Bridport West Bay - a dip in the sea.

19 June 2014.

We'd spent a short time in West Bay before the walk to Golden Cap. The water looked tempting, but we hadn't brought our swimming gear. Memories of a cycle ride to Cromer from a few miles inland some years ago told us that swimming in cycling shorts and then wearing them to ride isn't the greatest of plans and probably much the same is true of walking clothes. 

The next day we packed swimsuits and towels, and decided to ride to West Bay, maybe swim a bit, sketch a bit, nip into Bridport to look for a present for a four-year-old, and generally chill out.

The first swim had to be faced before coffee, and though the water was not as balmy as Cromer had been it was less cold than some we've known.  The air was warm as well so no shivering fits on emerging! And we have photos to prove it.

Coffee at the beach café - much classier than Charmouth's. And a sight of a Harris hawk which deters the gulls. They were making one hell of a racket at the sight of the hawk, though its handler claimed it wouldn't predate anything as large as a gull.

We cycled into the town, a lively place, and managed to find presents and a card, and arrange to pick them up by car later.

A picnic lunch and an hour or so sketching near the harbour, a ride along the seafront, and another dip brought us to five o'clock, so we decided to buy fish and chips, from one of the stalls  rather than make the effort to cook dinner after a fairly active day.

We bought Dorset Apple Cake again and took it home unsquashed!

Most photos by Harry.

Swanage and Durlston - June 16 2014

The road from Bridport to Dorchester has fine views of the coast, and the rolling hills. Between Wareham and Swanage you pass Corfe Castle, with its unbelievable setting. I don't think I've ever seen castle ruins looking so castle-like.

Swanage itself has the familiar air of English seaside towns - a cool breeze, people paddling with shorts on or skirts lifted delicately over the knee,  apart from the odd brave person in a swimsuit. Then we have ice-cream stalls, cafés and of course the dreaded amusement arcades.

Vivid memories - the blissful expression on Hazel's face as she went round in the teapots, and Joseph's was nearly as good.

Others: Joseph's mega meltdown when he couldn't keep losing more money on the twopence machines, and the feel of seawater and sand between my toes. Seems all the boy wanted was the lollipop he didn't win. . .

I went to buy goodies for lunch, bread from a bakery, the rest from Budgens supermarket.

Then it was back to the cars, and we decided to visit Durlston Castle Country Park. Easy peasy, the signs are there until we reach the town centre, when suddenly the powers that be expect you to know the way. We do a quick extra circuit of the town centre, then make a false turn before choosing the correct route. After a mile or so, there's another sign. Brilliant labelling, Swanage!

We're hungry now, so we eat, then make our way to the castle - built between 1887 and 1891 by George Burt, owner of Durlston Estate. He hoped to develop the estate as a spa, and he was one of those enterprising Victorians with a fascination for science and learning, as a walk round soon shows.

Picture by HH

Joseph's fascination with stairs distracts us from our original objective of the coffee shop, and leads us through an exhibition of original artwork by local artist Joe Colquhoun for the comic strip, Charley's war, and out to the Great Globe, a 4 ton Portland Stone construction with a sea view. Plenty of opportunities for him to use his new mini binoculars to peruse the boats on the sea, and a helicopter which flies over. And lots of scrambling up and down on steep grass.

by HH

The Great Globe (HH)

The Southwest Coast Path runs through the Estate, and we follow it past a tree which demands to be climbed, and then Tilly Whim Caves - too dangerous for humans now because of rockfalls, but all the better for bats and birds.

(HH)

Joseph is very keen to run on towards the lighthouse.  I go with him and Harry Esther and Hazel follow with the pushchair.  The wall stops and we have a rougher track down and up. Hand holding is enforced.The Lighthouse is now holiday cottages.  

(HH)

(HH)

Alas, you can't visit the light, the old one is wrapped and out of use - they use LEDs now. No we can't get in - not even to meet Sky High and Huggy*, whoever they are. (Even though they texted us to say we should meet them there - a grandmotherly ploy to keep us moving). We'll have to rearrange the meeting with them at the car park.

On the way back we find ourselves falling behind the others - no tempting objective in view, but distractions all the way. 'I'm just building a nest for my binoculars.'   'That's a Joseph path' - one I've marked out as safe for a hands free few yards.  'I need to climb the tree.'  I parcel out two or three minute permissions until it's close enough to tempt him with the café. But the others - no, not Sky High and Huggy - send a text that they're in the car park. A carton of juice and a piggyback later, we rejoin them.

*Fly high and huggy from a Cbeebies game!

I should have a few more photos to add. Taken by Harry.

Slower walking

I have been to a couple of nature reserves this week - and spent a bit of time in bird hides just looking.

The Egleton centre at Rutland Water with its many lagoons and hides is always worth a visit.

