Storm Brian passed through during our stay and here are a few photos to give you some idea of how strong the storm was
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Woolacombe
Hartland Quay
Thursday, 26 October 2017
A wet, wild, and windy time in North Devon
We have just returned from a week in North Devon. Over the weekend we went to Ilfracombe Folk Festival - run at the John Fowler Holiday Park.
Storm Brian passed through during our stay and here are a few photos to give you some idea of how strong the storm was
Ilfracombe
Storm Brian passed through during our stay and here are a few photos to give you some idea of how strong the storm was
Wednesday, 21 June 2017
The Royal Cheshire County Show
Today we visited this County Show - held at Tabley, near Knutsford. The Show has been held for around 175 years and was awarded "Royal" status in 2016. Here are some photos of what we saw
All the walking around and sitting in the heat worked up a thirst which we simply had to quench!
All the walking around and sitting in the heat worked up a thirst which we simply had to quench!
Tuesday, 31 May 2016
A mini-break in Worcestershire, Staffordshire & a bit of Shropshire - Bratch Locks, Wightwick and Boscobel
On the final day of our mini-break we visited Bratch Locks, Wightwick Manor (National Trust) and Boscobel House (English Heritage)
The Bratch Locks are a feature of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, near Wombourne.
They were planned by James Brindley, and opened in 1772 as a three lock staircase.
They were later re-engineered as three separate locks. They are served by two bridges, a toll house, and a keeper's cottage.
Wightwick Manor (pronounced "Wittick") is a Victorian manor house located on Wightwick Bank, Wolverhampton. It was built by Theodore Mander; the Mander family were successful 19th-century industrialists in the area
The Manor was designed by Edward Ould of Liverpool in two phases; the first was completed in 1887 and the house was extended with the Great Parlour wing in 1893
The house has Victorian gardens and the outbuildings house stables, a handmade pottery shop, studio workshop and an antiquarian bookshop
This family house portrays life during the Victorian era and is an example of the influence of William Morris, with original Morris wallpapers and fabrics, De Morgan tiles, Kempe glass and Pre-Raphaelite works of art.
The house was presented to the National Trust by Sir Geoffrey Mander in 1937. Descendants of the family retain rooms in the manor
We also visited the extensive gardens
For more details of the history of the manor click Wightwick Manor
Our final visit before returning home was to Boscobel House - which is just over the county border in Shropshire.
Boscobel House is a Grade II listed building in the parish of Boscobel (which is just in Shropshire). It has been, at various times; a farmhouse, a hunting lodge, and a holiday home; but it is most famous for its role in the escape of Charles II after the Battle of Worcester in 1651. Today it is managed by English Heritage. Boscobel is believed to come from the Italian phrase bosco bello meaning "in the midst of fair woods": in 1632, Boscobel House was surrounded by dense woodlands
Boscobel House was created around 1632, when landowner John Giffard of White Ladies Priory converted a timber-framed farmhouse, built sometime in the 16th century on the lands of White Ladies Priory, into a hunting lodge. John Giffard decided to make the farmhouse more useful by building a substantial extension to the south, including a living room and bedrooms more fitted to use by a gentry family. Giffard called the new hunting lodge Boscobel House
The house itself served as a secret place for
the shelter of Catholic priests, with at least one priest-hole. By 1651, when
Boscobel played host to Charles II, it was owned by John Giffard's heir, his
daughter, Frances Cotton. It was here that Charles II hid in a tree to escape
discovery by Parliamentary soldiers during his escape after the Battle of
Worcester ...
... and this is reputedly a "descendant" of the oak tree where Charles II hid.
For more photos of the final day of our mini-break click Bratch, Wightwick, and Boscobel
An action-packed three days - we're now home ... resting!
The Bratch Locks are a feature of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, near Wombourne.
They were planned by James Brindley, and opened in 1772 as a three lock staircase.
They were later re-engineered as three separate locks. They are served by two bridges, a toll house, and a keeper's cottage.
