Friday, April 10, 2015

Five on Friday

Joining in this week with  Amy and Five on Friday.  Click on the link at the bottom of this post to find others who are joining in too.

On the edge of the lovely, historic little town of Much Wenlock in Shropshire stand the beautiful ruins of Wenlock Priory. 


Founded by the Normans as a priory of Cluniac Monks 


The Priory stands on the site of an earlier Anglo Saxon monastery founded in 680 by King Merewalh of Mercia whose abbess daughter Milburge was hailed as a saint, her relics were found here in 1101 and the priory became a place of pilgrimage.


I could describe to you the beauty and tranquillity of the grounds as we wandered amongst the ruins in the bright warm early afternoon sunshine. 


I could tell you of the banks of primroses around the ruins and the delicate spring flowers growing on the soft grey stone


  but for my Five on Friday I want to show you something else that can be found here,  come with me........


for in the cloisters near the monks' refectory and lavatorium or bath house are some very well known and admired topiary animals and birds


some of the figures were hard to identify but I think I've found five that I can possibly put a name to, so,  what do you think?


Bear? It looks like a cuddly teddy bear.

Definitely a Squirrel



Mouse or Hedgehog?

Duck?



got to be a Cat


I have one more to show you......


When I first saw this one I thought it was a baby bird but now I'm thinking it's a mole with its big snout and huge paws?  Am I right?

More Five on Friday posts here -


26 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing, you have just put Wenlock Priory on my must visit list. Love the ruins and thank you for giving some background history, makes it more alive. and WOW to the topiary. I think you seemed to have guessed them right.

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    1. Thanks, hope you get to visit one day the town itself has some wonderful historic buildings too:)

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  2. This is so fascinating that they found the relics after all those years. I love the topiary animals. Really lovely photos and history.

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  3. Oh Much Wenlock is lovely, we are just close enough to be able to go for the day. The Topiary is fabulous, I love the bears - so cute! I'm not sure about the last one but leaning towards a Mole. What a brilliant idea! Have a lovely weekend x

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    1. It is a great place isn't it? We can get there for a day trip too:)

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  4. A lovely post - I like Much Wenlock, it was nice to 'revisit' here!

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  5. Great topiary! I think the last one is a work in progress! x

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  6. I like the mouse topiary , oh if only I had the space for one that size! x

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    1. I think the mouse is my favourite too:)

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  7. I always love going on your adventures with you! These topiaries are great aren't they, I love the mouse one. When I first saw the last one I thought immediately of Big Bird from Sesame Street, no idea why though other than the big holes that made me think of big eyes! I don't think that is what is supposed to be though!!! Thank you so much as always for joining in! I hope that you have a great weekend. xx

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    1. I'm still leaning towards mole on the last one but then again it does have a birdy look too:)

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  8. How fabulous, I thought baby bird too, but think you might be right with a mole!

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    1. It could be either but I'm leaning towards mole:)

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  9. What a beautiful place and I love the topiary.

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  10. What a beautiful place. I love Primroses xx

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  11. The topiary are fantastic, so sweet, and the photos are the old priory are beautiful.

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    1. Thanks, thre grey stone in the sunshine was lovely to photograph:)

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  12. Every now and then I get a "I've been out of the UK too long" moment and the primroses made me feel just that - awww flowers from my youth, they can't be beat! Well done on your new career as a topiary zoologist, I think you did very well. I have a topiary swirl at home and can't tell you they are not as easy as they look to create. Is the last one a dormouse?!
    Wren x

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    1. Ooo - it could be a dormouse couldn't it? Primroses always remind me of school nature walks and the nature table:)

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  13. Hi Rosie, I've called in via Amy's Five On Friday. Much Wenlock is one of my favourite places, I shall be there in a fortnight's time for the annual poetry festival. Hope you are enjoying your weekend. x

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    1. Oh, how lovely - a poetry festival sounds wonderful in such an historic place:)

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