Binham Priory on the autumnal equinox

 I've been living in Norfolk for 10 years and I'm afraid I've been taken it for granted.  I've never made the most of Norfolk. This year I've made a decision to get to know more of it.

Only 15 minutes drive from my house is the English heritage, Binham Priory - a 934 ruined Benedictine priory  Considering it's a ruined and how old it is, it's still very impressive.

                   

 I'm not a historian or an archaeologist I'm only a normal person who likes old stories, old places and England has a lot of these. So, I feel I'm living in the right country.

I don't think everyone is the same. And perhaps there will be some people who think these old, ruined places is too boring for words - but I really love it.

I don't know how to describe it and I probably romanticise a lot of it but somehow it feels so dreamy and I can mooning over it forever. 

Just to say, Binham Priory is in a little village between Holt and Fakenham called Binham 

here is the address

Warham Rd, Binham, Fakenham NR21 0DQ

This is the priory as seen from the main entrance.

I couldn't really take any good photographs because I had Snoopy with me and although I have this new type of lead which I can clip it around my waist to allow my hands to be free but he still pulled like mad. The result is my shaky photographs - but, you know, he is my sick kick. It would be weird without him

Welcome sign before the entrance

The main chapel is still in good condition and it looks magnificent!

  

Along the wall of the old ruined, still very interesting and it was such a lovely day.

By the way, the place was practically empty so Snoopy and I had it all by ourselves. I think he enjoyed it more than I did he was sniffing like mad - I really wanted to know what he was thinking of these old smells. 

For one thing, the place smelt of cow dung, especially from the car park because there is a working farm right next to the priory.  I suppose, Snoopy smelt that too - one in many smells he smelt.

Actually, I seem to remember that I read it from somewhere that there is a haunted tunnel (now is blocked) where a man and his dog went in and disappeared. Isn't it spooky? But to be honest, on a lovely as it was today - the place just looked so beautiful. If there was a ghost, I think it will be a friendly one. 

Also, the place is not isolated, you know. It's in the middle of the village - surrounded by farmhouses and the main road in front of it. It's closed by 5 p.m. at this time of the year because it doesn't get dark until quite late. But I suppose in the winter it will be closed early.

By the way, today is the autumnal equinox! The day will get shorter and shorter from now until spring.

Although, it was a sunny day but it was chilly. I had to put on my tights and cardigan to keep warm. How weird that as soon as the autumnal equinox arrived - the weather has changed just like that. How very strange!

I wonder what it was like on the autumnal equinox here a long time ago when this priory was new. People would be coming here to worship. Who were they? What were they like? What were they thinking? In a way, I don't want to know for the fact. I only want to imagine it - making a little story in my head.

Anyway, my imagination doesn't take me very far - 9oo years is a long time ago. Many things has happened between then and now.

This place has seen so many battles, it was destroyed in 1539 during the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry the 8th 

I suppose it was when he broke away from Catholic church so that he could be married to Anne Boleyn. That bit is very sad to imagine. Oh well...