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Post by Jenny on Jan 20, 2020 14:54:19 GMT -5
Permission granted by forest_blight to post his and Stercox's solution
Station X (p. 101)
NEWBURY, ENGLAND. p. 101. The groom blames the king for the broken axle, hinting that they travel on a king's highway. The high road crosses the River Kennet at the Town Mill of the town in question. Kennet is the largest tributary to the Thames. The Bath Road out of London crosses the Kennet in Hungerford, Marlborough, and at Avebury, a significant historical site with a huge stone circle. A nearby hamlet is building a church to St. Nichole. This is a strong hint that the station is Newbury, England. It is also on the Kennet, and the road passes very near the river. Newbury has a church dedicated to St. Nicholas, built in the early 16th century (under construction from 1500 to 1532). The book doesn't actually say the King's road (i.e., the road to Bath) crosses the Kennet, but rather the high road, which we think is what happens in Newbury.
To note, historically, the town's economic foundation was the cloth trade. This is reflected in the person of the 16th century cloth magnate Jack O'Newbury and the later tale of the Newbury Coat. On the King's return from France, Jack is said to have had the honour of entertaining King Henry VIII and Queen Catherine of Aragon at his house in Newbury. Documentation for such visits occur between 1516-1518. This road was much travelled by King and court during this time.
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