Cavendish, Finchingfield & Thaxted

Today we set off early and ate two gingerbread men in Sudbury with our coffee. We started off for Long Melford after buying a mantle for the gaslight - we went into an old-fashioned hardware shop smelling of paraffin, with all things hanging from the ceiling - amazing place. We got to Long Melford and I went into the church where I met an elderly lady who jad been a guide in the church, and she showed me various things in the church, like where the monk lived in the little room in the chapel and cooked his meals in the fireplace, and it was he who painted this chapel. She also told me that on Good Friday every year the sun shone through the church window and the colours were reflected on the figure of Christ on the altar. I found the rectory and was able to buy a cottage - it is Cherry Tree Cottage which is on the other side of the Church Green. Afterwards we went to Cavendish where Sue Ryder’s home for the sick is, together with a museum devoted to her work in Poland etc during the war - she has helped thousands of political prisoners and other people caught up in the war. Many people had made gifts for her and really the work was done in many cases in extreme conditions, either in prison or by disabled people. We stayed and had lunch there. We then went to Finchingfield, looking at villages on the way - all full of beautiful cottages, many thatched - also mostly very large churches! The village of Finchingfield is just like a model village, complete with duckpond and village green. It’s a pity great lorries hurtle through it. However we had a lovely tea overlooking the pond, and two swans flew over - the tea-shop was on a rise above the road. We also visited Castle Close and walked up and round the motte which is all that’s left of the castle! We finally visited Thaxted, where Gustav Holst’s house is. A pretty village.