The Leeds-Liverpool Canal and the Royal Armouries

Douglas and Benjamin in front of the Royal Armouries

One of the best opportunities afforded by living in Europe for two years is the chance to travel.  One such opportunity presented itself this past week as Kelly was asked to travel to Leeds, West Yorkshire, U.K.  Because the boys had not yet started school, we decided to make it a family trip, with a stopover in Northern Wales as well.  Although the title of the blog may be “2 years in Madrid”, these next few entries would be more aptly titled, “6 Days in the U.K.”.

            The city of Leeds, England is located in north central England.  Unlike a lot of the old towns in England, Leeds does not have a great deal of older architecture, museums, monuments, etc…  Although it’s a college town, it looks a great deal more like a business or manufacturing center.  With a population of 788,000, Leeds has risen to become the economic center of West Yorkshire if not Northern, England.  Along with this type of growth comes many new buildings and a modern skyline.  For those of us who end up in the region as tourists (especially American tourists) this does not mesh well with our image of the quant English town.  Despite its modernity, Leeds is not without its charms. 

            One of these charms I discovered on a run near the Leeds riverfront.  Running from just below the Leeds Rail Station is the beginning of the Leeds to Liverpool Canal.  The Leeds-Liverpool Canal greatly improved the economy of Yorkshire as it linked one of the regions greatest business centers with the port of Liverpool.  Begun in 1770, the canal took nearly 40 years to complete.  The primary cargo on the canal in those early years was coal and limestone.  It is made up of 91 locks and runs 127 miles.  Unlike many other canals, the Leeds-Liverpool canal was constructed with wide locks that allowed it to better compete with the railway. 

A canal boat docked at the Leeds riverfront.

            While today the canal is used primarily for leisure boating, it was recognized as a shipping resource into the 1970’s.  As late as 1972, coal was still being shipped to the power station at Wiggan via canal.  In additional to the leisure boats that traverse the canal today, the old towpath running alongside the canal has become a favorite of walkers, runners, and those on bicycle.  The current towpath runs the entire way from Granary Warf in Leeds where the canal empties into the River Aire, to Liverpool.  The canal provides a great resource for those in Northern England as the entire distance can be covered by foot or by boat using the lock system that is still operational.

Display Case at the Royal Armouries Musuem

            The other top notch attraction the boys and I discovered in Leeds was the Royal Armouries Musuem.  Opened in 1996, the Royal Armouries sits on the bank of the River Aire.  It is a modern building complete with three floors of exhibits, a central tower, gift shop, theaters, and an outside interpretation area.  At the time of its construction, the museum was originally designed as an overflow site for the extensive collection of the Tower of London.  The Armouries is a national museum operated by the Department of Culture, Media, and Sport.  Like all national museums, there is no general admission charge.  In addition to the main collection, the museum also hosts special exhibits and interpretations that charge a minimal amount.

            Once inside, the Armouries there are three floors of exhibits.  They are organized into the Hunting Gallery, Oriental Gallery, Self Defense Gallery, Tournament Gallery, War Gallery, and the Hall of Steel and Street.  The majority of these galleries are filled with polished examples of days gone by.  Suits of armor are displayed alongside a multitude of weapons.  The exhibits are so well done and displayed that one almost forgets exactly what it is that these shiny works of art were used for in the first place.

Hall just outside the Oriental Gallery

            In addition to the armor, there are great exhibits on the evolution of hunting and big game hunting, modern weaponry, law enforcement and the weapons Asia.  One of the exhibits that really caught my kid’s attention was a short video showing the process by which a Samurai sword is made.  Immediately behind the video was a beautiful display case showing many different Samurai swords as well as swords in different states of assembly.  If there is one thing you are sure to notice about the Royal Armouries, it is that they are very well funded and that they work very hard to make the museum and its interpretation one of the finest in the U.K..

            Along with the Samurai Swords, our other favorite artifact was the parade armor helmet fashioned for England’s King Henry VIII.  The helmet was given to the King by Emperor Maximilian I. 

Parade Helmet that belonged to King Henry VIII

            Outside of the permanent collection, the museum also has some wonderful hands-on areas that were very engaging for the kids.  Among these were the crossbow range and the police dog demonstration.  The police dog demonstration was put on by the Leeds Police Department and featured two different dogs that were raised and trained for police work.  The demonstration took place in the Tiltyard which is an outdoor area attached to the museum.  Admission for this “extra” was six pounds for all of us and it was definitely worth it. 

Police Dog Demonstration

            In addition to the various demonstrations, the Tiltyard is also home to jousting contests during the summer.  Two of the larger of these are held during the weekend of Easter and at the end of the summer.  The end of summer jousting contest attracts competitors from all over the world who ride for the chance to bring home the H.M. Queen’s Golden Jubilee trophy.

            While I wouldn’t describe Leeds as a destination vacation spot, there are some things to recommend it.  The river walk, towpath, and city hall were very nice, and the Royal Armoury is probably the most well presented and interpreted museum I’ve visited in three trips to the U.K.

