Visiting Packington

22 April, 2011- Packington, Leistershire- It was already late in the afternoon when we left Appleby, and we still hadn't had lunch. For me, visiting another family heritage site (or civil war battlefield, when we're in the states) ALWAYS takes precedence over eating, but this time I was traveling with two companions who were, at best, putting up with my zeal to visit cemeteries. Now if there was only a gift shop to keep them occupied....

Appleby to Packington

Packington  is only about 5 miles down a scenic country lane from Appleby Magna. Technically it should have been our first stop, since this is the place I have traced our earliest Walton ancestors to.

Packington is a former market town, that had chiefly agricultural roots. Today it appears to be a bedroom community for some of the nearby cities. It is so tiny that we found ourselves out on the main A42 motorway before we realized we had already entered and exited Packington in the blink of an eye. What Packington lacks in size, it makes up in quaintness.  The village has a lovely main street and tidy homes. The skyline is dominated by the 12th century Church tower, which made it easy to find the church yard. We parked under a shady tree and entered the cemetery surrounding the church, full of ancient grave stones tilting in all the directions of the compass. My heart started beating faster. I could hardly wait to find My Great-Great-Great-Great Grandparents, John Walton and his wife Martha White, who have been resting here since the first half of the 19th century.

Our friend Donna made a beeline for the cemetery. I was suddenly like a competative 10 year old, racing her to the opposite side, determined to be the first to find the graves. Ruthann found a shady spot and started her survey from there, or was she looking for the gift shop? I was still disappointed that we didn't find any graves in Appleby Magna, but with an abundance of moss covered markers in every direction, I was sure we would be successful here. We weren't!

We spent over an hour and literally looked at every grave, most of them twice, and couldn't find one Walton, Although Ruthann gleefully pointed out that Donna found some Wrights and Walkers!

The Church was locked up tight. I walked around the perimeter trying every door I could find. The thought of prying open a window occurred to me momentarily, but even they were shut tight.

With no one around to ask, and our stomachs rumbling for a late lunch, we had no choice but to take a few photos and move on. Across the road, the sound of children playing in a nearby park was the only sign of life in Packington. We drove down the main street, but .didn't see a solitary soul walking around. There was no post office or shop. In short, no one to tell us about the village or the church. Reluctantly, we got on the motorway and, after a brief snack stop at nearby Asby de la Zouch, we headed toward our final destination, Cheddleton.

Next Stop: Cheddleton

Please go to my Picasa Photo page to see all the pictures from Packington by clicking here