Sunday, December 31, 2006

Chester - the races and half-timbers

On the way back from Wales - Chester, England, on race day. Hats like pictures of Ascot. Very very. See www.bwpics.co.uk/races.

Parking. We parked fast so we could get out and enjoy, and noted we were near half-timbered buildings. Like this. However, the whole town - it seems - is half-timber. Moral: take a photo of where you are, if you have a digital camera. Or, write down the cross streets and main buildings every time. Every time. The history of Chester and virtual tours are at www.bwpics.co.uk/chesterintro.

Here is the history of half-timber construction in England. www.britainexpress.com/History/half-timber. With an abundance of oak at the time, many of these buildings survive. They are usually made of squared-off or split lumber. The site compare this resource to Romania and other countries where there was not as much hard wood - they use more whole logs. That is a good site for overall British culture and history.

We did not know if its haunted history at the time. Go ahead. See www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=Chester+England&btnG=Search.

Chester is in the Domesday Book, ordered in 1085 by William the Conqueror, or William I. See www.domesdaybook.co.uk/; and www.bwpics.co.uk/quotes/domesday. More about William (he won at the Battle of Hastings, among other glories, see www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page18.asp, and is buried back in Normandy, at Caen, see France Road Ways.

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