Drive and Stroll, with Ron Freethy THIS week's stroll took me to the village of Gawsworth, which is a few miles above Macclesfield, once famous for its silk trade.

In the town itself there is a museum devoted to this industry.

Gawsworth has a magnificent half-timbered hall, a wonderful old church, a lake full of wildfowl and a real flavour of Shakespearean England.

Sleet was falling as I looked over the lake towards the manor house, dating mainly to the late 15th century.

It has a walled park and an orangery.

There are other historic houses in the area which have these features but Gawsworth also has a tilting ground.

You can still imagine the knights of old, galloping along with their lances held ready for action.

Tilting was the medieval equivalent of a European Cup football match, but potentially lethal.

Gawsworth Hall is still managed by the family whose knights ruled the tilting grounds and during the summer theatrical events are held which are very realistic.

Shakespearean performances are also a feature of the summer programme at the hall and these are positive connections with the bard himself.

Mary Fitton of Gawsworth left the hall to become one of the maids of honour to Queen Elizabeth I.

By all accounts young Mary was a bit of a flirt and there is more than a suggestion that William Shakespeare had a bit of a fling with the lass from Gawsworth. He probably wrote a sonnet especially for Mary and her identity was concealed under the title of the Dark Lady.

Mary Fitton's tomb is one of the features of the wonderful old church, which is separated from the hall by the lake. Gawsworth is a wonderful place at any time of the year but I love to stroll around the village in the winter.

I have been several times as the light began to fade and when flakes of snow floated around the lights of the village.

On one occasion the sound of a Sunday evening service blended in with the sound of wildfowl on the lake.

Just before the service started, I visited the tomb of the Dark Lady.

When I got home after a wonderful day exploring Gawsworth, I read the Dark Lady sonnets and listened to some Elizabethan music.

When I think about the millennium parties I want to make a point.

English history is not just for New Year's Day 2000. It is forever.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.