Wenham Massachusetts

February 2024

In the company of feline brothers

George and Oliver

"Finally, Bro'. You had me worried there!"

So in love with Wenham

This quaint New England Town in the county of Essex, Massachusett, is straight out of a Christmas movie. Amazed at the colourful English colonial style homes.

Home in Time for Tea:

Commuter rail from Wenham, to:

Salem

Boston

Manchester-by-the-Sea

Newburyport

 

Now that's what you call a back yard!
Allen beat me to checking the mailbox!
Cosy log burner
Keeping the birds happy
On the street where you live...
Stalactites in the yard

Live Life Local

My turn at the mailbox
My gone With The Wind Home
Wenham Museum

Swamp Walk Wenham to Danvers

Wenham Burial Ground

The historic burial ground, synonymous with the witchcraft trials. Captain Thomas Fiske senior, was the juror foreman in the Rebecca Nurse trial. 

Thomas Fiske, overheard a conversation that resulted in the acquittal verdict for witchcraft being overturned and Rebecca executed. His Son, Thomas and other juror, Deacon Fiske are buried here.

Captain Thomas Fiske junior
Deacon Fiske
Functional headstone sculptured into a bench

 Shores of Wenham Lake

Magical moment when a deer gracefully ran across the road

Following the Trail

Newman Fiske Dodge 17th centuryHouse

An Early Evening Stroll Around Wenham

“And the lights all went down…” 

The Bee Gees never visited Massachusetts. The idea came, when in 1966 they were on a boat trip around New York harbour and the headline news was of a massive power outage in Massachusetts

“It is not talking about people going back to Massachusetts.it represents all the people who want to go back to somewhere or something” (Robin Gibb)

A Pleasant  Afternoon

 

in Newburyport

From rail station to harbour

23 minutes on the commuter train and we were in Newburyport…. 3.5 miles from the centre along the Clipper City Trail!

 

HOWEVER – we got talking to a local man, who advised that if we took the 19 or 20 bus (which, post covid  was free, under Biden administration) we could save our legs and sightsee on route. 

As he was in the Trump camp, he quickly advised that his taxes were indeed paying for the service. We thanked him…

Pit-stop for a local beer in The Port Tavern

So many churches in and  around Newburyport market square

Old South Presbyterian Church
Central Congregational Church
Peoples United methodist Church

Salem – a spiritual haven

Salem part 1

Pit-stop while waiting for connecting train.  A Saturday morning that felt like a lazy Sunday afternoon. So quiet. So spiritual Can’t wait to return

 

 

 

My kinda shops!
Our kinda town

Salem part 2

Witch Museum, followed by a self-guided walk of historic sites

Loved the brick paving
The witch, Samantha, from Bewitched
Pit-stop at Caramel pattiserie, for delicious key lime pie
Pit-stop at Mercy Tavern for locally brewed ale.It's said to be haunted by drunken sailors
Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of 'The Scarlet Letter, an historical fiction masterpiece
White star stands for purity and energy
West India Trading Company

Historic Sites

1.70 Washington Street

2. 118 Washington Street

3. 310 Essex Street

1.Site of Salem Court House 1692
2.Site of Judge Jonatan Corwins House aka The Witch House
3.Site of Judge John Hawthornes home

Manchester-by-the-Sea

Beautiful seaside town. Eyecatching from the moment you step off the train and the quaint harbour stretches before your eyes. Definitely a feast for the senses.

Indulge us!

A town for everyone – sailing, writing, reading, praying. And  Picturesque public library and a fantastic bookshop, compolete with easy chairs and a sofa. And Boo Bird restaurant for a glass of locally brewed  ale while you reflect.

"Let us pray"
Manchester by the Book, bookstore

Boston

We needed two visits – one to get our bearings in such a bustling city and the second, to tread the Freedom Trail

Antonin Dvorak’s New World Symphony is an anthem to American roots. it was written by a foreigner and required white classical musicians to respect Black spiritual and Native American music

Site of Boston Massacre of 5th March 1770, which saw the first bloodshed in the American revolution
July 18th 1776 Bostonians gathered under the balcony of Old State House, to hear for first time the Declaration of Independence
Old State House
Faneuil Hall - The Home of Free Speech. America's first Town Meeting building
Oldest pub in America
Dates back to 1795
Finest local ale
He's a good listener!