Show english mayors mayor cottage Is relic of mighty past if cottages could talk what tales the lord I ord Ala mayors cottage at barton mills england would have to tell notes a writer in the washington post there would be stories of viking raids in anglo saxon days of the invasion of william the conqueror the signing of the magna charta and the pomp and pageantry of medieval england its history Is british history the date of the cottage Is not known bit but it certain it Is that the vikings figured in its construction the lower beams are fashioned of chestnut which was used in the tenth century before oak became popular the upper beams came from viking ships wrecked in the wash of the sea nearby the shape of the gon dola like vessels can still be seen in the larger beams it antedates arrival of the normans in 1060 1066 it got its name from sir henry de barton who lived nt at barton mills and was lord mayor of london londo in the fifteenth century there are e ight eight rooms in the ancient cottage in the hall may be seen the trunk of a small tree the anonymous builders take time to cut it down but merely included it in the structure |