Crimson’s Creative Challenge
First were the Britons’ iron-clad chariot wheel-rims rattling as they raced along.
Then arrived slick-skinned hard-nailed southern sandals
in haste to decimate the rebel clans.
Soft-soled boots of Baltic seal-skin followed, peaceful in their homestead aims.
All disturbed by the pony-mounted army, Viking swords in hand.
But peace returned—if briefly—on the grant to one of land.
Now feet did mingle, native, immigrant, subject to the Zeelandic king.
Until … battle-hardened foreign knights on heavy-footed steeds rode in.
Next descended the Black Leveller, clad in Death’s bubonic boils;
opened wool-runs to yeomen farmers, encouraged weavers from the Kemp-lands.
I could go on …
But how, you ask, came this Wash Lane to be so name?
From the gush of clear filtered field-waters after heavy rain.
Wordcount 128
Written for Crimson’s Creative Challenge
This is the true history, and reason for its name.
crispina kemp 
Delicious history I have come to expect and a perfect explanation to the name Wash.. brilliant on every level!
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I thank you, Violet.
Finding the explanation involved an interesting journey through C18th and C19th writings on contempory farming methods. It was a time of great changes in farming, and my beloved Norfolk led the way. A certain MP took credit, him and his mate, but in fact Coke and Townsend merely publicised the work being donw by Dutch immigrants.
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Great read dear.
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What a sweet coincidence that I was penning a poem on the picture about marching armies on an old path broken by the gavel of time and determined men! You wrote it far more beautifully and it was a delight to read it.
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I thank you.
I also wrote it last Friday. Maybe you picked up on my thoughts, fliltered across the nous-sphere. 🙂
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Oh? 😄 Maybe so! Though I saw it just today but maybe your thoughts imprinted on the image when you first wrote the poem and when I saw it, they mind-melded with mine to guide my creativity! 😂
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My thought entirely. I tend to sort out a week’s posts and upload them all on one day, then schefule as appropriote. In the past I’ve had so much problem with connectivity, that I developed the habit to avoid missing deadlines.
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That’s a good habit! I can relate with internet connectivity problems. I am trying to complete my assignments before deadlines just so to avoid any connectivity mishaps. But this week I am lagging behind. So I have been posting old work now days. Hopefully, one of these days I’ll get a spark of creativity to write some new poems. 😊
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Take some time out. If only if an evening, or an afternoon. Go for a walk. It works with me.
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You are absolutely right. I’ll do that as soon as I can! A bit down in the dumps lately because of my disorder, but things will get better soon and I’ll have more time to spare and take a break. 🙂
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I can feel for you there. 13 years of CFS/ME, severe, then to discover a change in diet puts me back on my feet. But, others with debilitating conditions are not so fortunate.
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I know you can and I, too, can absolutely relate with the struggles of CFS. For years chronic fatigue was one of my most acute symptoms and I have seen bad days since it subsided but damn, that almost broke me. I am so glad you found a way to manage your illness. I have known many who still struggle every moment of every single day and are greeted with apathy because it doesn’t show on their face how much they are suffering. I have so much respect for your strength and I am sure you’ll keep on channeling the warrior in you while inspiring others to keep fighting their own invisible monsters along the way. 🙂
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I know what you mean: there’s no broken leg or arm in a sling, therefore everything must be all right. At my worst I couldn’t go out to shop, taxi there, taxi back, was the only way. But that’s physical. Worse was the mental aspects. But I don’t need to telll you. You know what I’m saying. Only those who have been there …
And I like that you call me a warrior. Yea, maybe. I am a fighter and have been since early childhood. 🙂
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Oh, you most definitely are one! Tough times have a way of molding a warrior out of us, whether we like it or not, because the alternative is an abyss we all want to avoid. It’s been great talking to you.
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Love the history behind this. Nice! 🙂
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I thank you. As you may have noticed, history is my thing.
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Great post 😁
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Wonderful and sad at the same time. Beautiful imagery. The explanation adds so much more to the task at hand. Thanks Crispina. 🙂🌼
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Pleasure. It was written from the heart … or maybe from my genes. Some of the feet belonged to my paternal ancestors.
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Wow I could tell it was heartfelt. I have distant cousins (I think) in Kent (Kennington Ashford Kent) I was invited years ago. Apparently one of them played the organ at the Cathedral. I think their name was/is Kemp. My father’s mother.
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Coincidences, hey. I know there’s a big gathering of Kemps in Kent. I’m not sure they’re related. There was an Archbishop of Canturbury by name of Kemp, so maybe your kin are related to him?
I found a history of the ‘family’ written at the turn of the last centurry, and this chap was trying to link the various assumed branches. and trying to explain the name.
