Back and Forth Across the Pond

I learned about the Shell Grotto when I was first investigating days out in Kent. Its description reminded me a bit of those oddity sites along Route 66 and other American byways, like the World's Largest Ball of Twine and the Cadillac grave yard. It's something quirky and not your typical tourist attraction. The story goes that in 1835, James Newlove discovered a subterranean passageway on his property in Margate that was covered in an elaborate mosaic made from sea shells. He opened the Shell Grotto to the public in 1838. No one knows the origins of the grotto. Some speculate that it is an ancient pagan temple. Others think it was the meeting place of some secret cult. No one even knows how old it is! What is known is that the Shell Grotto is comprised of seventy feet of winding passages that lead to a large rectangular room. It totals more than 2000 square feet and the mosaic includes over 4.6 million shells. We visited the grotto after we grabbed a simple but tasty lunch in...

As I mentioned in my Canterbury blog, Steve and I went exploring on that Monday. After we left Canterbury, we headed to the seaside villages on the isle of Thanet. From there we drove along the coast.  Here is a map of southeast England. We started in Maidstone, which is in the county of Kent. Maidstone is southeast of London. From there we went to Canterbury, which is directly east. Northeast of Canterbury, right on the coast, is Margate. That little tongue of land that includes Margate and Ramsgate is the isle of Thanet. We drove as close to the coast as the road allowed, driving through Deal on our way to Dover and then Folkestone before returning to Maidstone. We tried to get a glimpse of the entrance to the Channel Tunnel, but it was no joy. Our first stop was Margate. Established in 1736, it is England's oldest beach resort. As you can see, it was low tide when we got there. The long, desolate beach. It's a pretty little town. Steve was a bit disappointed. He expected the...

We arrived in Maidstone fairly late on Saturday afternoon, and then Sunday was a miserable rainy day. On Monday, we decided to go on a little adventure. Our first stop was Canterbury to visit the famous Canterbury Cathedral. We spent a few hours there.  We parked at a car park just outside the old Roman city walls and walked the short distance to the cathedral. We passed this shop on the way. Look at that build date. This is the Catholic Church of St. Thomas of Canterbury. It was built in the late 19th century. Next to the Catholic Church is this tower. It was once a part of the parish church of St. Mary Magdalen. The church dated to Norman times, and the tower was built in 1503. The church was demolished in 1871, but the tower was left standing. The street was a mix of architecture. This is Canterbury Cathedral. St. Augustine arrived in Kent as a missionary in 597 A.D. When he was later consecrated an archbishop by the pope, he built a cathedral within the Roman city walls and bec...