england Archives - Books And Travel

Ely Cathedral, England

In late September 2024, I visited Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire, in the south-east of England. In this article, I’ll share some of the most interesting aspects and some of my photos from the trip so you can virtually join me in this beautiful place. This trip also partially inspired my short story, Seahenge.

Ely Cathedral dates back to 673 AD when St. Etheldreda, an Anglo-Saxon queen and abbess, founded a double monastery for both monks and nuns on the site. The cathedral was originally built to house her relics and her shrine was a significant pilgrimage site in medieval times.

Ely Cathedral main entrance Photo by JFPenn Sept 2024 — Ely Cathedral main entrance, Photo by JFPenn Sept 2024

English Vineyards, Biodynamics, And Blood Vintage: J.F. Penn With Natalie Maclean On The Unreserved Wine Talk Podcast

Behind the Book, Unusual Places

What is biodynamic viticulture and why is it sometimes associated with dark magic or the occult? What’s behind the rise of English wines and how did two specific vineyards inspire a dark wine-drenched novel?

Over glasses of Pinot Noir and Rosé, wine writer Natalie Maclean talks to author J.F. Penn on the Unreserved Wine Talk Podcast about her folk horror novel, Blood Vintage, set in an English vineyard.

You can watch above or here on YouTube, listen to it on your favourite podcast app, or read the transcript below. We discuss:

The rise of English wine, and how Woodchester Valley Vineyard in the Cotswolds, England, inspired the idea of a folk horror novel
Biodynamic viticulture and how it plays such a huge part in terroir, and why Limeburn Hill Biodynamic Vineyard in Chew Magna, England inspired more the story
Folklore and sensual writing, evoking a sense of place
Exploring folk horror, and how far people will go for that special taste
Wine and architecture
Kickstarter, special editions, and the importance of beautiful packaging for what lies within — both for wine and books

You can find Blood Vintage at JFPenn.com/bloodvintage, and you can find Natalie at NatalieMaclean.com with articles, wine pairings and the Unreserved Wine Talk Podcast.

Limeburn Hill Biodynamic Vineyard. Chew Magna. England.

Unusual Places

“Authentic, terroir-based, joyful wine … that expresses a true sense of place and could only come from this land.” Limeburn Hill Biodynamic Vineyard

English wine is having a renaissance, and after a visit to a vineyard in the Cotswolds last summer, I became interested once more in how vineyards used biodynamic agriculture. I also love folk horror novels and had an idea for a story so I wanted to learn more. [Update, I wrote the story, Blood Vintage.]

I first discussed the stranger aspects of biodynamics with Caro Feely back in 2020 in a podcast episode around The Taste of Place. More recently I read Voodoo Vintners: Oregon’s Astonishing Biodynamic Winegrowers by Katherine Cole, but Oregon is a long way from Bath, where I live in the south-west of the UK, so it wasn’t practical to visit.

Then I discovered a vineyard near me that uses biodynamic practices, so on a beautiful hot day in early June, 2024, I visited Limeburn Hill in Chew Magna, near Bristol.

Limeburn Hill coffee in the courtyard, Photo by J.F. Penn

Wells Cathedral, England

Religious

Wells is a small city in Somerset, England, not far from where I live in Bath. The construction of Wells Cathedral began in 1175 and was largely completed by the mid-13th century making it one of the earliest Gothic cathedrals in England.

In this article, I take you through the highlights based on my visit in May 2024.

Wells Cathedral west front Photo by JFPenn — Wells Cathedral west front. Photo by JFPenn

The cathedral’s west front is adorned with nearly 300 statues of saints, kings, angels, and biblical characters. Many are weathered and eroded, with some being replaced by new carvings. Originally, many of the statues and the west front itself were painted in vibrant colours, though much of the paint has worn away over the centuries.

Salisbury Cathedral, England

Places, Religious

In late April, I visited Salisbury Cathedral in the south-west of England. It’s only an hour from where I live in Bath. I’ve used the cathedral as one of the settings for my ARKANE thriller, End of Days, and revisited it as part of my research for a new project on Gothic Cathedrals.

Salisbury Cathedral has the tallest spire in the United Kingdom, standing at 404 feet (123 meters). It has had scaffolding around it for the last 38 years so I was lucky to be able to see it newly uncovered.

Unlike many medieval cathedrals built over centuries with varying styles, Salisbury Cathedral was constructed within a relatively short period (1220-1258). This gives it a consistent Early English Gothic style, which is rare as most other cathedrals blend styles as they were constructed over longer periods.

English Folklore With Icy Sedgwick

Podcast

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Folklore encompasses legends, fairy tales, and myths; physical objects and practices to protect and ward away evil; spirits and supernatural entities associated with particular places, and so much more.

You might not even know that you practice folklore — but did you ever leave a tooth out for the tooth fairy? Or wonder at carvings of the Green Man? Or go trick-or-treating at Halloween? If you approach your local customs and stories with an open and curious mind, you might just discover a lot of folklore.

In this interview, Icy Sedgwick talks about different aspects of folklore and how it resonates with particular places, as well as how it’s handed down in a community. She also talks about specific English folklore stories and practices.

Icy Sedgwick is the author of dark fantasy, Gothic horror, and supernatural mysteries. She’s also a blogger and host of the Fabulous Folklore Podcast.

Show notes

What is folklore? How does it relate to places in particular?
Is there a resurgence in folklore in an increasingly digital and secular time?
Northumberland coastal folklore
Remedies used in ancient times to ward off the plague
Urban folklore
Body parts, relics, teeth, and the Hand of Glory
Halloween folklore
Recommended books about folklore

You can find Icy Sedgwick at IcySedgwick.com

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