I don't know about you but I never expect a great deal when I visit museums. Over the years we have seen loads and often they are a disgrace. They have on occasion reduced us to fits of laughter with the sheer embarrassment. We went to one (the name escapes me) which was filthy and the Heartbeat Museum in Whitby was awful.
On the Wednesday of our holiday we decided that due to the appalling weather we would moor up and take a walk up to the Victorian tearooms at Shackerstone railway station. This is just off the Ashby canal and takes about ten minutes to walk to. We had heard that they now opened on a Wednesday. I love this place.
Whilst there we bought train tickets to Shenton. This is where the visitor centre is.
There is a short up hill walk to get there but at least it was dry.
There was a beautiful monument to Richard III, King Henry and Lord Stanley. It was paved in a circle with red and white roses planted in sections to depict the War of the Roses theme.
The museum was well laid out and all the life size models were immaculate, not a speck of dust anywhere.
This was an actual skeleton of someone who had died in battle. There were little buttons to press which lit up the several wounds that this poor man had received over the years. The one in his thigh had finished him off.
Originally this stone was situated in a field in Shenton village where it was said that Richard III had been killed. However following the recent find of several relics elsewhere they have been able to prove that he did not in fact die there. We had visited the stone where it had been and felt quite sad that it no longer had a proper resting place.
We spent a lovely afternoon learning lots about our history and had a very cosy train journey back to the boat.
I know exacyly what you mean about some museums.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a great day out.