Wightwick Manor (pronounced "Wittick") is a Victorian manor house located on Wightwick Bank, Wolverhampton. It was built by Theodore Mander; the Mander family were successful 19th-century industrialists in the area
The Manor was designed by Edward Ould of Liverpool in two phases; the first was completed in 1887 and the house was extended with the Great Parlour wing in 1893
The house has Victorian gardens and the outbuildings house stables, a handmade pottery shop, studio workshop and an antiquarian bookshop
This family house portrays life during the Victorian era and is an example of the influence of William Morris, with original Morris wallpapers and fabrics, De Morgan tiles, Kempe glass and Pre-Raphaelite works of art.
The house was presented to the National Trust by Sir Geoffrey Mander in 1937. Descendants of the family retain rooms in the manor
We also visited the extensive gardens
For more details of the history of the manor click Wightwick Manor
Our final visit before returning home was to Boscobel House - which is just over the county border in Shropshire.
Boscobel House is a Grade II listed building in the parish of Boscobel (which is just in Shropshire). It has been, at various times; a farmhouse, a hunting lodge, and a holiday home; but it is most famous for its role in the escape of Charles II after the Battle of Worcester in 1651. Today it is managed by English Heritage. Boscobel is believed to come from the Italian phrase bosco bello meaning "in the midst of fair woods": in 1632, Boscobel House was surrounded by dense woodlands
Boscobel House was created around 1632, when landowner John Giffard of White Ladies Priory converted a timber-framed farmhouse, built sometime in the 16th century on the lands of White Ladies Priory, into a hunting lodge. John Giffard decided to make the farmhouse more useful by building a substantial extension to the south, including a living room and bedrooms more fitted to use by a gentry family. Giffard called the new hunting lodge Boscobel House
The Giffard family were Recusants - Catholics who
refused to participate in the worship of the established Church of England. For
them, this brought fines, imprisonment and discrimination: for priests it could
mean barbarous execution.
... and this is reputedly a "descendant" of the oak tree where Charles II hid.
For more photos of the final day of our mini-break click Bratch, Wightwick, and Boscobel
An action-packed three days - we're now home ... resting!
A mini-break in Worcestershire, Staffordshire & a bit of Shropshire - Witley Court
On day two of our mini-break we visited the English Heritage site at Witley Court.
Witley Court was once of the great country houses of England, reaching its peak in the Victorian period when it was the setting for extravagant parties and royal entertainments
The house and 40 acres were acquired in 2008 by a wealthy family for less than £0.9m, but remains in the guardianship of the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, and managed on their behalf by English Heritage since 1984
The two immense fountains have survived. They were designed by Nesfield and executed by James and William Forsyth, who were carrying out sculpture in the house and the church.
The largest, the Perseus and Andromeda Fountain, has been restored to working order by English Heritage. It spouts forth (and upwards) on the hour for about 15 minutes.
For more details of the history of this property see Witley Court
After Witley Court we visited Bewdley, then Whitlenge Gardens, and Droitwich before travelling to our hotel on the west side of Wolverhampton. For some photos of these places click here Bewdley etc
... and for some more of Witley Court click here Witley Court
Witley Court was once of the great country houses of England, reaching its peak in the Victorian period when it was the setting for extravagant parties and royal entertainments
It is now a Grade I listed building as well as being
designated a National Monument. It is a spectacular ruin after being devastated
by fire in 1937. It was built by Thomas Foley in 1655 on the site
of a former manor house near Great Witley. Subsequent additions were designed
by John Nash in the early 19th century and the Court was subsequently bought by
the Earls of Dudley in 1837.
The house and 40 acres were acquired in 2008 by a wealthy family for less than £0.9m, but remains in the guardianship of the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, and managed on their behalf by English Heritage since 1984
The two immense fountains have survived. They were designed by Nesfield and executed by James and William Forsyth, who were carrying out sculpture in the house and the church.
The largest, the Perseus and Andromeda Fountain, has been restored to working order by English Heritage. It spouts forth (and upwards) on the hour for about 15 minutes.
For more details of the history of this property see Witley Court
After Witley Court we visited Bewdley, then Whitlenge Gardens, and Droitwich before travelling to our hotel on the west side of Wolverhampton. For some photos of these places click here Bewdley etc
... and for some more of Witley Court click here Witley Court
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