El Museo de America

El Museo de America

On Friday, March 11th,  I made my first foray into Madrid since arriving a week ago.  While I would’ve like to make it in before now, instead I’ve spent the last week wandering the aisles of furniture stores, electronic stores, grocery stores, and an all-encompassing tienda (store) called El Corte Ingles.  While the idea of furnishing an entire house with new stuff may sound great, the reality is far different.

            With things settling down by Thursday, I started to explore the idea of going into the city for awhile on Friday.  With this first trip, I wanted to find a neighborhood on the northern side of the city that I hadn’t explored in my prior visit in August.  The area I chose was in the neighborhood of Gaztambide near the Plaza de la Moncloa. 

            Gaztambide itself is not necessarily a tourist area, although it does draw a lot of foreigners due to the Cuidad Universitaria (City University of Madrid).  Outside of the students, most of the people you pass on the street are Madrileños, or locals.  The ages range from young to old and the businesses you pass are modern. These range from furniture stores (please no more) to banks and even car dealerships.  The car dealerships in particular provide a nice contrast to what people in the U.S. are accustomed to.   In the U.S. we have big, sprawling car lots with hundreds of cars.  In Madrid, a car dealership looks more like a Higbees window than a parking lot.  Only three or four models are on display and they are set in big picture windows.    I first noticed this while visiting South Kensington in London, U.K.  Near the Underground station was a Lamborghini dealership set in a storefront.  Talk about window shopping.

El Faro de Moncloa

            The Museo de America is very easy to find due to its location next to the Faro de Moncloa, a space needle of sorts that provides great views of the city.  At least I assume it provides great views, it was closed and fenced off when I visited.  Sitting next to the Faro de Moncloa is the Museo de America.  The reason I chose it was for the location, and also because there is a certain irony about an American, starting a Madrid Museum blog, focusing on Spanish colonial activities in the Americas. 

            The building that the museum is housed in is beautiful.  It was built between 1943 and 1954.  Its style is that of a colonial mansion or cloister with large tower providing the main entrance and a central courtyard complete with a fountain.  The construction is entirely of brick, even the vaulted ceilings.  This gives the place the feel of a church or a crypt, without all the sinister creepiness of the later.  They avoid too much of an underground feel with large windows in all the main halls.  These hallways then encircle the exhibition rooms that are lit with only spotlights.  The halls themselves are dark.  This is to help preserve the artifacts, many of which are well over 500 years old some extend back nearly two millennia.

            Entering through the main entrance, you are greeted by a visitor services representative who takes your three euro for admission.  One thing I’ve found in Madrid is that most museums are very inexpensive.  The three euro admission charge is about $4.25 in U.S. dollars.  After paying my admission, I was given two brochures.  One of these in Spanish and another in English, there was also a headphone system available, but the admissions person didn’t even offer it to me.  Either she sensed, from my butchered request for an adult admission, that I was unable to speak the language or none were available.

            The museum itself is divided into five themes.  These are “The Instruments of Knowledge”, “Reality of America”, “Bands, Tribes, Chiefdoms and States”, “Religion”, and “Communications”.  All of these areas are interesting. I personally enjoyed the area on religion.  I give the museum credit for acknowledging the independent traditions of the natives prior to European contact.   What really interests me are all the parallels one can draw from a comparison of the ancient civilizations of Central and South America to the Egyptians.  So much of the artwork, reverence for the dead, etc… is similar.

            The highlights of the museum were a nearly three foot tall Mayan funeral urn dating from A.D. 900-1000, a Kero (deity) in the form of a jaguar from the 15^th century, the many gold statues and ornamental items from 17^th century Peru, and the treasure trove of Mestizo paintings in the collection.  These paintings represent everyday life in the 18^th century as Natives, Europeans and Africans struggled to make a life in New Spain, intermarrying and defining their roles in society.

Cup made to look like a Jaguar

Peruvian Mummy

Kero in the form of a Jaguar (15th Century)

      

      Overall, the Museum was educational and enjoyable albeit a little “old school” as far as museum exhibits.  There were no hands on exhibits or interactive elements.  The museum did offer two areas where videos were shown, but as both were entirely in Spanish, I can’t comment on these. 

            One other element that is a bit bothersome for an American and especially an American historian is the overall nature of the collection.  While the Museum itself was founded in 1943, most of the items on display were collected many years before.  Many date to the Royal Cabinet of Natural History.  The Royal Cabinet collected items acquired during archaeological excavations, and scientific expeditions.  One is left to wonder at what cost some of these items came into their hands.  This is never really addressed.

 In their defense though, the current museum simply collects the items and has no direct guilt in how some early pieces were acquired.  Since its founding, the collection has only grown through donations and purchases.  Moving past the issue of acquisition, this Museum is important as evidence of the complex and sophisticated society that existed in the Americas prior to European conquest.  It’s definitely worth a visit.      

For all my friends at the J.E. Reeves Home and Museum.  These are figures from the Spanish Nacimiento or Nativity Scene.  Each figure is the size of a Barbie doll and they are onately painted.  The Nacimiento is a very common Christmas Tradition in Spain.