Salisbury

On our journey from Dorset to the Cotswolds we spent a morning in Salisbury.  We didn't have too long to linger but managed to park not far from the Cathedral which had been towering temptingly above the rest of the city as we found our way along the ring road.

Down a couple of alleyways and out onto the street leading up to the 13th century Cathedral - it really is a most beautiful building.  It was built in just 38 years from 1220 to 1258.  The spire was added between the years 1310 to 1333. At 404ft  it is Britain's tallest spire.

We spent quite a while wandering around the outside and gazing up and its ornate, carved walls

We went inside the cloisters and walked both sides, past the shop and cafe.  Apparently these are the largest cloisters anywhere in Britain - they were magnificent!

It was all very quiet and peaceful away from the hustle and bustle of the city itself.

So many lovely photo opportunities within the stone structures and decorations.

I loved the few words below

Below is a view of the cathedral across the western close from the door of the museum

The Sculpture below is one of several 3D installations in and around the cathedral close from a distance he looked almost real but as you get closer you can see how large he is.

The work entitled 'Catalfalque' or 'Lying Man' is by Sean Henry and was part of an exhibition entitled 'Liminality - toward the unknown region'

Salisbury museum is housed  in the grade 1 listed 13th century building known as King's House and was well worth a visit. It has lots of super geological and archaeological displays about Old Sarum, Stonehenge and the Amesbury Archer as well as the Pitt Rivers Collections, superb costume galleries and wonderful paintings - especially those of Salisbury Cathedral by J M W Turner and street scenes by Louise Rayner whose pictures I always admire when I see them.  There is also a lovely cafe where we indulged in coffee and cupcakes.

The pretty house above was just a little way from the museum still in the close.  It is called 'Arundells' and was the home of former British Prime Minister Edward Heath.  Apparently when he died he left it to the nation but I saw an item on the BBC news only last week that said that the upkeep of the house and gardens had become too much and that the property is being sold.

October

This week has been very glum owing to the almost constant rain, except for Thursday when the sun did come out for a while, my not feeling too well and the annoying fact that someone drove into the back of our little car!

After a whole week without leaving the house because of a horrible cough and cold I was ready to get out into the fresh air.  Little car is still drivable but has to be sorted out on Monday so we decided to stay fairly local
and take our usual turn around the lake at Trentham.

September had turned into October without me noticing but this morning the sun was out again

The paths were very wet after the rain of yesterday but somehow that added to the autumnal feel.

We saw lots of interesting fungi - I've never seen so many different ones as this year - I expect the weather conditions have been right for them.

After walking around the lake we strolled around the gardens which are still looking lovely

The horse chestnut had shed its conkers all over - they were so small - is this something else caused by this year's weather - or had they just been dashed by yesterday's rain and fallen too early?

The Fruits of Autumn

Some of the lovely hips, hawes, sloes, brambles and berries we saw on our walk this morning

Aren't they all such wonderful, rich and glossy colours?

We went on one of our favourite walks this morning at Consall Nature Park.  We follow the white route through the woods as it climbs up and up through the trees

 It was quite cool this morning but it wasn't long before the sun began to filter through the trees

 My knees were beginning to protest as we climbed  higher and higher to find our favourite seat

 Which has the most spectacular view across the valley

After a short rest and a cup of coffee from the flask it was times to descend via the purple route down over the river and railway line to the canal.

 As we walked along the canal the steam train from the Churnet Valley railway passed us by

 After a further walk up a country lane we re-joined the white route and wandered past the fishing lakes

 on our way back to the car.

We'd been walking for about two and half hours but it didn't seem like it; time passes quickly when you are having fun!

At Lyme

I think the day we spent in Lyme Regis was the hottest we'd had all week.  It looked positively Mediterranean  as we sat sipping early  morning coffee on the terrace at the back of  a small store next to the museum.  We were last here about 15 years ago;  our first ever visit was about 30 years ago - our first holiday together almost a year after our wedding.

We had a rather traumatic start to our recent visit!  As we were walking down the hill from the car park an elderly man came running past us down to the road where the path to the town lies against the stream.  He'd left a lady, presumably his wife, in a wheelchair by the entrance to the path and was in a hurry to get back to her.  Unfortunately, in his haste, he didn't notice the step down onto the path and as he pushed the chair forward the poor lady hurtled out of it, onto her face and nearly rolled into the stream.  We rushed to help - Paul managed to move the wheel chair and set it upright whilst I and another passer-by helped the distraught man pick the frail lady up and sit her back in the chair.  She'd grazed her face and hands but otherwise seemed unhurt just shaken.  The local lady gave them directions to a chemist shop.  She stopped for a word or two and when we said we hadn't been there for about 15 years she smiled and said 'It hasn't changed' - she was right!

