Day 12: King's Lynn and Ely

We wake up early and are already on our way by half past 9. First stop is Castle Rising, a castle with a Norman keep and ringwork. Unfortunately, the museum doesn't open until 10 o'clock and we find ourselves in front of closed gates. So we move on. Next stop is King's Lynn, a city that was very well known during the Hanseatic period. We stroll through the city, visit St. Margaret's Church, a church from the 12th century, and pass by the town hall. After a few hundred meters, we reach St. George's Guildhall and get a small free tour. The theater, inaugurated in 1406, is the oldest theater in Great Britain. We see the ceiling beams, some of which are still original, and the measures that have been taken to preserve this building. It has been used as a theater over and over again, and William Shakespeare performed here as an actor. In the 20th century, the building was supposed to be demolished for a parking lot, but fortunately this was prevented with sponsors. Very impressive to see the old buildings. Then we walk along the shopping street and decide to visit the museum in the town hall. It's small, but it has many activities for children. We learn a bit about the history of King's Lynn and see King John's Cup as well as garments from the Hanseatic period. We can dress up, build houses with stones, and play a game. A game board on the floor, which shows a map with the most important harbor, is the basis. Our wooden ships, loaded with wheat, should trade goods in other harbors, sometimes events such as raids, diseases, and taxes occur. We play a round until everyone has returned to the original port. After that, we visit the prison. There we see a chair on which a disobedient wife was tied and then dipped into water. Her husband could then insult her. What a time.
Afterwards, we leave the city and reach Ely 45 minutes later. There stands the third largest cathedral in England. After paying 20 pounds admission, we are allowed to admire this masterpiece of architecture. After the church tower collapsed in 1322, an octagonal crown made of wood was built in the same place. I have not yet discovered this type in a church. We see a painted wooden ceiling and the many intricate stone masonry. Unfortunately, we cannot climb the tower as David is too young for the guided tour. We spend almost 1 hour in the church. Now we visit a small cafe and try an English afternoon tea. We get 2 scones with clotted cream and jam and a drink. Instead of tea, we have coffee. The scones are warm and taste very good. After that, we are so full that we only need a small bread for dinner. Now it is not far to Cambridge. We reach the square for the next 2 days around 5 o'clock. The sun is finally shining again and we enjoy the weather.