Day thirteen: Upton to Morwenstow

Today while walking, I learnt all about the battle of Agincourt. Have already forgotten the important details but it was something to do with Henry 5th and England vs France. Apparently the French had a cunning plan to cut off the middle finger of all the Brits so they could no longer pull their long bows. So when the Brits were eventually victorious they went around making the V sign to all the French, proudly displaying that they still had their bow pulling fingers. Hence the origins of the V sign or The finger.

Also learnt about the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon (bloody French again) vs Wellington. The best part about the battle, was the exchange that occurred between Wellington and Lord Uxbridge after a cannon ball blew off Uxbridge's leg

Uxbridge: By God, sir, I've lost my leg!
Wellington: By God, sir, so you have!

With that Wellington rode off on his horse leaving this poor bloke. But apparently he survived and they even saved his leg which he buried in his garden with a tomb stone and shrine, inscribed "here lies the leg....." and people would come to visit.

While on this subject, I found this quote on the Internet which I thought was pretty funny.......

Just after the Surgeon had taken off the Earls leg, Sir Hussey Vivian came into the cottage where the operation was performed. "Ah, Vivian!" said the wounded noble, "I want you to do me a favour. Some of my friends here seem to think I might have kept that leg on. Just go and cast your eye upon it, and tell me what you think." "I went, accordingly", said Sir Hussey, "and, taking up the lacerated limb, carefully examined it, and so far as I could tell, it was completely spoiled for work. A rusty grape-shot had gone through and shattered the bones all to pieces. I therefore returned to the Marquis and told him he could set his mind quite at rest, as his leg, in my opinion, was better off than on."

No wonder the British have a reputation for the "stiff upper lip" and brings to mind a sketch from Ivan's favorite Monty Python movie.

Filled with all these stories of valiant English heroes and gory battles we (yes still with Mike) marched into Morwenstow.



Morwenstow consists of a church, a tea room, a couple of dairy farms and a fantastic 13th century pub (above) In the pub I met Stanley, a wonderful Staffordshire terrier with a hare lip.





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Location:Bartwood Ln,Weston under Penyard,United Kingdom