#wraysbury

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Crazy-ornate country house in Wraysbury, Staines-Upon-Thames, Berkshire, UK looks more like a castle than a castle. 7bds, 6ba, £3M/ $3.718.

This looks like an entrance with spiral stairs for the 2nd level and on the left, the entrance to the main floor.

Look at this brick work and the ornate woodwork on the ceiling.

I can't get over all this masonry and millwork and it's only $3M. Look at the fresco in the ceiling, too. The fireplaces in this home are magnificent.

This is the largest Inglenook I've ever seen. Look at the ceiling, it's like a giant framed painting.

The everyday dining area between the living room and kitchen.

Look at the kitchen cabinetry. Slap some black paint on them and you got some gothic showpiece. I know one thing, I'm not feelin' the lime green and yellow. I think it cheapens the look. Reminds of those retro disco colors from the 70s.

Formal dining room is very light and has a wall of beautiful windows and doors to the garden. Looks like a newer addition.

Check out the formal living room. Look at all the columns.

Beautiful stairs in the center of the home.

Yowzer! This primary bedroom is amazing. Look at the mural on that curved wall.

Updated bath.

Modernized secondary bedroom has a lovely skylight. Looks like a hotel.

Now, this is a courtyard.

The gardens are stunning. That looks like a little chapel back there on the left.

This newer addition looks like a Japanese garden.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

By Connor McGovern

16 October 2023

We’ve a lot to thank the trees for. Other than their vital role in the ecosystem, they’ve played an important part in mythology, agriculture, industry, and medicine since humans first walked the Earth.

Remarkably, a good number of the UK's most ancient trees — most of them yews and oaks — still stand today as living, breathing witnesses to centuries of British history.

We take a look at some of the UK’s most fabled trees — and the intriguing stories that surround them.

1. Ankerwycke Yew, Berkshire

Yews are guardians of churchyards throughout Britain. Many represent the oldest and most storied tree specimens.

Few are more spectacular than the Ankerwycke Yew, in the village of Wraysbury, near Staines-upon-Thames.

Measuring 26ft in diameter, it’s a botanical behemoth that’s believed to be around 2,500 years old, making it one of the oldest trees in Britain.

It long outlived the now-ruined St Mary’s Priory, a Benedictine nunnery whose grounds it stood in, and some even believe it to be the true site of the signing of Magna Carta in 1215, rather than Runnymede on the other side of the river.

Its intrigue doesn’t end there — it’s also alleged to stand on the spot where Henry VIII wooed a young Anne Boleyn. If only trees could talk.

2. Isaac Newton’s apple tree, Lincolnshire

Numerous trees are cited as being the very one that inspired the young physicist to investigate the theory of gravity.

But the apple tree in the grounds of Woolsthorpe Manor, near Grantham, has arguably the greatest right to this claim, with a scion planted (and still growing) at Trinity College Cambridge, where Newton once studied.

While the apple story is probably the stuff of scientific myth, it’s almost certain that Newton would’ve been familiar with the tree — which today is at least 350 years old — as it’s the area in which he was born and raised.

The county is also home to another of the country’s stalwarts: the Bowthorpe Oak, reputedly the UK’s girthiest oak, with a hollowed-out trunk so wide that it’s said to have hosted the Earl of Bowthorpe’s parties.

3. The Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Tree, Dorset

Beneath the boughs of a 350-year-old sycamore in the village of Tolpuddle, a small group of agricultural workers gathered in 1833 to lament their poor working conditions and paltry wages — only to be arrested, tried, and sentenced to penal transportation in Australia for seven years.

The six men became known as the Tolpuddle Martyrs, and after much public outcry, they were pardoned and returned to England.

Their cause was a key step in the workers’ rights and unionist movements. It is remembered in the annual Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival; a memorial plaque sits beside this great tree.

4. Fortingall Yew, Perthshire

Widely believed to be one of the oldest living trees in the UK (and indeed in Europe), the Fortingall Yew spills over its walled enclosure in a village churchyard like a great shower of dark green needles.

Some experts estimate the tree to be the ripe old age of 3,000, which would make it date as far back as the Bronze Age — some 1,000 years before the Romans had even come up with the name ‘Caledonia’ for Scotland.

The sheer age of the tree means that over time, the trunk has split that it now resembles several smaller yews, rather than one sole, mighty plant.

The future of the Fortingall Yew, however, is precarious, with souvenir-seekers stealing needles and branches, and so compromising its health.

Ongoing conservation efforts that preserve the tree’s DNA by planting saplings in other Scottish churchyards will be key to maintaining its history.

5. Spanish chestnut trees, Herefordshire

Of all the ancient trees at Croft Castle, near Leominster (including the 1,000-year-old Quarry Oak), most noteworthy are perhaps the huge Spanish chestnuts.

Planted in one grand avenue, their origins are believed to hark back to the battle with the Spanish Armada in 1588, when chestnuts were salvaged from the wreckages and planted here at Croft.

In fact, the planting arrangement is said to represent a flotilla when viewed from above.