I was there for three or four hours, and saw lots of the usual suspects - ducks, geese, coots, common terns, great crested grebes and also egrets and a glossy ibis.

There are usually a few people around to chat and share their knowledge, and yesterday was no exception - many thanks to the ex-engineer from Nottingham for letting me peer through his telescope as well.

Today I went to Pitsford Water Nature Reserve. (click to read the details)

I've been meaning to investigate this for a while and for the princely sum of £2.50 it's well worth it. I didn't have the zoom lens, and saw nothing unusual but plenty of grebes, swans with cygnets, coots with chicks, and lots of tern diving and skimming the water. There was a large hornet at one of the hides - I didn't hang around there for long. Other insects were in evidence too, damselflies, dragonflies and butterflies of various sorts - speckled wood, and one tiny blue among many others. 

Hardly any other people to be seen. It was good to walk more slowly on such a hot day. 

London aquarium visit - Nov 2011

Posted now because I found it hidden away as a draft from 2011!

This drinking lark is a serious business!

I love the patterns on the rays.

Staunton Harold Hall

Visited on 11 May 2014:

cock of the walk on the path to the lake

Staunton Harold Lake

Gateway

church

the hall from one of the footpaths

We made our way to Staunton Harold Hall on a rainy day. The grounds are open, and parking costs at weekends, but it's a place I'd never visited in spite of having lived relatively close at one time.

I remember hearing my mother talk of it as a kind of care home (Leonard Cheshire home), when she was a nurse up to the 1980s.

Now it's a private home, with owners who are not apparently keen on the EU, but there are a garden centre, the Ferrers Craft Centre and beautiful grounds. There are public footpaths which cross the grounds too, including the Ivanhoe Way. 

We had time for a wander round between showers, took some photos and ate our picnic lunch in the car - a reminder of childhood!

And from our visit to Alloway in April

Originally posted on June 1st 2014|

I'm posting this now, because the cottage contrasts strongly with Isaac Newton's Woolsthorpe Manor.

Last April we spent a week in South Ayrshire, near the Forest of Galloway.  This was one of the few days we didn't go out walking or cycling. 

Instead we made for the town of Ayr, with its long beach and busy if slightly run down town centre, then called in at the Burns Museum and Cottage in Alloway. 

As I'm not a Scot I knew little of Burns apart from 'red red roses', 'wee sleekit,  cow'rin', tim'rous beasties' and the custom of addressing the haggis in late January.

Harry in contrast was brought up with his dad's readings from "Tam o'Shanter".   And I have now read it here .

Tam crosses the bridge keystone just in time, but Meg loses her tail to the witch Nanny in her  cutty-sark.

The Brig o Doon

The auld Kirk

Mother Shipton's Cave

An expensive-for-what-it-is tourist attraction, though it claims to be one of the oldest in England!

The man managing the entrance is very helpful and enthusiastic, providing us with a treasure hunt sheet which is a bit beyond a four-year-old. 

The setting is superb, in the valley of the river Nidd, close to the soaring viaduct, with the steep rise of the town nearby.

Across the river chequerboard painted houses, flowery gardens, a parade of riverside cafés and boats for hire. Inside the park itself woodland walks, a couple of playgrounds which will provide some entertainment - though you may have to play yourself, even if you are over the age of twelve.

The cave itself and the story are interesting. Mother Shipton was the illegitimate daughter of a local girl who fled to the cave for safety, refusing to disclose the father of her baby.  The audio recorded story told for children is a bit scary for little ones, mainly because of the witchy voice.  The petrifying well is bang up to date with a racing bike to celebrate the forthcoming Tour de France Yorkshire Départ. 

We make our way along the path, past some tepees and this wagon, occupied by a dummy.

We walk past a log with coins hammered in. We make a rubbing of the old pennies.  Everywhere's a little muddy this morning.  

At the cave, Rose declares that she's not going to put her hand in to make a wish. And definitely doesn't want to listen to that witchy voice.  

But we do see a dipper flying in and out of a nest hole near the petrifying objects - mainly teddy bears which are sold later in the gift shop.  The dipper flies to and from the river a few times. That's the highlight for me.

No coffee shop open in the park itself, so I buy Rose an ice-cream, and then we go out into the lower part of the town, and walk over the bridge  and then along parallel to the river.  

The sun's shining now, so we sit outside one of the riverside cafés, before walking back. Lunch at a picnic table by the river, another half hour or so on the playground, and it's time to drive back to the city. 

Laxton, Notts

Famous for its surviving remnants of the mediaeval open field system,it also has a large church, which underwent some restoration in Victorian times. 

I'm not sure they're making the most of the tourist potential!

There are the mounds of a motte and bailey with a wide view. Access via a very muddy bridleway.

It's also one of the highest points in Nottinghamshire - not an upland county.