath the other.
Retford sits on the river Idle (a good fit for the 'lazy sounding river' clue), which is oriented South to North through the town. An aqueduct appears to carry 'The Chesterfield Canal' ( opened c 1777), across the Idle in a West to East orientation. Following the river North out of town, would bring us to Mattersey Priory, which the English Heritage web site indicates, was founded c 1185 and was destroyed by fire c 1279. From the maps I looked at, it does seem to lie West of the Idle.
Travelling North East out of Retford, would bring us to the town of Gainsborough and it was here that some references claim that Sweyn Forkbeard, a king of England for five weeks, died after being thrown from a horse c 1014. The actress born in Gainsborough c 1882, is probably Sybil Thorndyke, some of her biographies claim that she was born there on the twenty fourth of October 1882 and appeared in a play called 'St. Joan', c 1924. Some sources claim that Mary Anne Evans ( aka George Eliot), used Gainsborough as a model to base the town of 'St. Ogg's' on, in her novel 'The Mill on the Floss', which may have been published c 1860.
Following the canal's course on the map, leads to the point where it connects to the River Trent, at what does seem like a linear village (linear as in the houses follow the line of the road and do not spread out) of West Stockwith. East Stockwith lies on the eastern bank of the Trent and does not appear to have a span connecting it with West Stockwith.
N.B. Due to the number of people who normally write poison pen letters in green ink posting on his page, the Eastender has moved to moderated comments but rest assured, if you have a non abusive comment relating to the puzzle and its solution, he will endeavour to publish it.
Q1. The River Idle
Q2. Gainsborough
The initial clues appear to place us in the town of Retford, in the county of Nottinghamshire. Some of the sources I checked claim that two railways arrived in the town c 1849, The Sheffield and Lincolnshire Junction Railway and The Great Northern Railway and that these crossed on the level at Retford, forming a traffic bottleneck and potentially dangerous intersection, which was subsequently replaced c 1965, by what is known in the trade, as a 'Dive Under' where the track from one line is lowered to pass beneath the other.
Retford sits on the river Idle (a good fit for the 'lazy sounding river' clue), which is oriented South to North through the town. An aqueduct appears to carry 'The Chesterfield Canal' ( opened c 1777), across the Idle in a West to East orientation. Following the river North out of town, would bring us to Mattersey Priory, which the English Heritage web site indicates, was founded c 1185 and was destroyed by fire c 1279. From the maps I looked at, it does seem to lie West of the Idle.
Travelling North East out of Retford, would bring us to the town of Gainsborough and it was here that some references claim that Sweyn Forkbeard, a king of England for five weeks, died after being thrown from a horse c 1014. The actress born in Gainsborough c 1882, is probably Sybil Thorndyke, some of her biographies claim that she was born there on the twenty fourth of October 1882 and appeared in a play called 'St. Joan', c 1924. Some sources claim that Mary Anne Evans ( aka George Eliot), used Gainsborough as a model to base the town of 'St. Ogg's' on, in her novel 'The Mill on the Floss', which may have been published c 1860.
Following the canal's course on the map, leads to the point where it connects to the River Trent, at what does seem like a linear village (linear as in the houses follow the line of the road and do not spread out) of West Stockwith. East Stockwith lies on the eastern bank of the Trent and does not appear to have a span connecting it with West Stockwith.
N.B. Due to the number of people who normally write poison pen letters in green ink posting on his page, the Eastender has moved to moderated comments but rest assured, if you have a non abusive comment relating to the puzzle and its solution, he will endeavour to publish it.
Saturday, 16 January 2016
Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition
Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be:
Q1. Dagenham
Q2. Bobby Moore
N.B. For question two, Bobby Moore is also known as Robert Frederick Chelsea Moore.
The initial clues seem to place us in Dagenham, in Essex. According to some of the sources I checked , the name 'Dagenham', is possibly derived from 'Daeccanham', which in old English may mean 'ham or farm of a man called Daecca'. From reading some of his biographies, Five Elms Farm, Dagenham, was the birthplace c 22 January 1920, of a footballer called 'Alf Ramsey', who was capped 32 times for England.
The actor mentioned in the clues, is probably 'Dudley Moore' and some of his bios claim he was born c 19th April 1935 and attended 'Green Lane Junior School' and 'Dagenham County High School'. He did release a record called Goodbye-ee, with Peter Cook.
