We left the St Neots caravan site around noon to head to Canterbury via Letchworth where Steve and his family lived before they immigrated to Australia in 1969. ( Trivia –Letchworth Garden City was the first garden city and is home to one of the UK’s largest colonies of black squirrels. The town is steeped in history; a Roman camp was discovered during the development of Icknield Way and items are now on display in the Letchworth Museum. The Spirella building, (now offices), played a very important part in WWII as it was used to produce parachutes and is where Steven’s Mum worked. In Letchworth, Steven showed me where he went to school, his childhood house where his family lived, the corner Co-op (shop) which is now a Tesco Express store, the local ‘Chippy’ (Fish and chip shop) which is still the local Chippy. At the top of Hall mead (the street where Steven lived) is the Icknield Way. This is the oldest road in Britain.
Trish on the Iknield Way – The oldest road in Britain
We walked along the current road, still called the Icknield Way, past the Roman camp where Steven used to play until the modern road ended at a T intersection. Steven then showed me where he used to follow the old Roman road between the fields to railway tracks in the valley below where he used to go train spotting. The old road is now a bridle path, with lots of stinging nettles!
Leaving Letchworth we drove to Canterbury to stay in the free coach parking area which has also been designated as a motor homes parking area, one the few in the UK and the forward thinking town council is proud of. It is even contoured so you can level the MH by just moving a little forward or back. As this is a convenient place to stop before catching a ferry we were surprised to find there were no other motor homes using this car park, and we were the only ones overnighting.
Our Home in Canterbury
After setting up home for the night, we had an evening stroll to Canterbury Cathedral next to a river (Stour?) with trout feeding, no fishing tonight though maybe another day.
Tomorrow we catch the ferry from Dover to Dunkirk.
Stevens Primary School Wilbury Letchworth
Trish and Popies Old Ikniekld Way Letchworth
Where Steven lived (Front yard gone and not as nice now)
