Friday's Flashback: On the Road to Steventon

While we were driving the roads of England, we were very fortunate to have a GPS.  I don't recommend driving without one there.  It was so helpful.  We probably took different routes than we would have just using a map, and on this day we took many very small winding roads through the countryside and small villages.  

"Watch out for wild stag!"

I took a few pictures of road signs as we drove through the forest.  Their signs made me think of the end of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when the kings and queens are chasing the stag.  

To us it seemed like the roads we were driving were the same roads that had been used for hundreds of years.  No one bothered to expand them.  When you meet another car you simply pull over (except there's really no place to pull over, either, as the roads are nearly always hemmed in by hedges) and let the other car pass.  It's really a little nerve-wracking when you're driving around curves but fun nonetheless.  Below is one of KJ's favorite signs.

"Watch out!  The road's getting narrower!"

We put our trust completely in the GPS, so we were always glad to see signs indicating we were on the right track.

I took a couple of video clips of our drive.  You can see what a beautiful day it was, and when the second clip starts right before we drive up to the church, you are seeing a drive that Jane Austen would have been very familiar with.  I think the house she grew up in was right down the lane from the church.  

While we were there a man came up to the church to check on things and told us that until very, very recently, you could still see the water pump the Austens used.  That was all that remained of their Steventon home.  But not long ago someone stole it.  I thought it was really sad that it sat undisturbed for 200 years only to be stolen by some tourist, I suppose.  

Enjoy your glimpse into our drive.  I apologize in advance for bad narration and video skills, but...these are our memories!

Driving to Steventon from KJ Pugh on Vimeo.