Harlaxton Day 13: Castle Rising and The Beach

GOOOOOOD MORNING! All caps was necessary to capture my excitement of FINALLY being in the beautiful Harlaxton Manor!

Today started off bright and early with students eagerly rushing to finish their breakfast so that they could hit the bus by 8:40. Once we were all on the bus, we set off to Castle Rising Castle: the ruins of a medieval castle in the small town of Castle Rising. At Castle Rising, we walked through the ruins and tried to imagine what the castle was like in its prime. Most people took advantage of the sun and either laid on the grass or threw around a frisbee. 

After our time at Castle Rising Castle, we hopped back on the bus and went to the beach for lunch. Our first beach destination was Brancaster Beach. When we arrived, I soon realized that beaches in the U.K. are vastly different from beaches in the States. Brancaster Beach stretched outwards for miles, with the ocean about a mile out. We set up camp here and downed our PB&Js while feeling the sun on our face and sand between our toes. When bellies were full and lunches complete, we headed off to Hunstanton Beach. Here, students enjoyed the plethora of sweet and fried food stands set up along the beach. I decided to get a British staple, fish and chips, and something new to me, British fried donuts, as a post-lunch snack. I was thoroughly satisfied with both as they were down in less than 5 minutes. 

When our time was over at Hunstanton Beach, we headed back to the manor for dinner. As students prepared for the next day’s class by reading short stories, or let off some steam by playing croquet on the lawn or snooker in the Junior Common Room, I hoped that there would be more fried donuts at our next destination. 

Maggie