Posted in around the UK, career, It's my life, Travel, walk 1000 miles 2020, tagged architecture, travel uk on December 14, 2020| Leave a Comment »
I’m working in Croydon for the next 9 days, so not holding out for too much of interest on my daily excursions. A very built up area, most of the houses are rather large or sprawling bungalows and lots of apartment buildings.
However, I did spot this little gem….Heron Croft circa 1493. How awesome is that!! I warrant the area was a tad different back then.
After getting rained on twice, I said ‘@#$% it’ and returned to the house. Not a good start and only managed 4kms….oh well…onwards
Posted in around the UK, england coast path, gratitude, historical houses of the uk, It's my life, long distance walks - solo, photography, seaside towns of Britain, Travel, walk 1000 miles 2020, tagged isle of thanet, long distance walking, sunrise photography, sunrise walks on the east coast, walk1000miles, walking the English coast on December 13, 2020| 3 Comments »
Got in a very respectable 15.9kms this morning. Starting off with a fantastic sunrise….red sky in the morning and all that
I headed up the coast to Stone Bay via Broadstairs where I stopped off at my favourite tearoom The Old Bakehouse for almond croissants (best ever) with a cup of coffee, which I enjoyed on the promenade, and fed the sparrows some toasted almond crumbs.
Enroute I strolled past the Dickens Museum – although he didn’t actually live here, it was the home of one of his characters in David Copperfield; Betsy Trotwood.
By the time I reached the end of Stone Bay the wind had come up and that promised storm blew in…with a vengeance.
Before heading back to Ramsgate, I bought some bird seed and scattered it amongst the bushes for the wee sparrows.
The wind was so strong along the foreshore that my walking poles were blown backwards and I had to plow into the wind.
Despite the wind and cold and rain, I had a fantastic walk. The harbour looked very different when I got back from when I left just after 7am
And tomorrow I’m back to work. I don’t feel as if I’ve had a proper break.
But I did have a most wonderful afternoon with my lovely family…Christmas tree decorating. I’ll write about that tomorrow..
Posted in around the UK, cities and towns of the UK, Domesday Villages of England, historical houses of the uk, It's my life, Travel, walk 1000 miles 2020, tagged domesday book town, english history, exploring Shepton Mallet, Shepton Mallet Somerset on December 12, 2020| 4 Comments »
And suddenly I was on the home straight with just 19 hours to go and I’d be on my way. My final break was taken in town and I followed some of my more favoured routes and managed a decent 6.8kms, albeit with a reduction in my time off again 🤔🤔🤔
When I first arrived in Shepton Mallet 12 days ago my heart sank…it looked dull and grey with no defining features beyond grey walls and grey houses, a massive Tesco store and the distinction of being mentioned in the Domesday Book….and the oldest prison in the country looming large…and grey 🤨🤨
But as usual I set out to explore and managed to find lots of interesting nooks and crannies, a great number of interesting houses, some of which are Grade II listed.
Three other houses of historical interest:
Longbridge House : with links to James, Duke of Monmouth and the Battle of Sedgemoor July 1685. Now a B&B. With parts dating back to the 14th century the house is best known for being where the Duke of Monmouth stayed before and after the Battle of Sedgemoor in 1685.
Old Bowlish House : I was delighted to note the old English spelling…first house name I’ve ever seen in old English. Built around 1618, this Grade II* clothier’s mansion was modernised by the Georgians c.1735 and the Victorians c.1860.
Downside House – Georgian House 5 bedrooms 3 bathrooms…I’ll have one of each 😃
exciting finds, although I’m pretty certain there were quite a few more dotted about. After all, in its past, Shepton Mallet used to be a very wealthy town built on the wool trade
I found and walked a small section of the Roman Fosseway, and explored the greater countryside, walking many sections of the East Mendip Way. I discovered the wonderful viaducts, one of which carried the old railway – now disused. I explored the beautiful Collett Park and stretching myself I walked to Downside, Bowlish and Ham Lane.
I squelched along muddy public paths, slipping and sliding and climbed some interesting stiles 🤪🤪🤪 One of my favourite sections was between a steep field and the small holdings along the River Sheppey where I met lamas, horses, goats and chickens.
I walked along narrow roads and lanes and prayed that the tractors that had left their treads in the mud right at the absolute limits of the lanes, didn’t decide to come either up or down the lanes while I was walking along…they didn’t. Whew! I would probably have had to either climb under or over …or resort to climbing into the hedges that towered along the sides.
