Archaeology and Ghosts in East Anglia

This morning we visit the Fitzwilliam Museum, where M. R. James was assistant director, and where he most likely composed “Canon Alberic’s scrapbook,” a tale of the dangers awaiting bibliophiles. On to King’s College Chapel, the setting for the story “A night in King’s College Chapel,” and, after lunch, we walk past the Cambridge University Library, which James borrowed for the setting of the story “The Tractate Middoth,” a terrible admonition about returning library books! Next, we pay a visit to the library of Magdalene College, almost as famous as Samuel Pepys’ own collection of books. Tonight will be accompanied by a reading of “Canon Alberic’s scrapbook”.

We start the day by visiting Bury St. Edmunds and the ruin of the great Benedictine abbey. From here, we drive to West Stow, where excavations in the 1980s brought to light a remarkable Saxon village of the migration years. After lunch, we go on to Grime’s Graves near Brandon, to visit a Neolithic flint mine. Later, we drive via Great Livermere (where James’ father was Rector) to Scole. This evening, we’ll hear a story about the dangers of illicit excavation in burial mounds, entitled “A warning to the Curious”.

Our last day begins with a trip to the coast, and Aldeburgh, the seaside town James used as inspiration for last night’s story, among others. We explore some of James’ haunts – the Martello Tower, the White Lion Hotel and the curiosity shop. After lunch, we will go on to see some burial mounds at Sutton Hoo, the great royal necropolis of East Anglia – burial place of King Redwald, the richest burial ever found in England – with its new visitor center. We return to Cambridge for our onward journeys.