Julian Humphrys

On this day in 1338 French and Genoese raiders launched a surprise and highly destructive attack on Southampton. At the time there were no defensive walls on the dockside, making it easy for the attackers to get into the town. These impressive fortifications were built following the raid.

Big fan of the lion. I wonder where the bay window came from.

Played my last ever match there, for English Heritage v the National Trust. My contribution: 0 runs, 0 wickets, 1 dropped catch.

I'm writing about Tudor Cambridge for a special edition of Tudor Places magazine. Here's the gatehouse vault of St John's College. It commemorates its foundress, Margaret Beaufort with her portcullis badge, marguerites (a play on her name) & forget-me-nots (a play on her 'souvent me souvient' motto)

I absolutely love guiding round the Great Tower of Warkworth Castle in Northumberland. What might first appear to be a confusing maze of rooms, passages and staircases is in fact a carefully thought out layout designed to allow the household to function as efficiently as possible. #castles

Where better to eat a slice of simnel cake than on Piel Island, Cumbria, scene of a landing in 1487 by a certain Yorkist pretender to the throne?

The castle there's well worth a visit, even though you have to take a boat to get to it.

#lambertsimnel

19 April 1775

'OK, chaps. We'll just nip over to Concord and seize a few weapons. Nobody will do anything about it and it'll all be forgotten in a couple of weeks.'
To find out what really happened, check out my article on the HistoryExtra website

www.historyextra.com/period/georg...

Looking forward to speaking on this in my home town!

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-battle...

Just back from a great reunion at Emmanuel College Cambridge. The college chapel was certainly looking its best for the event.

#cambridge #christopherwren

Stunning views from the roofs of the great tower of Dover Castle & the bell tower of St Peter's Church in Sandwich. We visit both (plus Winchelsea, New Romney & Rye) on the Dover and the Cinque Ports tour I'm leading on 9-11 July. See www.traveleditions.co.uk for details

February 1945. Operation Veritable. No comment. 🙁 #WW2 #HISTORY

There was just enough time yesterday for a stroll round old Southampton before the inevitable disappointment of watching the city's football team. That's St Michael's Church in the background.

#southampton #historichampshire

I was travelling between Falaise and Caen yesterday and there was a monumental hailstorm.

On the way home from leading a tour to Normandy. Our trip to Caen included a visit to the Abbaye aux Dames. Its foundress, Matilda of Flanders, Queen of England and wife of William the Conqueror, is buried in the church.

#Caen

Many thanks for this. I think I need to make more of Tostig's links through Judith with William's ally Flanders in my discussions of the events of 1066.

@thejazzemu.bsky.social Loved the sock love-in in Guildford last night. Imagine my joy this morning when I was scrolling through your YouTube videos and this advert cropped up

Great St Mary's Church, Cambridge. In 1506 Henry VII donated 100 oak trees to build its roof. But it later transpired the trees weren't his to give as the estate they came from actually belonged to the Abbot of Westminster and Henry was obliged to write him a letter of apology.

Get round to the back of the church and channel your inner Tolkein

16 Feb 1646. Parliamentarians defeat Royalists at Great Torrington, Devon. Its church, which was being used as a powder store, was damaged by an explosion at the end of the battle; it was largely rebuilt 5 years later.

NB The date is Old Style, with the new year beginning at the end of March

#otd

Visited Winchester Cathedral yesterday. Here's the memorial there to Sir George Prevost who defended Canada against US aggression during the War of 1812.

#winchestercathedral #monuments #warof1812 #canada

Memorial stone outside Winchester Cathedral to Thomas Thetcher of the North Hants Militia. The inscription says:

'Here sleeps in peace a Hampshire Grenadier
Who caught his death by drinking cold small beer
Soldiers be wise by his untimely fall
And when ye're hot drink strong or none at all'

Just getting in the mood to record my contribution to the Wars of the Roses Online History Festival, 21-23 March. For more info and tickets see:

warsoftheroses.eventbrite.co.uk

#warsoftheroses

The sun is shining so brightly through the windows of King's College Chapel, it's projecting their pictures onto the opposite wall.

##stainedglass #cambridge #kingscollegechapel

Might I be so bold to suggest you download the 'Quirky Cambridge' audio tour I recorded for @guidltours.bsky.social
It takes you from the Fitzwilliam up towards Kettle's Yard and might well be a pleasant way to pass an hour or so.

Site of the last 'battle' on English soil between members of opposing armed forces, fought on 27 Sept 1940 when men of the London Irish Rifles who were billetted in the Sportsman pub, nr Whitstable, exchanged fire with the crew of a German Ju-88 which had crash landed nearby on Graveney Marsh.

I'm currently working on a special issue of Tudor Places magazine focussing on Tudor Cambridge, and today I've been looking at Gonville and Caius College. This is the remarkable 16th century Gate of Honour which its students pass through on their way to graduate.

I rather like the variations in the spellings of the royal motto at Hampton Court Palace. We have the traditional 'Dieu et mon droit' but we also have 'Deo et mun droit' and, my absolute favorite, ' Deo et mun drit'

#tudors #hamptoncourtpalace #heraldry #motto

Some blue sky for @bsky.app. Taking advantage of the break in the weather and having a wander round Hampton Court Palace. Here are some standard shots. Some quirkier stuff will follow...

#tudors #hamptoncourtpalace #blueskythinking #brick

Tucked away in a corner of Holy Trinity Church in Guildford is the slightly disturbing tomb of Archbishop of Canterbury George Abbot. In 1621 Abbot found himself at the centre of some controversy when he accidentally shot dead a gamekeeper with his crossbow while out hunting.

The Church of St John the Baptist, Cirencester.

On 6 January 1400 three not-so-wise men, the earls of Salisbury, Kent, and baron Lumley were seized in the town by the locals following the failure of their Epiphany Rising against King Henry IV and were quickly put to death.

#Epiphany