A View of Tamworth

I have posted pics of some of the flooding in Tamworth but thought you might like to see some of the area that are not as water logged.

This is a view of a major shopping street as we approach the city.  I loved the mixture of the older buildings with the newer in the background right next to the view of the cathedral tower.  That juxtaposition is all over and is very charming.

Here is a closer view of the cathedral tower.  Doesn't it  look like there should be a princess living in the room just under the "ice cream cone" spires?  These ancient churches can be found all over in large and small towns.  It is quite awe inspiring .

 

This is a picture of the Tamworth Primary School.  This section is over 100 years old and still in use.  More modern wings have been added to both sides.  If you look closely, you can see a portion of the newer wing on the right hand side of the picture.  In the states this building would have been abandoned as a school long ago and a new one built that would, itself , have been replaced by now.  I love that they have not done that here.  Instead they have revamped it for modern needs and kept on using it.  A sense of living history for the children.

Below is the entrance gate to Tamworth's Alms House.  It was originally built by the same man who built Guy's Hospital in London.  He built the first section of the Alms House to provide housing for six women with no financial means to support themselves.  They lived there and used the land behind the building to grow their food. 
Later a wing was built for men who also grew their own food as part of the agreement allowing them to live there.

 The sign above shows you what the alms house would have looked like in the early days. The middle picture shows the residents' vegetable garden.  The picture on the right shows what the living space of each individual looked like.  It wasn't luxurious by any means but it was a roof over their head, a place to stay warm and a chance to grow food for themselves. 

This shows the alms house today.  As you can see, it has been enlarged over time to house many more individuals of limited financial means.  If you looked through the front gate you would see a large center courtyard with buildings on both sides opening onto the courtyard.  It is quite attractive and peaceful looking.  I told Mike I wouldn't mind living there (assuming the accommodations had been updated over time, of course :)