Warwick Wonders

Yesterday I had a trip to Warwick. Such a beautiful town and with so much history. There are many timber buildings in the town that survived the great fire of 1698.

Look at the angle of the buildings

The timber beams are arranged in many different patterns 

I visited Lord Leycester Hospital a retirement home for servicemen dating back to the 1571.

Stunning

The white bear with the ragged staff or' baculus' part of the Dudley coat of arms.

Bear all

This chair is in the  chapel and is made from black Irish bog wood.

Intricate carving

This little chapel window was designed and made by William Morris.

Simple and beautiful

Roof timbers in the Guildhall.

Amazing structures

Entrance to the courtyard.

Guilds coat of arms

A beautiful courtyard. Many of the rooms are private residences.

Look at the shapes and patterns

A lathe and plaster ceiling in the cloisters.

Needing a little restoration

A linen press in the Great Hall.

Before the invention of the iron

Sailing boat and canon ball.

How many battles have the helmets seen?

Egret feathers on a officer's busby 1860.

A work of art

Officer's shako 3rd Hussars 1860.

Beautiful craftsmanship

I love the name of this road.

Two things to remind you what to buy

Daffodils in bloom on West Walls in Carlisle.

Spring has arrived

Snow on Snow

Spring is on its way as the birds are singing in the early morning and looking for twigs, moss and grass to make their nests. The daffodils are struggling to come into bloom.

We are having cold winds and still some snow. These are photos taken a few weeks ago. This is snow that has stayed protected from the warmth of the sun.

Snow on the edge of the road.

Hedgehog snow

Snow sand dunes.

Snow dunes

Snow on the road towards Alston.

A dirty snow verge

This snow was on the top of Hartside, It was about 60 cm high and had been pushed into the verge by the snow plough.

Dirty verge

Leaving Alston yesterday there was a surprise snow shower. The sky was very dramatic as snow was falling one side of the hill and blue sky appearing from the other side. The edge of the clouds looked as though they had been crimped. This all happened within a few minutes.

Illumination

The clouds drift apart to reveal the intense blue sky.

Drama and movement

Down in the valley there was no snow but the suns rays were very evident.

Rays of sunshine

You do not normally find giraffes in Cumbria.

Watching the passersby

I've got a crick in my neck

This castellated building is part of a farm at Clifton.

A tower of strength

What would it be like to live in this tower?

Where is Rapunzel?

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Sweetheart Abbey

Last Thursday we had a trip to Scotland to Sandyhills in Dumfrieshire. We stopped at New Abbey and had lunch overlooking Sweetheart Abbey. You need to spend time looking at architecture to see the detail and the skills of the craftsmen. These are the information boards about the area.

A history of the Abbey.

New Abbey is along the Solway estuary

The surrounding area.

More information

Sweetheart Abbey is a ruin.

Look at the detail

It must have looked very attractive in it's heyday.

These gates would not hold back invaders

A large part of the Abbey remains.

Gothic and Roman arches

This hill is called the Criffel and is 750 metres high. You can see it from England.

Look how round topped the hill is, like a child's drawing

An old wagon by the mill.

Has anyone seen my horse?

New Abbey village has some very old houses. For example this white house.

Situated down a side street

The green house looks as if it might have been a shop. Single storey cottages are typical of Scotland.

What did the shop sell?

You could imagine a pony and trap along this street in times gone by.

Sweetheart Abbey in the background

Sunnyhill beach was amazing. The tide was fully out when we arrived so we were able to walk along the beach. You had to be careful as the tide came in very quickly at different points of the beach.

A lovely soft sand beach

Rocks on the beach with the sea in the far distance.

You can just make out the sea on the horizon

The rock was as black as coal and the water made the rock shimmer.

Amazing colours accentuated by the water

 In places the rock strata was cracked into small segments.

The rock looks metallic

Some rocks were in layers like pancakes.

Layers of rock

Slices of rock

Cave formations were found along the beach. Half a cave. 

Enter if you dare

An overhanging cave.

Copper staining the rock

Lichen on the rock.

Curves and twists

Glowing rocks.

The rock looks as if it has been polished

Stunning.

Pinks purples golds and black

A mass of cockle shells washed up on the shore.

How many shells can you see?