Kentwell House

Kentwell Hall, August 2023

Lola II's significant birthday was in 2020, and she had planned all sorts of excitement with friends. Then it all had to be cancelled, but this year she has returned to the Belated Birthday Event list with a vengeance. I've already attended a concert at the Regent Park Bandstand, watched the rowing on the lake, enjoyed an ice cream sundae Sunday, and last weekend included camping (fourth time this year for me, first time for Lola II and Mr M) and a visit to Kentwell Hall.

The Kentwell manor is recorded in the Domesday Book and dates from about 1040. The full history of the property (mostly completed in 1530) can be found on the website, but in 1971 it was bought and the new owner restored it and now facilitates the historical re-enactments that take place there. When we visited it was 1564, and there were about 200 volunteers on site dressed for that period and fully inhabiting their roles. Inside the house were the gentry, their stewards and their servants, and throughout the grounds we found all sorts of different workers. Woodcutters, glassblowers, potters, victuallers, the woolshed, dyers, felt- and hat-makers, bakers, the forge, the foundry, alchemists, embroiderers, apothecaries, cheesemakers, cobblers, the brewery, woodworkers, mummers, the alehouse and more - we arrived not long after opening time, and closing time came before we'd seen everything.

The volunteers playing all the roles stayed firmly within the 16th century with their speech and knowledge - nobody admitted to knowing what a potato was, for example, nor how a volunteer could possibly support their family. There were children as well as adults - one notable young boy gave us a brief performance as one of the mummers playing the Devil. It was fascinating and fun and educational, and I'd go back again.

Alongside this visit we camped together with another couple of Lola II's friends who joined us for the weekend, visited a country park for a walk, played games and ate far too well. We had a lovely camping spot facing out into a field of what I thought was spinach, but turned out to be sugar beet. (My reputation for plant identification was never strong but is now in tatters.) The campsite even laid on an ice cream van which arrived around 8pm and attracted many customers. This resulted in one of the highlights of the weekend - as Mr M walked away from the van with a large twin cornet 99 with three flakes, there was an audible gasp and then actual applause from the people still waiting in line.