I managed to find many items of interest after all…I thought my options were out, but no.
Some houses had little plaques remembering past residents who went off to war and never returned
Although the architecture is mostly solid grey stone
I did find some older painted houses, albeit peeling and covered in mould….the reason for the stone houses was more apparent. The town is mostly located in a very deep wedge between hills, the Mendip Hills, and a great number of houses are built right on the rivers edge.
I found what used to be a Priory
I’m totally intrigued by the bricked in doors and windows of many of the older houses, and am curious to know when and why they were sealed off.
Addendum – Many thanks to Grace for sending me this link in the comments. The reason why windows and doors were boarded up…governments eh 🤪🤪🤪https://www.amusingplanet.com/2018/04/why-do-many-historic-buildings-in-uk.html?m=1 anything to squeeze more money out of their citizens.
The church was beautiful albeit locked so I never got to go inside 😔 and the market cross is beautiful
And after yesterday’s walk and 2 weeks of indoor walking I’m now closer to my 2020 target of 2020kms. Hoorah. It looks like I may just reach my target by 31.12.2020
As usual, saying goodbye to the pets is sometimes the hardest part of leaving
And so ends my sojourn to Shepton Mallet. Its been quite a stressful job, and I’ll be glad of my 48 hour break before starting all over again on Monday in Croydon 🤪🤪 thankfully only 9 days….
At the moment I’m in transit, first train and nearly in London ….1 tube ride, the HS1 to the coast and a taxi ride away from the Airbnb where I’m staying this weekend.
Posted in around the UK, Fun Stuff, long distance walks - solo, Travel, walk 1000 miles 2020, walks around the UK, tagged 101 walks, country walking long distance walking, hiking the byways of the UK, stiles and kissing gates, walk1000miles on December 10, 2020| 1 Comment »
The highways and the byways of England. Personally I’m not a fan of stiles, some of them are murder to get over, especially when carrying a heavy backpack, and most particularly towards the end of the day… and I’ve often just sat down on the sticking out part and refused to budge 😖😖😖
But eventually I have to just get on with it and drag myself over.
Now, give me a kissing gate and I’ll be happy…even though some of these are so narrow I have to take my backpack off and sling it over separately – at least I don’t have to climb over it.
Unfortunately, if you’re going to be daft enough to go traipsing across the country, there is no doubt that you are indeed going to encounter more than your fair share of stiles…
Now this is more my ‘style’ – sorry couldn’t resist the pun 😁😁😁
Posted in around the UK, england coast path, Fun Stuff, gratitude, seaside towns of Britain, walk 1000 miles 2020, tagged coastal walks, long distance walking, sunrise at the coast on December 10, 2020| 3 Comments »
I really miss watching the sunrise on the coast. Sunrise is always lovely but when you’re living in a town or city, the view could be obstructed. I’m usually based in towns in the countryside and my routine doesn’t allow me to get out, so when I’m back at my base I try to get out every day.
I’m hoping there’s good weather on Sunday and I get a repeat of this ☺☺
Posted in around the UK, cities and towns of the UK, Domesday Villages of England, Historical, It's my life, Palaces and castles in UK, Travel, walk 1000 miles 2020, tagged Bishop's Palace Wells, cathedral cities of England, city of Wells, domesday book town, english history, places to visit in england on December 8, 2020| 2 Comments »
Unexpectedly, I had the opportunity to visit Wells last week. What a delight. The weekly market was in full swing and people bustled about buying Christmas presents and savouring the delicious aromas that wafted through the air. I saw some amazing wreaths and was tempted to buy one, except I have nowhere to hang it, and a 6 hour journey to the Thanet coast on Saturday.
I had 2 hours to explore and made the most of the time…..and spent most of it in the Bishop’s Palace 😁😁 which left me with 10 minutes to visit the cathedral. Fortunately we’re going back later this week so I can have a proper visit.
Home to the Bishops of Bath and Wells, the palace, founded in 1206, has been the Bishop’s residence for more than 800 years. The great medieval bishops – Jocelyn, Burnell, Ralph of Shrewsbury, and Beckynton – developed their palace next to the city’s ancient wells. For centuries, water flowing from these wells has shaped the landscape; the buildings and the gardens of this site.
