Silkstone, near Barnsley

We woke up this morning to thick fog - difficult to see the other side of the small campsite here at Ingbirchworth. However, after some handwashing (there is no washing machine on site), we drove to Silkstone, the village where many of John's ancestors lived up to five hundred years ago.

Silkstone has a church (All Saints) in a stunning setting, built in the 12th century, and added to in the 14th century. We were lucky enough to meet up with a couple of very friendly parishioners, and one of them opened up the church for us and gave us a guided tour for about an hour. Whilst John stayed chatting, I wandered around the churchyard looking for Moxon graves, but couldn't find any. However, I did find some Hattersley graves. Mary Hattersley of Silkstone was one of John's 3rd great grandparents, married to Joshua Moxon (b 1751).

Hattersley is still a big name in Silkstone, a village of between 4000-5000, around 6 miles from Barnsley.

We then had lunch at a very well appointed restaurant in a renovated water mill, part of a plant nursery and gift shop at Pot House Hamlet, right near All Saint's Church at Silkstone. The site has been productive since the 17th century, largely due to the Silkstone Beck, (creek). It was the first glassworks of its kind in Europe. In the 18th century a pottery took over the site. Later the site became a water mill and blacksmith.

When we got back to the campsite, we had to be rescued by another camper because we got bogged trying to position the motor home. Rain is now pounding down. There is nothing more dreary than sitting in a motor home with the rain pounding on the roof, looking out at drystone walls which are now soaking wet. Or perhaps there is - sitting on the drystone wall with the rain pounding down might be a tad more depressing. But only a tad mind you.

Our Silkstone web album can be viewed at http://picasaweb.google.com/JohnMoxon1/SilkstoneNearBarnsley

Tomorrow we head north through a hamlet called Ryecroft where we will meet a Betty Moxon, who is married to a John Moxon who is a decendant of the Joshua Moxon and Mary Hattersley mentioned earlier. Another relative found by internet. Ain't it wonderful!

And then we head for a village near Tadcaster (Kirkby Wharfe) where John's great great grandmother was born (Sarah Middleton) and where she and Isaac Moxon were married. No washing machine there either, the socks are beginning to pong (just joking).