Wheathampstead Heritage Trail

Today I decided to walk parts of the Wheathampstead Heritage Trail and thought I would share some of my photos.

Devil's Dyke

I started with Devil's Dyke, which is an ancient defensive earthwork from Celtic times.

This is said to be where Julius Caesar defeated Cassivellaunus in 54 BC.It may have served as a place of refuge for the Catuvellauni tribe in times of unrest.

The name Devil's Dyke comes from the idea that only the Devil could have dug such a large ditch.


Wheathampstead Station

The station opened in 1860 and changed the lives of the inhabitants of Wheathampstead for more than a century.

New opportunities were opened up, and goods could be much more easily transported with cargo including: elephant dung, which was delivered from London Zoo, and fresh fish transported from the coast.

As well as allowing people to take trips, with the most famous regular train user being George Bernard Shaw.

Finally I walked past the Crinkle Crankle Walls, a Victorian feature that once enclosed the rectory orchard, and St Helen's Church, one of Wheathampstead's most distinguished buildings which has some sections dating back to the Saxons.

Crinkle Crankle walls were generally aligned east to west so that one side faced south to catch the warming sun, and were used to grow fruit.

Devil's Dyke

Wheathampstead Station

Book Review - I Escaped From Auschwitz by Rudolph Vrba

I first read this book in my second year of University, while researching for an essay about Nazi Germany. Since then I have read a number of memoirs/auto-biographies about Auschwitz but none have been as informative and gripping as Vrba's account. 

The book tells of his life before, during, and after Auschwitz. You are taken from his youthful days in Slovakia, through his internment in the concentration camps, to his escape with Alfred Wetzler, where they managed to inform the world of what was happening. This book provides an accurate account of their experiences, which was unfortunately used too late to save many thousands of Hungarians, but nevertheless helped countless others. 

The writing is engaging throughout, and I truly learned a lot from reading Vrba's account. Filled with the horrors and sufferings that were forced onto so many, it is surprising to find his sense of humour alive throughout the book.

Personally I think that everyone, with any interest in the trials of humanity, should read this book.

Historical Fiction

Battle and warfare has always interested me and I love my archery, but since watching the Vikings TV show I have been drawn into this particular period of history. I don't believe everything I watch but I do think these series are a brilliant way to get people interested, whether they go on to do more research or not.
I do find it annoying when some people watch a TV series or read a book and believe it to be fact, but on the whole I think it makes people want to learn. Some people will say they find history boring or too difficult to remember all the facts and dates, then they watch one of these shows and they're interested. A lot of people just see history as what they had to learn in school and don't realise that it doesn't all have to be dates and learning a list of names etc.
I also really love Bernard Cornwell's book's. I started with The Grail Quest series as it about English archers and have since read The Warlord Chronicles. Both of these series were excellent and I feel like I learnt alot, not because I believe them to be fact but because it gave me a starting point for my research. Whenever I read about something interesting I thought to myself "I wander if that actually happened", and found out for myself. I can't wait to get started on The Warrior Chronicles next.


 

100 Years On

This year marks 100 years since the beginning of the First World War, and November in particular is a time of remembrance. Tomorrow, 11th November, people all across the United Kingdom will remember the men and women who gave their lives in the two World Wars, and conflicts since then.

The installation, Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, at the Tower of London, marks the first full day of Britain's involvement in the First World War. You can read more about this remarkable piece of art by following the link below.

http://poppies.hrp.org.uk/

 Poppies have become symbolic for remembrance after they grew all across battlefields in Flanders, with their red colour signifying the blood spilled. This idea can be seen in Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae's poem In Flanders Fields:

 In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead: Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved: and now we lie
In Flanders fields!
Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you, from failing hands, we throw
The torch: be yours to hold it high
If ye break faith with us who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields

Introduction

I have started this blog as I am passionate about History and wanted a place that I could share my interests. I will write about a range of different topics depending on what I have been researching at the time, and will recommend any books, articles, etc. that I have found useful or enjoyable. If you have any questions or comments then feel free to contact me.

email: fieldsofhistory@gmail.com

twitter: @FieldsofHistory