Well,  actually some things had changed - there was an extension to the museum with a new entrance and shop but inside the main building it seemed unchanged.  We spent ages wandering around, Paul looking at the geology displays and me absorbed in the displays about Mary Anning, Jane Austen and John Fowles.

The town was just as I remembered it!  The first time we visited the town looked different because it had been artificially 'aged' with old shop and inn signs, with plastic cobbles down the main street and half a huge sailing ship near the Cobb - filming of John Fowles's novel 'The French Lieutenant's Woman' had just been completed and some of the film-set alterations were still in place.

The little bow windowed houses along the front looked smarter than they used to.

The beach, harbour and harbour wall known as The Cobb still looked as wonderful as I remembered them.

We walked along the Cobb right to the end -  up on the wall for a while but then came down the stone steps to the lower walkway.

When we first visited we stayed in a small hotel called The Old Monmouth and we found it,  still opposite the church but no longer a hotel - just a private house.

Over the road, in the churchyard, we found the grave of Mary Anning, whom I wrote about in this post, and her brother Joseph.

In the church we found the window dedicated to Mary Anning paid for by members of the Geological Society in 1850, three years after her death.

Of course, we visited lots of the fossil shops as well!  I loved the shop bottom left, it had Alice's homemade bears and bear kits (as seen on Kirstie's Homemade Christmas) at street level and fossils below. 

Above, a few more scenes at Lyme - next Charmouth, Bridport and West Bay.

Shaftsbury

I'm heading away from the coast for a while to take you to Shaftesbury.  We stayed in a lovely 'eco house' BandB near here.  It was a fairly new timber framed house in the small village of Ludwell.  Only a short walk away was a lovely village pub where we had a gorgeous evening meal.  Paul had the chef's Fish Pie and I had goat's cheese, almond and sun-blushed tomato risotto both were very tasty and left no room for a pudding.

We were certainly ready for food as we'd expended a lot of energy here

walking down

and then back up

Gold Hill - famous for the 1973 Hovis advert, of course!  The volunteer warden of the church at the top told us that everyone he spoke to after they'd visited Gold Hill always thought that it was in Yorkshire!

A thatched cottage at the bottom of the hill

 

Sun and Moon Cottage at the top was a priest's house

There were lovely views over Blackmore Vale from the Abbey gardens.

We'll be back to the coast for the next post at one of my very favourite places - Lyme Regis!

Another Diversion

I've been given a blog award by lovely Kathy at Postcards from the P.P. (Paradise Peninsular).  Thank you very much Kathy!

I have to list just five words that sum up my motivation, philosophy and experience of blogging!  Oo-er!

Well here goes...

Communication 

Recording

Reflection

Rewarding

Visual

I now have to pass this on to ten other blogs.  As you know I always find it difficult to do this as some of the people I'd pass it on to have already received the award and others like to keep an award free blog so I'm going to say, as I usually do, if you want to take the award away with you and list your five words please do, because you are all wonderful bloggers of substance!

It is a lovely bright day here today; very warm and sunny!  I think we've taken a step back into summer again.  I've just been for a walk down into town to do a little bit of shopping.

It's great to be able to still walk about with bare legs and no socks - even though shoes have replaced the summer sandals.

I took with me my constant companion over the last few weeks - a gorgeous bag made by the lovely Diane at Heart Shaped which came in the post along with some tasty Yorkshire goodies just in time for my birthday.

I love it!

Coastal Scenes

After our visit to Dunster we drove through Blue Anchor Bay to Watchet.  Here are just a few scenes from this lovely little town.

The Harbour at Watchet

Over the Harbour wall, Watchet

The Ancient Mariner Statue, Watchet Harbour

After lunch in a lovely little cafe on the main street we drove back through Blue Anchor Bay and down towards Porlock and Porlock Weir.  Porlock is surrounded on three sides by the hills of Exmoor

Porlock High Street

The Lorna Doone Hotel, Porlock

Dovery Manor Museum, Porlock

Porlock Weir looking out to the Bristol Chanel.

Coastgard cottages, Porlock Weir

Shingle beach, Porlock Weir

Looking back towards Porlock Weir village

It was time to drive back to our B&B; visiting Dunster, Watchet and Porlock in one day was not only very tiring but left us feeling as if we had just 'scratched the surface' there is so much to see and do along this coast that  we have decided to return very soon and spend a whole week around these places so we have the time to discover more of their history and heritage and enjoy some of the coastal and moorland walks.