A while back (though I dare not look at the date, I feel it was a few weeks ago, but it was more likely into the months), I decided to visit Ada Lovelace. It would have been rude not to!

“But Annie, didn’t Ada die in 1852?” I hear you cry. She did indeed, but her remains….remain. So I went to say hi.

She is buried in the Byron family vault in Hucknall, along with her father, Lord Byron, and family members going back 200 years. Hucknall is super easy to reach from Nottingham, where Bad Squiddo Games is based, so one very straightforward tram journey later, we were walking up to the Church of St Mary Magdalene. It really is history on your doorstep!

The church dates back to the 12th century, with it being expanded over the years, notably significantly in the 19th Century. The Norman element is very clear on entry and was my favourite part of the building (don’t tell Ada). Who doesn’t love old wood and big stone blocks?

Upon entry, we were greeted by a lovely chap whose name escapes me – I shall get it on my next visit and write it down! I’m going to call him George for now. It might have been George. He welcomed us in and gave us a tour of the church, which really was fascinating. I had no idea there had been so much history here all along, and the church has many ties to Newstead Abbey, somewhere else I have yet to visit – though that will be fixed soon! I just about resisted signing up for their volunteer gardener program… this time.

While fascinating, I’ll refrain from going too much into the details of the church as a whole, as this is about Ada Lovelace, remember, but it was superb, with lots of original Norman fixtures and fittings, including a big lead font.

With Indiana Jones fresh in my mind, I think part of me thought we would go down some steps into the vault itself, but of course not. ABOVE the vault, in the sanctuary of the church (I think that is the term, behind where the vicar stands) is where you can access. I asked George if he’d take me down the vault if I slipped him a fiver, but he informed me it was last opened in 1938. I’ll try again on the next visit, though, I might have put the idea in his mind. Maybe a fiver and a cup of tea this time?

Here, I have attempted to show roughly where the vault lies in relation to the church and where you can get to. So you’re really standing on top of it all. Above are various memorials to Ada and her father, some very recent (he was big in Greece!)

It’s a weird feeling being so close to somebody you have been researching, even though she is long gone ( though apparently, in 1938, Byron was still very well preserved, even the erm…member). A feeling of, is this cool, Ada? I had a quiet word and told her it would be very cool and lots more people would hear her story.

George kindly offered us some tea and cake, and I know to never down church cake, for it’s always especially good. This gave us a chance to chat with some of the ladies who volunteered there and had some enlightening chats about Byron and Ada, as well as the history of the church. I told them about the project and that I would return, tiny Ada Lovelace in hand, to show them all. I hope to get an extra one painted too so I can give it to them as a neat little present. It will be the ultimate test of whether we’ve got the mini right, as these people spend a lot of time around her, they’re basically family at this point!

Who is the “we” I refer to throughout this? My mum, Lil! Yay, Lil! Here we all are in the church; I will make sure to get George’s actual name next time, but he was a brilliant host, full of information and a great sense of humour.

While on the face of it, the visit is not imperative to the figure design, it is for my sense of completion and research, as I like to get out where I can and not just be in books, and hey – it’s an excuse to visit somewhere new! I feel like I have more of a connection to Ada now, and I am looking forward to returning and seeing the lovely people again. It just feels more… rounded, you know? History is out there, in the streets! Or under the floor!

Next up is the design concept for the Ada Lovelace miniature, I’ll save it for the next entry. What do you think of this trip, are you tempted?

words by Annie Norman