There and Back

Wharram Percy is a deserted village in a beautiful, secluded location in the Yorkshire Wolds. The village is the most extensively studied of all deserted medieval villages in England. Excavations at Wharram Percy took place every year between 1950 and 1990 and reveal the rich history of the village and why it was eventually deserted. The village was first settled in the Bronze Age, though the first dwellings of which we have records date from the Iron Age, when two houses were established. By the Roman period there were five farm sites here, and finds of Roman tiles and tesserae indicate the presence of a Roman villa nearby. There was further settlement in the Saxon period and a corn mill stood here by the 9th century. A small chapel stood on the site of the current church in the 10th century.  From the 12th century there were two manors at Wharram Percy, known to archaeologists as North Manor and South Manor, the latter owned by the powerful Percy family. The Percy's...

Another drive along the Sound of Mull to Tobermory today, but a slower pace with time to explore. The locals decided that this would be a leisurely drive! That one in the front is coming straight for us Rosey! This time we have a better day and the colours of the house stand out better. Lunch and a good stroll around was the order of the day. These old vessels on the Sound of Mull looked great against the dark sky. The village next to where were staying was called Inverlussa. So next morning we thought to take a stroll down the road and explore as we had a trip to Duart Castle planned for the afternoon. Keeping an eye on the hedgerow as we walked, we spotted these Common Spotted Orchid, Dactylorhiza fuchsia Then we found a grasshopper - not sure of the variety. ... and then my favourite of the morning, a Fritillary butterfly Quickly followed by a Cinnabar moth. Then we came across a monument to Dugald MacPha...

Located in the south-eastern ‘corner’ of Mull, Loch Spelve is a large tidal body of water bounded by an unclassified single track road which branches off at its western end with one track running back along the southern shores of the loch to Croggan and the main track running west to Loch Buie. Being just south of where we were staying, it looked a great place to explore. Definitely an `unclassified single track road`!  We had read of the otters being seen here. On arriving to park, we were cruising along the Loch side when we spotted a woman, loaded with camera gear coming toward us. On speaking to her, it transpired that she and her husband (both keen photographers), were in the area photographing otters. Soon afterwards she caught our attention and we followed her along the loch as an otter went about his business on the loch side. Magic!  Another view of the lock and an interesting tree by the side  Curlew on Loch Spelve sh...