Sunsets golden light
on patchwork Dartmoor valley
autumn equinox
Category: Devon
Traces of the past
It’s Traces of the Past at Paula’s black and white Sunday this week, so I thought I’d bring this old weaving loom. I believe it’s from the early 1960’s.
It can be seen at Coldharbour Mill, in Devon.
The Weavers Song
The loom goes click and the loom goes clack
The shuttle flies forward and the shuttle flies back
The weaver’s so bent that he’s like to crack
Such a wearisome trade is the weaver’s
Now that it’s made into cloth at last
The ends of work they all make quite fast
The weaver’s labours for now have passed
Such a wearisome trade is the weavers.
Anon, circa the Industrial Revolution.
Does this look like . . .
your kind of garden?
Hill House is a small, independent nursery at Landscove, Devon. Driving the last three miles to get there isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, it’s a single track lane with pull-ins in case you’re unlucky and meet a tractor. if you’re the passenger and don’t have to concentrate on the road, the views are spectacular. The road from the Devon Expressway takes you up Love Lane, Whistley Hill, Chuley Hill and Cabbage Hill!
Hill House is really worth the drive, it’s the prettiest place, with unusual plants, very friendly people and the best cakes, all made on the premises. 
They don’t mind you wandering around the garden,
On a sunny day it’s a peaceful spot for lunch, cream tea (cream first, then jam of course) or some of that cake. 
The borders are densely planted, if you fall for something, you may find it in the nursery. 
There are narrow paths that open up to little surprises.
One of the paths leads to St Michael’s church.
Which has a Victorian broached spire and is very pretty inside
and has a Grade 11 listed, slate -roofed, buttressed lychgate.
Back to the garden,
For a last look down another path.
I’ll show you the nursery soon, I think you’ll love all the reclaimed items it has.
This is a scheduled post, be back soon.
An odd image . . .
. . . just because I like it!
Buckfast Abbey
I regularly drive past the sign for Buckfast Abbey, a place I hadn’t visited since I was a child fifty years ago. A return visit was long overdue.
Benedictine monks first arrived there in the early 11th century, but the monastery was destroyed in 1539, during Henry V111th’s dissolution. In 1882 a group of French Benedictine monks settled there and a slow rebuild began.
This is what happened next.
What an achievement.
Impressive doors.
Once inside, initially I was distinctly underwhelmed, until I stopped comparing it to the Cathedral in Exeter. 
The vaulting is different but interesting.
A beautiful screen.
And some pretty chapels.
Buckfast is a peaceful place, the part that filled me with joy was an amazing stained glass area, where photography was not allowed. I’d go back just to see that again. I did manage to buy a postcard of part of it, 
But you will get a better idea here.
Now, once I went outside to the gardens, I really started to enjoy Buckfast. There’s a lavender garden, but it was past it’s best, as well as a sensory and a physic garden.
So this is Buckfast, a tranquil place to spend and hour or two. They have a restaurant and gift shop, as well as a conference centre. Visiting, and parking is free, so if you’re driving along the Devon Expressway why not call in?
I’m tempted to link to Jo’s Monday walk, because I didn’t sit down for a couple of hours even if i didn’t walk very far, and I don’t think she’ll tell me off!
Vintage Ashburton
So just now I was talking about Ashburton and it’s abundance of vintage shops, and it seemed rude not to show you.
And there were more!
Ashburton centre really only has two streets, but they are full of charm, here are some views.
So who’s a fan of vintage? if you are then you’d be in heaven in Ashburton. I’m not, it’s too twee for my taste. Having said that, I wouldn’t say no to an old typewriter or some cameras!
Dinosaurs and sand between your toes
If you’re three years old and the beaches near home are grotty shingle, when you feel sand between your toes for the first time, it can be quite overwhelming, you have to pause and take it all in.
Especially if you’ve just met a life sized dinosaur and been on a train for the first time ever.
But when you’re one and a half, it’s still a bit mesmerising, but if daddy’s there to throw you up to the sky,
then everything is really good fun!
A Seascape Framed
Paula says,
If you want to participate in Thursday’s Special challenge, link to this post and leave me links to your entries in the comment section bellow. Yesterday I started a poll where you can vote for your favourite “shadow” entry. The poll will be opened till next Wednesday, 17 August. For further themes and events please consult the Scheduled challenges page.
Traces of the past
Paula’s back with her black and white Sunday challenge, and ‘Traces of the past’, will be a regular theme as it’s so popular – I love it!
I found these figures in a little church, St Mary the Virgin, in the village of Uffculme, Devon. The church was probably founded in Saxon times, but first gets mentioned in a charter of 1136. The figures are in 17th century costume.
Paula is always happy to have people join in with her challenge, pop over and see her!
Weekly Photo Challenge, Opposites
Hey WordPress guys, could you come up with an easy prompt once in a while please? Only joking, know it’s a challenge.
Opposites. Well Exmouth, my closest beach, is opposite the nature reserve across the estuary at Dawlish Warren. Here is the nature reserve at low tide, in winter when its a rest stop for migrating birds, as well as a permanent home to a variety of birds.
Now, the depth of field makes this look different from the reality. The grassy sand dunes are on the south west of the Exe, while the yellow apartment blocks are on the north east, with a mile of water in between.
Does this second photo help or hinder? I promise you that nature and manmade are definitely opposites here!
Looking down from the balcony of my favourite Pimm’s hostelry, the sand spit on the opposite side of the estuary is Dawlish Warren nature reserve.
Lucid Gypsy 