A few days before our recent trip into Wales we met up with some friends from Nottingham to have lunch first at the Denstone Hall Farm Shop and Cafe and then to have a look at Croxden Abbey which isn't very far away.
I've taken you to Croxden a couple of times before - here - and - here - but this time it was great to share the experience with friends.
We wandered around together and then on our own just taking in the beauty of it all.
We thought about those early times as the Abbey welcomed its first few monks to the area.
We thought about and indeed talked about how it must have been for them.
We spotted masons' marks and marvelled at how hard they must have worked to provide a suitable place for those monks to worship and to live. Sometimes the building of these places would span a whole lifetime.
We also thought about those who had passed through the buildings as residents or visitors, about the farmers, labourers and animals who had sheltered here and about those who had walked this way when the building became the ruin you see today.
My friend Robert wrote a post, wonderfully called A Tapestry of Stone, about Croxden on his blog - here - is a link to his thoughts on his visit.
We've not been to Denstone lately. It's lost some of the personal touch since it expanded and the new butcher isn't half as good as the old guy was - I wish I knew where he went. He lives in Derby so it's probably not far away from me!
ReplyDeleteI've seen the signs for Croxden but I've never actually driven up the road to take a look. I really should. We've done picnics on the side of the JCB lake before now - so it's really very close.
I like to walk around the JCB lake they have interesting water birds on there. The food in the cafe part of the shop was lovely but I always have the vegetarian option so would know about the meat. I wonder if you can find the butcher you liked and if he has moved to a similar place?:)
DeleteIt is a lovely spot there, I'm glad you enjoyed your day out.
ReplyDeleteWe had a lovely day, a belated birthday treat:)
DeleteWhat a lovely place to visit Rosie...love your photographs.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Debbie glad you enjoyed them:)
DeleteAn interesting place to visit x
ReplyDeleteIt is a lovely place to visit:)
DeleteSo much drama and atmosphere in the photos. What a great place.
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo
It is very atmospheric, Amalia:)
DeleteIt looks very atmospheric. I haven't heard of it before but it does look well worth a visit.
ReplyDeleteIt is a very peaceful place attatched to a farm with animals in the fields around and just a few houses close by:)
DeleteIt's always good to visit places with other people, you seem to get more out of it as you all notice different things. And I think chat helps too. Enjoying your visits to parts of the country I can't get to.
ReplyDeleteGlad you have enjoyed the visit, Katherine - I always see things differently when other people are around to bounce ideas off and also have a chuckle with too, sometimes:)
DeleteIt is lovely to get to share places you like with others isn't it! Glad your friends enjoyed it! xx
ReplyDeleteYes, it is good to visit places you love with other people and see their reactions and hope they love it as much as you:)
DeleteSuch wonderful photographs. A place like this really would make you think back on all the lives that were connected to it. I love that first shot of the ruins and that massive tree inside the wall. To think how old even the tree must be makes you appreciate how long the abbey has been in ruins.
ReplyDeleteWendy
Yes, I think it is the mystery of the history of the place - not just the religious side of it - but how it affected the people who work on it, in it and around it before and after the Dissolution, that is the most intriguing:)
DeleteI love that old stone work. x
ReplyDeleteWonderful isn't it?:)
DeleteThis is a place that I'm not familiar with. I think I see some modern graffiti in addition to those masons' marks. This abbey reminded me of a visit to Fountains some years ago - it was autumn and dusk and there was such an amazing atmosphere. Thanks for sharing your visit Rosie and enjoy these beautiful days of autumn. Marie x
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marie - you too enjoy autumn's beautiful days. Fountains Abbey is wonderful isn't it?:)
DeleteThere are so many of this fantastic little places dotted around Nottinghamshire - I plan to visit more of them in 2016 as it's not an area we have explored much Still plenty for us to disvover and I plan on using you as my guide and inspiration xxxxx
ReplyDeleteMy list of places to visit gets longer and longer. Croxden is in Staffordshire near Rocester, There are some priory ruins near Eastwood which look interesting I think its called Beauvale, there is also Felley Priory too:)
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