The housing estate is probably Becontree, which some references claim has twenty six thousand homes and was constructed between 1921 and 1935. Becontree is also thought to be derived from old English and means 'Tree of a man named Beohha'. A grocer born c 1898 and fifth of six children, is most likely Sir John Edward Cohen, founder of Tesco who opened his first stores in Becontree And Burnt Oak c 1931.
Travelling west from Dagenham would bring us to Barking and it is here, in the Quaker Burial ground that the prison reformer 'Elizabeth Fry' ( born c 1780), was buried. Barking Abbey appears to have been founded c 666 ad, by Saint Erkenwald (feast day 30th April ), with the first Abbess being Saint Ethelburga (feast day 11th October). Some of captain Cook's biographies claim that he was born c 1728 and was married in the nearby St Margaret's church c 21st Oct/21st December 1762.
The park where the author enjoyed a flask of tea, is probably Greatfields park, which lies South East of Barking Abbey and a few streets away from number forty three Waverly Gardens, where the footballer 'Bobby Moore' (born c 1941 ) was brought up. Moore was captain of the England football team on ninety occasions.
N.B. Due to the number of people who normally write poison pen letters in green ink posting on his page, the Eastender has moved to Moderated comments but rest assured, if you have a non abusive posting related to the puzzle and its solution, he will endeavour to publish them.
Q1. Dagenham
Q2. Bobby Moore
N.B. For question two, Bobby Moore is also known as Robert Frederick Chelsea Moore.
The initial clues seem to place us in Dagenham, in Essex. According to some of the sources I checked , the name 'Dagenham', is possibly derived from 'Daeccanham', which in old English may mean 'ham or farm of a man called Daecca'. From reading some of his biographies, Five Elms Farm, Dagenham, was the birthplace c 22 January 1920, of a footballer called 'Alf Ramsey', who was capped 32 times for England.
The actor mentioned in the clues, is probably 'Dudley Moore' and some of his bios claim he was born c 19th April 1935 and attended 'Green Lane Junior School' and 'Dagenham County High School'. He did release a record called Goodbye-ee, with Peter Cook.
The housing estate is probably Becontree, which some references claim has twenty six thousand homes and was constructed between 1921 and 1935. Becontree is also thought to be derived from old English and means 'Tree of a man named Beohha'. A grocer born c 1898 and fifth of six children, is most likely Sir John Edward Cohen, founder of Tesco who opened his first stores in Becontree And Burnt Oak c 1931.
Travelling west from Dagenham would bring us to Barking and it is here, in the Quaker Burial ground that the prison reformer 'Elizabeth Fry' ( born c 1780), was buried. Barking Abbey appears to have been founded c 666 ad, by Saint Erkenwald (feast day 30th April ), with the first Abbess being Saint Ethelburga (feast day 11th October). Some of captain Cook's biographies claim that he was born c 1728 and was married in the nearby St Margaret's church c 21st Oct/21st December 1762.
The park where the author enjoyed a flask of tea, is probably Greatfields park, which lies South East of Barking Abbey and a few streets away from number forty three Waverly Gardens, where the footballer 'Bobby Moore' (born c 1941 ) was brought up. Moore was captain of the England football team on ninety occasions.
N.B. Due to the number of people who normally write poison pen letters in green ink posting on his page, the Eastender has moved to Moderated comments but rest assured, if you have a non abusive posting related to the puzzle and its solution, he will endeavour to publish them.
Saturday, 9 January 2016
Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition
Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be:
Q1. Colintraive
Q2. Loch Fad
N.B. For question one, some maps show the ferry route from Ardentraive to Rubodach but on checking the OS map, Ardentraive looks like it is up the hill a ways from where the ferry docks and the CalMac timetable shows the route as Colintraive to Rubodach.
The initial clues seem to place us at the hamlet of Colintraive, in a large wilderness area called Argyll and Bute. According to the Cal Mac timetable pages, their ferry runs from Colintraive across the Kyles of Bute, a distance of some three hundred and thirty yards, to Rhubodach, on the island of Bute. The Eastender is a big fan of Cal Mac, the traditional fried breakfasts they serve on their island hopping ferries are wonderful, just what you need to set you up for a days hiking (they do fish and chips on the evening trips) but you probably won't be able to sample them on this route, as it only takes five minutes to complete the crossing.