But it’s at ground level that the trees truly amaze, as they’re almost fantasy-like in their size and contortion.

Take time to admire the gnarled, grotesque trunks and the twisted branches reaching towards the sky.

6. The Chained Oak, Staffordshire

This old oak in scenic Dimmingsdale is now bound in rusty chains.

Local legend has it that in the early 1800s, the Earl of Shrewsbury was accosted by a beggar as he was passing by.

He snubbed the old woman, and in retaliation, she placed a curse on his family that held that every time a branch fell from the oak tree a member of the Earl’s family would die.

That night during a storm, one of the branches fell from the tree and — lo and behold — a relative of the Earl died.

Seized by paranoia, he chained up all the branches to prevent any more falling from the oak.

Even today, as you approach the tree through the thick woodland, there’s a mysterious air to this gnarled old giant.

Just moments away at Alton Towers, the legend is the inspiration for Hex — a psychological hair-raiser of a ride set within the Alton Towers building itself.

[devouringyourson]

nothing prepared me for the insanity of this house design then the floor plan took me out 💀 guys we gotta crowd fund this

[warrenproperty]

Windsor & Eton Riverside Introduces Contactless Pay-As-You-Go System

Commuters will soon have the convenience of using a contactless pay-as-you-go system at three railway stations in the area. Starting Sunday, September 22, pay-as-you-go with contactless will be available at 12 additional South Western Railway (SWR) suburban stations, including Windsor & Eton Riverside, Datchet, and Wraysbury. This expanded service will allow customers to travel seamlessly between…

[petec9099]

A rare visitor

Smew (m). Photo by Keith. London Wetland Centre Wildfowl Collection Jan 2024 This is a picture of a male Smew in the collection at London Wetland Centre, which Keith took on our recent visit. Seeing it highlighted that it is now a rare visitor to England, compared to twenty years ago. Then there were regular sites in the London area where you could see them – Wraysbury springs to mind. Females,…

[viafrantica]

Late afternoon at Ankerwycke Priory ruins, Wraysbury, Berkshire, England

[feathertailedcentipede]

fuck off I have the "hp" tag blocked cus course I do I do not care for that book series but it means a good chunk of the posts from retro computer blogs I follow get blocked because they're made by the company HP & tagged as such. war & hate on planet venus or Wraysbury. What the fuck is that word. I meant to type whatever.

[windsorfiresec]

A recent Intruder Alarm upgrade installation in Wraysbury with App control and push notifications. No mess, No Fuss. Call 01753 415786 for your free quotation. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cio8fB2KWzV/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[cycles-seasons]

One January morning at dawn

[travellianna]

#beautiful #wraysbury #staines #england #magnacarta #writinwater #whereintheworldislianna (at Writ In Water) https://www.instagram.com/p/CcK-71vD7Ss/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[myfairynuffstuff]

Christopher Sanders (1905 - 1991) - River at Wraysbury. Oil on canvas.

[tralulauksworld]

Sign up to our newsletter for regular updates on stock availability and new items. Visit us at www.tralula.co.uk

[fmwwi-blog]

It's very important to know the neighbor next door and the people down the street and the people in another race. #wraysbury #streetstyle #oldwinsor #landscape #landscapephotography #streetphotography #heritage #architecture #architecturephotography #love #hdr #hdrphoto #hdr_country #hdr_reward #hdr_perfection #smile#happy #nature#naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #nature #naturephotography #cataluña #photooftheday #photo #photoofday #fashion #fashionblogger #unitedkingdom (at Wraysbury) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6FK8y9g9Y8/?igshid=11i4uc35gc43o

[gooseandberry]

Beyond excited to announce we have been appointed as preferred Caterers at the stunning Amber Lakes! A beautiful venue set within 450 acres of stunning grounds and surrounded by 120 acres of lakes, Amber Lakes is an exquisite backdrop for your event. Contact our team to find out more about hosting your event at this unique location hello@gooseandberry.co.uk • • • #amberlakes #wraysbury #weddingvenue #corporatevenue #weddingvenueengland #countryestate #weddings2020 #catering #caterers #gooseandberry #morethancaterers #weddinginspo #corporateevents #staines #beautifuluk #weddingplannerlondon #preferredsuppliers #maidenheadcatering #windsorcateters #marlowcaterers #brandpartners #stylishvenues #luxury #luxe #lakes #lakesofengland #scenic #scenicevents #eventprofs (at Amber Lakes) https://www.instagram.com/p/ByYUc5tBwmB/?igshid=1ma2w8ynwnta1

[reedscentral]

Reeds Central - Car specialists, all makes & models -servicing, MOTs & Car Repairing & Services, Mini Bus Transfer, General haulage & MOT station Wraysbury.

[dylanjohnsonstuff]

If you Looking for Interior Cleaning Services in Wraysbury. Then contact Every Little Helps Interior and Exterior Cleaning Services. They Serving the Slough areas for the past 10 years. They aim to provide a whole lot more than the regular cleaning package you might expect.