Questers’ Walking Tour of Salisbury

This was another very successful sell-out visit for the Questers Group, who once again enjoyed hearing our Blue Badge Guide David Richards share some of his comprehensive knowledge about the city he so clearly loves. This new tour was entitled ‘Wizards, Witches and Wiltshire Folklore’ and explored the history of each of these subjects, commencing from the very start of the city construction around 1220, with the cathedral following on a year later utilising stone originating from the old Norman building at Old Sarum.

The Bishops had complete control within the confines of the new city, and it was no surprise to learn that severity of life varied over the years according to which Bishop held office. There was common belief in the supernatural combined with sorcery and witchcraft which culminated during the 16th and 17th centuries with the hanging of 5 so called witches. Many lesser sentences were handed out at the same period with up to 3 days in the pillory, which was a far more unpleasant experience than many imagine, and often resulting in broken bones from heavy stoning. The courts also issued many lashing sentences. We passed by some of the places where the ‘witches’ lived and the sites of long gone courts.

Because perceived medical wisdom was limited to activities which were painful, ineffective and expensive; local knowledge of herbal remedies became increasingly valuable and if a person lived long enough, they gained more knowledge of these remedies. Therefore it is not surprising that the church sometimes felt threatened by these practitioners and did nothing to prevent their persecution.

Some old and often incredible beliefs and wise sayings were explained which gave us some idea of the darker side of medieval life and which forms the basis for some folklore, no doubt still repeated in the more remote areas of the county. There are many ley lines in the area, and close to the cathedral we passed over one. To prove it, David produced a couple of dowsing rods and we watched them twitch and converge at the line. Having watched him, we were given the opportunity of trying a little dowsing for ourselves, and most of us succeeded! David Rogers was in his usual sparkling form and he provided a most entertaining and informative illustrated walk. The visit ended with an enjoyable snack at a nearby pub.
Norma Bryan

Questers’ Visit to Bombay Sapphire Distillery

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On the last day of March a small group of Questers met at the Bombay Sapphire distillery at Laverstoke on the site of a mill noted in the Domesday book. We were met by our knowledgeable guide who gave us a brief history of the large site and how many of the old buildings had been adapted for modern use. For 200 years this complex of brick buildings was owned by the Portals paper making business who produced bank notes for the British Empire and was subsequently sold to De La Rue who ceased production in 2018.
We were invited to make up our own G & T mix with plenty of ice and take a seat in the comfortable cinema to learn more about the distilling process.

Dodging the sleet squalls, our guide took us into the glasshouses where some of the herbs and spices used in the distilling process are grown, the remainder coming from selected growers around the world.

We then had our opportunity of seeing and smelling the 10 “botanicals” with an explanation of how it is the vapour from the botanicals that makes the gin lighter and different from other varieties. The cost and noise of having a bottling plant at the Laverstoke site means the concentrated spirit is transported by road to Glasgow where the alcohol content is reduced before it is bottled in the distinctive blue rectangular bottles. In 1998 Bombay distillery was acquired by Bacardi and since then the visitor centre and other improvements have been made

 

Questers’ Visit to Southampton

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On 21st October, ​14 Questers met on a bright late autumn day at the Tudor house in Southampton. Our guide, a knowledgeable historian, led us a fascinating 1.1/2 hour walk around the Old Town. Originating in Roman times and much expanded by the Normans, Southampton became an important gateway for commerce. Most of the produce in medieval England was the export of wool to the continent and its re-import as clothing and the import of wine.

We visited two of the existing wine vaults, one under a modern block of flats, our guide pointed out a small exit tunnel at the back of the vaults which was excavated during the 2nd world war as an escape when the vaults were used as air raid shelters.

The Old Town walls enclosed medieval Southampton and much of the land to the South including West Quay and the docks was reclaimed over the centuries. We learned the history of several more old buildings before ending with a walk around the Tudor house and the 800 year old garden.