Bute, according to some of the sources I checked, is around twelve thousand, two hundred and seventeen hectares or thirty thousand, one hundred and eighty eight acres in area and is split by 'The Highland Boundary Fault', upon which sits the two mile long 'Loch Fad'. The fault runs from Arran, through Bute and thence in a north easterly direction, all the way to Stonehaven. It may still be active and a magnitude 1.4 earthquake was recorded In Argyll and Bute, as recently as the 29th November twenty fifteen.
The twenty five mile path the puzzle author is referring to is probably 'The West Island Way' and driving south east from Rubodach, would bring us to the town of Rothesay, where lie the magnificent Victorian toilets, which according to the blurb on their website, are 'World Class' and do seem to have twenty urinals.
Rothesay castle was built c 13th century and from the pictures I saw of it, does indeed have a circular curtain wall. The mansion that the writer describes, is probably 'Mount Stuart'. The Eastender has been in this house and was astonished by it, it is Victorian gothic in architectural style and castle like in size and has a marble hall decorated with priceless tapestries and a ceiling painted with astronomical themes and signs of the zodiac. The guy who built it (The Marquess of Bute) was once the richest man in Europe (he controlled the flow of coal through Cardiff docks and probably got a fee from every load that was processed through that facility).
N.B. Due to the number of people who normally write poison pen letters in green ink posting on his page, the Eastender has moved to moderated comments but rest assured, if you have a non abusive comment related to the puzzle and its solution, he will endeavour to publish it.
Q1. Colintraive
Q2. Loch Fad
N.B. For question one, some maps show the ferry route from Ardentraive to Rubodach but on checking the OS map, Ardentraive looks like it is up the hill a ways from where the ferry docks and the CalMac timetable shows the route as Colintraive to Rubodach.
The initial clues seem to place us at the hamlet of Colintraive, in a large wilderness area called Argyll and Bute. According to the Cal Mac timetable pages, their ferry runs from Colintraive across the Kyles of Bute, a distance of some three hundred and thirty yards, to Rhubodach, on the island of Bute. The Eastender is a big fan of Cal Mac, the traditional fried breakfasts they serve on their island hopping ferries are wonderful, just what you need to set you up for a days hiking (they do fish and chips on the evening trips) but you probably won't be able to sample them on this route, as it only takes five minutes to complete the crossing.
Bute, according to some of the sources I checked, is around twelve thousand, two hundred and seventeen hectares or thirty thousand, one hundred and eighty eight acres in area and is split by 'The Highland Boundary Fault', upon which sits the two mile long 'Loch Fad'. The fault runs from Arran, through Bute and thence in a north easterly direction, all the way to Stonehaven. It may still be active and a magnitude 1.4 earthquake was recorded In Argyll and Bute, as recently as the 29th November twenty fifteen.
The twenty five mile path the puzzle author is referring to is probably 'The West Island Way' and driving south east from Rubodach, would bring us to the town of Rothesay, where lie the magnificent Victorian toilets, which according to the blurb on their website, are 'World Class' and do seem to have twenty urinals.
Rothesay castle was built c 13th century and from the pictures I saw of it, does indeed have a circular curtain wall. The mansion that the writer describes, is probably 'Mount Stuart'. The Eastender has been in this house and was astonished by it, it is Victorian gothic in architectural style and castle like in size and has a marble hall decorated with priceless tapestries and a ceiling painted with astronomical themes and signs of the zodiac. The guy who built it (The Marquess of Bute) was once the richest man in Europe (he controlled the flow of coal through Cardiff docks and probably got a fee from every load that was processed through that facility).
N.B. Due to the number of people who normally write poison pen letters in green ink posting on his page, the Eastender has moved to moderated comments but rest assured, if you have a non abusive comment related to the puzzle and its solution, he will endeavour to publish it.
Saturday, 2 January 2016
Sunday Times Where Was I? Holiday Competition
Near as I can figure it, through the possibly flawed perceptual filters of my own reality tunnel, the most likely answers this week, seem to me to be:
Q1. Binsey
Q2. Bruern Abbey
The initial clues seem to place us at St Margaret's well, in the Village of Binsey, in the county of Oxfordshire. The well appears to have been used by Lewis Carroll as the model for a 'Treacle Well', in his book 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'. St Frideswide (Patron saint of Oxford, feast day 19th October) according to some of the sources I checked, is believed to have died at St Margaret's c AD 727 and allegedly cured many people, including her deranged stalker, a prince of Mercia who had been struck blind upon entering Oxford, probably using 'treacle' (where treacle back in the day meant a healing ointment) made from the water drawn at the holy well.
