ENGLAND PART 1

We had the most fabulous time in England. We rented a car and drove all over. We got there on Wednesday morning early and set off towards Canterbury. On the way we went to Leeds Castle. This was my first time going to a real castle and I LOVED it. Leeds is completely surrounded by a lake and it made it seem magical.



Our little family enjoying our first day together in England.

The next day we headed to Canterbury Cathedral. I was completely taken back by how beautiful this Cathedral was.

This is the site where Thomas Becket was killed in the cathedral by King Henry II's cronies. Sterling Henry's stroller reflected big time by the flash. (Try not to hurt your eyes!)

The stained glass windows in the Cathedral were amazing.


After the Canterbury Cathedral, we saw St. Martin's Church, which is the oldest church in England dating back to the Roman period.

That night we headed to Dover and walked the white cliffs. They were amazing. The view was so beautiful.


The next day we went to Dover Castle. Dover is right on the coast so it was very fortified. It had more of a wartime castle feel. This was the chapel which had been built inside. I love the idea of each castle having its own chapel. It really makes it feel like a little city. We also loved the history of the place. The church here dated back to the Saxon period, being built around 1000 A.D. The light house next to the church was built by the Romans who would light fires in the top to guide ships to the harbor.

The view was beautiful with it being right on the coast.

Next we stopped by Deal Castle and snapped this pic.


The next day we went to Hastings to see where the Battle of Hasting had taken place. The audio tour was very good. We walked around the entire battlefield.


This is Battle Abbey. It was built by William the Conqueror on the site of his victory.


After Hastings, we headed to Brighton. Brighton was one of the cities that I was really excited to go to. It was different than I imagined but very fun. We went to the pier and walked around. It is a huge resort area so there was great people watching.


The Royal Pavilion was right down the street.


After Brighton we went to Petworth, which is a big mansion home. It was too late to tour the house but the gardens were beautiful.


There was a big lake behind it where there were lots of geese. Sterling Henry really liked the geese. He has never been so close to birds. I love this picture of my two cute boys!

That is Part 1. Stay tuned for the rest. Sterling is in Texas for the BYU game so I have nothing to do but watch my adorable baby, clean, and blog!