Thing is, there’s a region in Germany called the Kempen, and it’s possible that is one source of the surname. England received gluts of Calvin immigrants from the area, mostly weavers. My own family can trace back to East Harling (original centre of linen weaving) to a marriage with the Mainwarings of Harling way back in mid-C12th. So, not Calvinists. I suspect, but cannot prove, they arrived as mercenaries in King Stephen’s army. The time is right for it.
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Wow! My father’s Mother was “Alice Kemp” she married my grandfather “Alexander Goldie” of Lochwenoch? Scotland, outside of Glasgow. I have a picture of my grandfather Goldie with the Kemp brothers, all in uniform. Don’t we wish we’d done things we refused to do. Yes Canterbury, he played the organ there. I’ll try emailing the photo of the Kemp boys and my grandad. Wow! 😊💜
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And, if I remember from researches done, the surnmane Goldie is possibly Flemish. Low Countries. Weavers. An obvious partner for a Kemp.
The Book I was saying, I found on Google Books, if you’re interested:
A General History of the Kemp and Kempe Families of Great Britain and Her Colonies by Fred. Hitchin Kemp. (Coildn’t find the publication date on it). It’s a scanned book, put out as pdf. And I wold disagree with several of his theories, and I wouldn’t be alone. 🙂
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I sent a photo via e-mail. My Aunt Goldie’s seem to think there was a French connection and they fled during the Reformation. I’m a little/lot uninformed in the history department LOL
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And she would be right. Old Flanders, as in Flemiings, is now the north-eastern fring of France. Besides which people really didn’t stay put in those days; they were greater wanderers than we are. Loads of Calvinists and Huguemots (read Protestants) fled both France and Netherlands during the Reformations. There wasn’t such a things as religious freedom.
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I love this. I have an old spirit Crispina and she’s dancing around LOL
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Enjoy it, my fellow name-sharer.
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I will Cuz! LOL
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Believe me, I am smiling. I just don’t express it so freely. Courtesy of the ‘other’ line. 🙂
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😊👍🌹
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Wonderful title too. Iove it!
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But it had to be, didn’t it. Although with the poem, it’s speculative, whereas I’ve researched this area and … this was part of the Celtic road system, and was later replaced by a Roman-built road offset by a couple of miles. The Roman became a major highway, while this … Well, the evidence of your eyes. 🙂
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Yes I see that now and very poignant. 🙂
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Wash lane, very cool name. Interesting post too!
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I thank you. It is an interesting place. But never visit it without your galoshes.!
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No bears? LOL
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Alas. 🙂
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Nice – the passage of time and the ancient qualities of the road do have some magic to them!
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I thank you. 🙂
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Here’s my take Crispina. 🙂
https://jengoldie493473930.wordpress.com/2019/04/11/stay-close-in-response-to-crimsons-creative-photo-challenge-22-ccc-apr-10-2019/
Perhaps not quite what you’re looking for ………….
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Liked it, Jen.
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Wasn’t sure because there was so much History behind it. I’m glad you liked it. 🙂🌼
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But ithe prompte is for your to do whatever inspiration tells you. Don’t be influenced by anything else. 🙂
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Yes that’s why I finally decided to post it. I’d written it shortly after I first saw the picture. Then hesitated after hearing about its rich history. I’m so glad you liked it. Was worried about disappointing. 🙂🌹
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The thing is for your to enjoy it. FUN, FUN, FUN. I insist 🙂
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🙂👍
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I did enjoy the method you used to explain the image. Places had names that so reflected the physical characteristics.
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Norfolk is reknonwned for it. We have Short Lane, and Long Road and Windy Land and Leafy Road (which no longer is).
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We have Testes Hollow which has always had me wondering.😂
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Yea, that seems a contradiction 🙂
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I love how you show who has used the path over time.
You are the queen of history! And, you make it interesting to read!
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I thank you. I wanted to cover more of recent times but I was pushing my word limit. But I did enjoy cobbling all those people together.
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Was a most enjoyable cobbling!
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I thank you. 🙂
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Wow, impressive history–and I love your reveal at the end, the name of the lane 🙂
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I thank you. Couple-or-three years back I researched the history of the village. Results are buried somewhere in my blog.
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🙂
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Hi Crispina here’s another
https://jengoldie493473930.wordpress.com/2019/04/14/not-another-word-in-response-to-crimsons-creative-photo-challenge-22-ccc-and-did-those-feet-apr-112019/
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You manage to cover so much history – and so many feet – in so few lines. (Do you think I included enough so’s in that sentence?!) Marvellous. I always enjoy reading your response to your prompts because of the history you manage to weave through it…It always engaging and entertaining 🙂
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I thank you, Sammi. Though this coming week (2nd May) I shall disappoint you: no added history. Sorry, but I guess it has to happen once in a while. 🙂
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I’m not disappointed. It will still be engaging and entertaining. I know it will 🙂
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I try to make it so. 🙂
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