There and Back

Storm Babet which hit Britain on 19th October, caused huge amounts of damage in Scotland and other parts of the UK including where I live in the Suffolk area. Most of it was water damage, as it dumped huge rainfalls in several places. Met Office figures show between Thursday and Saturday morning, 79mm fell in Charsfield, Suffolk. That's a little over three inches in two days. The rain was even heavier further north. In Angus and Aberdeenshire, in Scotland, some areas had 200mm of rain. The name Babet was selected by the Dutch weather agency KMNI - and was named after a woman who visited an open day at its headquarters and put her own name forward, with the additional reason "because I was born during a storm". When the weather abated a little, I recorded some pictures in our area. The view from the front of our bungalow showing how water encroached on our side of the river for the first time since we have been here - some 23 years. Luckily, the land slopes away from us as...

We recently had a pleasant couple of nights in Lyndhurst in the New Forest, which allowed us to explore some wonderful woodland scenery and glorious trees, of many shapes and sizes. A general view of the forest with a carpet of autumnal leaves. Shapes of branches Patterns on trees - gnarled trunks Looking down, there were fungi to be seen. An important part of the life of these areas. Then there were other lives to be seen in the shape of ponies and piggies! Dotted about were remains of trees which sometimes make an interesting pattern.  Then, of course, you could try to hug a tree - but what a whopper to hug! All in all, we had a a wonderful time wandering in a couple of areas of the New Forest. I was a bit disappointed that we were not able to photograph the deer - even though we went to a recognized watching area. We did spot someone on the far side of the area who probably spooked them. But that's lady luck for you!     Index of posts  

On our break in the New Forest, we stayed in a great place called The Stag, in the centre of the town. It was just great `all round`. The food was good, the staff brilliant and the accommodation comfortable, clean and quiet. We would go back another time if in the area. We were amused by their preparations for Halloween which they appear to put a lot of effort into.  This fellow was positioned in the entry hall, so that he detected your presence and started to dance and play his guitar - brilliant! These two were in the restaurant / bar area along with numerous smaller objects dotted all around. Magic! We didn't have time to explore Lyndhurst itself, apart from me wandering one afternoon to see their spectacular church on a mound looking down on the town. I saw it in passing and obviously (for me) had to have a look. Situated at the top of the High Street, Lyndhurst Parish Church is dedicated to St. Michael and All Angels. For a village of modest size, it’s an incredibly imposing,...

Today, a visit to Morwellham Quay. Firstly, a brief description of today's destination which is an historic river port in Devon that was developed to support the local mines. The port had its peak in the Victorian era and is now run as a tourist attraction and museum. It is the terminus of the Tavistock Canal and has its own copper mine. The open-air museum includes the restored 19th-century village, the docks and quays, a restored ship, the George and Charlotte copper mine which is toured by a small train, a Victorian farm and a nature reserve with trails. In July 2006, UNESCO (the cultural arm of the United Nations) awarded World Heritage Site status to the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape area. Morwellham is strategically sited at the centre of the Tamar Valley Mining District which, together with nearby Tavistock, forms the easternmost gateway area to the rest of the World Heritage Site. The site has been imaginatively preserved to give an impression of Victorian indust...

Buckland Abbey is a Grade I listed 700-year-old house in Buckland Monachorum, near Yelvertn, Devon, noted for its connection with Sir Richard Grenville the Younger and Sir Francis Drake. It is owned by the National Trust. It was founded as a Cistercian abbey in 1278 ] by Amicia, Countess of Devon and was a daughter house of Quarr Abbey, on the Isle of Wight. It was one of the last Cistercian houses founded in England and also the most westerly. The remains of the church are about 37.6 metres (123 ft) long. The width across the transepts is 28 metres (92 ft). The nave and presbytery is 10.1 metres (33 ft) wide. The Exeter diocese episcopal registers show the abbey managed five granges at Buckland plus the home farm at the abbey. A market and fair at Buckland and Cullompton were granted in 1318. In 1337 King Edward III granted the monks a licence to crenellate - that is to build battlements on the walls. In the 15th century the monks built a Tithe Barn which is 180 feet (55 m) long and ...

We had been looking forward to visiting Plymouth and found ourselves blessed with lovely weather today. We left the car at a Park & Ride and got off at The Barbican, which is the name given to the western and northern sides of Sutton Harbour, the original harbour of Plymouth in Devon, England. Boats in Sutton Harbour The Mayflower Steps is a commemoratve area in honour of Pilgrim Fathers who set sail for the New World in 1620. I think this spot is symbolic rather than the actual spot. The Leviathan or Barbican Prawn The Barbican Prawn standing 33ft tall and unveiled in 1996. Official name The Leviathon El Galeon. 17th Century Spanish Galleon Replica The huge ship which sailed into Plymouth in September and moored at Barbican Landing Stage. The full-size replica of a 17th century Spanish galleon was original due to visit the city in August, but it was postponed due to the bad weather. Since September 13, visitors have been exploring the 'living museum', which was scheduled t...