Snodhill Castle

In September there was an excellent turnout for a walk up to Snodhill Castle where Kilvert went with friends for a picnic.
The ground was quite slippery in places but we managed to get to the top where Colin Dixon, publications manager, read from the entry in the diary dated Tuesday 21 June 1870.

'Today we went for a picnic to Snodhill Castle in the Golden Valley....At the foot of the castle we got out and everyone carried something up the steep slippery brown bare grass slopes.

The first thing of course was to scale the castle mound and climb up the ruins of the Keep as far as might be. It was fearfully slippy and the ladies gallantly sprawled and struggled up and slithered down again....'
Snodhill has not changed but stands, (just), determined and tucked away in a peaceful, secret fold of the countryside.

The following day we enjoyed Evensong at St Andrew's, Bredwardine, the church where Kilvert served as vicar before his death. Then we visited Oakchurch where a wonderful tea was enjoyed by all, the climax of another very enjoyable Kilvert weekend.