Is there no end to the wonders of east Northamptonshire ?
Posh schools, Scottish enclaves, world conker championships (pre-Covid), and pubs called Duke.
There’s also a little place called Polopit, right next to Titchmarsh. I thought I’d go and explore for no reason whatsoever.
As ever, Polopit is best seen from my drone, which would otherwise have been carrying essential supplies of bottled Doom Bar to Paisley.
Polopit will soon be the only place in the UK you can go on holiday, and you’ll have to learn to love the simple pressure of the rolling hills around Titchmarsh Castle, which would be as famous as Fotheringay if anyone famous had ever stayed there.
“Titchmarsh Castle was in fact a fortified manor house with a moat. Sir John Lovel received a licence to crenellate it in 1304[4] but it was in ruins by 1363.“
The usual golden stone and a beaut of a church,
protected by a stray cow,
and The Two Sheep of the Apocalypse.
20 years ago the 511 souls had TWO pubs, but the Dog & Partridge was closed by Wells and barely a sign remains, leaving the Wheatsheaf to fight over gentlefolk diners/mums and toddlers/ticker trade.
Northants is best explored in Autumn, but pubs are best explored without Covid forcing you to SIT DOWN IMMEDIATELY.
Anyway, you’ll get the picture.
My notes read “Cute Indie”, which I think means Hozier.
No-one about, not even a Landlord to attempt conversation with. I’m not the best company for myself.
Clearly life in Gastroland starts at 6pm (“table for 2 for Montague”), and at 5pm we had only the drama of a son coming down to announce he’d finished his homework. At 5 o’clock. Keenie, as we say in Waterbeach.
Sometimes the beer IS the most memorable thing, and the Nene Valley Bitter from up the road was a cool, dry, yummie NBSS 3.5+. Those lacings tell a tale as much as the story board outside Titchmarsh Castle.
And just as the signs outside the loos tell a tale about the year of our Lord 2020.
retiredmartin 
Your access to the church was Baa’d!…
Do you think they put ‘Pub & Kitchen’ on the signage to put us off? It puts me off for sure.
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Almost as much as “Dining and Rooms”.
You know what you’re getting, just as you do with the Kettering estate pub.
Beer was terrific though, and I told the Landlord as much when I left.
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‘…& Ball Pit’ is the real killer for me.
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Ha !
Between 2001 and 2005 those were the pubs I sought out, till an “incident” at the Brewsters in Beckton put an end to family fun.
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Mark,
Not far from me there’s more Pit Bulls than Ball Pits.
No proper pits though.
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Some of the sugar-rushing little gits I’ve seen in the ball pit, I’ll take my chances with a Pitbull any day 😂
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I don’t think a fortified manor house with a moat is a proper castle.
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The only real “Castle” is a pub with that name.
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I’d bring back Crenellation Licences in a flash, requiring annual renewal for a tidy sum.
Cat Licences would be a good idea too.
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Yes, crenellation licences, and a substantial garderobe tax. We’ve got to pay for Rishi’s handouts somehow.
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Etu,
Bring back the Window Tax and a Salt Tax, that’s what I say.
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👍
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You’re going to have to become very creative in the next few months in finding COVID friendly disposal methods for unpalatable halves.
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I might have to drink them ;-0
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And now you’ve promised to go onto pints…….
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Terrific lacings 👏👏is there also a village called Thrower named after Percy?
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Sounds like a hamlet in east Lincs, doesn’t it ?
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There’s also a (Ben) Chilwell in Nottingham…there’s got to be a post in you of hamlets/villages visited with surnames of TV/sports stars…
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Its neighbour, Attenborough is of note too.
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…although he’s a victim of right wing Cancel Culture these days.
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Is he?
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Etu,
A while ago I switched on the television and of dozens of channels there were only two I might consider watching, one with David about wildlife and the other with Richard in an old film.
Of three brothers ‘two out of three ain’t bad’.
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Aye, I don’t think that anyone has a special grudge against the late Richard, now that you mention him, Paul.
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“TITCHMARSH LACINGS SPECTACULAR”
I’ll say! Oh, wait… are we talking about the fancy bits at the top of a bustier? 😉
Also, if Frodo and Samwise had had to have travelled through THAT kind of a marsh, I’m sure they would have just said ‘sod it’ and stayed there. 🙂
Ok, with that out to the way…
“There’s also a little place called Polopit, right next to Titchmarsh.”
Even I can’t find a way to link those two together.
“As ever, Polopit is best seen from my drone,”
Blimey. Just let it drone on!
“and you’ll have to learn to love the simple pressure of the rolling hills around Titchmarsh Castle, ”
Sorry but, ‘rolling hills’ and Titchmarsh; I can’t help but snicker. 🙂
” Sir John Lovel received a licence to crenellate it in 1304[4]”
That’s something to do with the fancy bits again at the top of a bustier?
“but it was in ruins by 1363”
‘Droopers’ I believe is the proper term.
“and The Two Sheep of the Apocalypse.”
I take it the four horsemen are quarantined due to Covid?
“which I think means Hozier.”
Hozier refers to legs. Titchmarsh refers to the bustier bits.
“Those lacings tell a tale as much as the story board outside Titchmarsh Castle.”
Argh! I read ‘board’ as ‘broad’.
I think it’s time to call it a day on this one. 🙂
Cheers
And with that I shall cease for now. Had to get this one in as I promised that yesterday. Sadly I’m starting to build up a bit of a backlog (posting wise; nought to do with bowel movements). 😉
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Sorry to get you so excited, Russ.
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