A poet who wrote about trees being felled at Binsey, was probably 'Gerard Manley Hopkins' (b 1844). He appears to have been some sort of proto environmentalist and wrote about the destruction of the aspens at Binsey, in a work called 'Binsey Poplars', where an aspen tree is a type of poplar:
"My aspens dear, whose airy cages quelled,
Quelled or quenched in leaves the leaping sun,
All felled, felled, are felled"
The railway most likely follows the course of the old Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton line, which tracks the river Evenlode. A historian who mentions this river and who judging from his overly verbose prose was probably a fan of the writer Pliny the Younger, was William Camden (born c 1551). He penned the lines 'Evenlode passeth by no memorable thing else but la Bruer, now Bruern, sometime an Abbay of white monkes'.
The author of a work called 'Sculptura', was a polymath called 'John Evelyn', he designed many gardens but I was not able to locate a sixteenth century country house whose garden he designed, North west of Fawler Station, which is a few minutes before the stop at Charlbury, where the author 'David Halliwell', who wrote 'Little Malcolm and his Struggle with the Eunochs' lived.
A few miles along the line after Charlbury, lies the village of 'Ascott Under Wychwood'
which is where 'Ascot D'Oilly' castle ( c 12th century),once stood.
Bruern Abbey, from some of the sources I looked at, does seem to have been founded c 1147 by Nicolas Basset and was dissolved c 1536. From checking the map, it appears to be situated close to a level crossing.
N.B. Due to the number of people who normally write poison pen letters in green ink posting on his page, the Eastender has moved to moderated comments but rest assured if you have a non abusive comment relating to the puzzle and its solution, he will endeavour to publish it.
Q1. Binsey
Q2. Bruern Abbey
The initial clues seem to place us at St Margaret's well, in the Village of Binsey, in the county of Oxfordshire. The well appears to have been used by Lewis Carroll as the model for a 'Treacle Well', in his book 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'. St Frideswide (Patron saint of Oxford, feast day 19th October) according to some of the sources I checked, is believed to have died at St Margaret's c AD 727 and allegedly cured many people, including her deranged stalker, a prince of Mercia who had been struck blind upon entering Oxford, probably using 'treacle' (where treacle back in the day meant a healing ointment) made from the water drawn at the holy well.
A poet who wrote about trees being felled at Binsey, was probably 'Gerard Manley Hopkins' (b 1844). He appears to have been some sort of proto environmentalist and wrote about the destruction of the aspens at Binsey, in a work called 'Binsey Poplars', where an aspen tree is a type of poplar:
"My aspens dear, whose airy cages quelled,
Quelled or quenched in leaves the leaping sun,
All felled, felled, are felled"
The railway most likely follows the course of the old Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton line, which tracks the river Evenlode. A historian who mentions this river and who judging from his overly verbose prose was probably a fan of the writer Pliny the Younger, was William Camden (born c 1551). He penned the lines 'Evenlode passeth by no memorable thing else but la Bruer, now Bruern, sometime an Abbay of white monkes'.
The author of a work called 'Sculptura', was a polymath called 'John Evelyn', he designed many gardens but I was not able to locate a sixteenth century country house whose garden he designed, North west of Fawler Station, which is a few minutes before the stop at Charlbury, where the author 'David Halliwell', who wrote 'Little Malcolm and his Struggle with the Eunochs' lived.
A few miles along the line after Charlbury, lies the village of 'Ascott Under Wychwood'
which is where 'Ascot D'Oilly' castle ( c 12th century),once stood.
Bruern Abbey, from some of the sources I looked at, does seem to have been founded c 1147 by Nicolas Basset and was dissolved c 1536. From checking the map, it appears to be situated close to a level crossing.
N.B. Due to the number of people who normally write poison pen letters in green ink posting on his page, the Eastender has moved to moderated comments but rest assured if you have a non abusive comment relating to the puzzle and its solution, he will endeavour to publish it.
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