Wells, a cathedral city, located on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills, has had city status since medieval times, due to the presence of Wells Cathedral. Often described as England’s smallest city, it is actually second smallest to the City of London.
Wells takes its name from 3 wells dedicated to Saint Andrew, one in the market place and two within the grounds of the Bishop’s Palace and cathedral.
A small Roman settlement surrounded them, which grew in importance and size under the Anglo-Saxons when King Ine of Wessex founded a minster church there in 704. The community became a trading centre based on cloth making and Wells is notable for its 17th-century involvement in both the English Civil War and Monmouth Rebellion.
Wells was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Welle, from the Old English wiells, not as a town but as four manors with a population of 132, which implies a population of 500–600
William Penn stayed in Wells shortly before leaving for America (1682), spending a night at The Crown Inn.
I had a wonderful time exploring the Bishop’s Palace and am looking forward to seeing the Cathedral more fully on Thursday.
Inside the Bishop’s Palace
Posted in around the UK, Fun Stuff, gratitude, Inspiration, It's my life, photography, tagged frosty days in winter, Mendip Hills, origami, winter photography on December 8, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Okay so it’s not actually Friday but it sounds good 😁😁 Frosty Tuesday doesn’t quite sound the same.
But…..look at this!! I thought this leaf looked like an origami creation.
It’s a beautiful blue sky day in the Mendip Hills and I’m hoping that the fog doesn’t come in before I go on my break at 2.45pm….but I’m not holding my breath.
Yesterday also started off as a blue sky day but by the time I went on my break at 12.30pm….this is what I had to contend with.
Mind you I don’t mind foggy days, they have their own beauty, but I would love to see some more clear skies.
Posted in around the UK, Fun Stuff, tagged JJ and Amy, Strictly Come Dancing on December 6, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Since I’m no longer active on Facebook or Twitter I guess I just have to post a comment here.
I’ve been watching Strictly Come Dancing from its inception in 2004. I haven’t always watched from the first week, mostly because of work, but I’ve usually picked it up and watched as many episodes as possible as the weeks have gone on.
I’ve had my favourites and I’ve voted, voted, voted and voted again, and been disappointed when my favourite couple have left the show, unless they’ve gone through to the final, in which case I’ve cheered loudly. 😃😃👏👏👏
But this is the first time in all these years that I’ve cried at the departure of a couple….JJ and Amy are out of the competition. 😪😪
Could you find a more lovely couple anywhere!? It would be difficult.
JJ is that rare breed; a true gentleman. And Amy is just the loveliest young lady.
He’s been a joy to watch as he’s grown and developed into a stunning dancer, with his crowning glory; dancing the Charleston to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Perfect and just fab.U.lous!!!!
Last night I voted more for them than I’ve ever voted for any other couple. But sadly it wasn’t enough. My heart dropped with dismay when the red light fell 😔
The only good thing about them being in the dance-off was that we could watch that joyful dance one more time. 💗💗🕺💃
But sadly they were not saved. I love Jamie and Karen too and its really difficult at this stage of the competition because the couples have all developed so much and are all fabulous….like thousands of other SCD fans, I’d like to see them all go through to the final.
And so we say goodbye to JJ and Amy, I shall miss your beautiful presence next week…..you were my favourites.
Posted in around the UK, Health, Interesting articles, other peoples blog, tagged farming, farming for the future, giving nature a chance on December 6, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Today’s blog, written by NatureScot agriculture officer, Kirsten Brewster, details a new trial in Scotland, which gives incentives to farmers and crofters to manage flower-rich meadows, help vulnerable populations of wading birds thrive, restore peatlands, and manage other nature-rich areas. Hawthorn hedge and ox-eye daisies growing on a field margin. ©Lorne Gill/NatureScot Piloting an Outcomes […]
A new way to benefit nature on farms and crofts
I enjoyed reading this article and thought I’d share it with you. I love the concept and applaud those farmers and crafters taking part. Hope it takes off across the UK
Posted in around the UK, conqueror challenges, england coast path, Fun Stuff, Health, long distance walks - solo, memories of days gone by, Travel, walk 1000 miles 2020, walks around the UK, tagged for the love of walking, long distance walking, walk1000miles, walking solo, walking the English coast on December 5, 2020| 14 Comments »
I’ve had some amazing walks the last few years since moving to the east coast. The scenery along the Thanet coastline is really beautiful, especially at sunrise on a clear day, and then sunset. You can catch a gorgeous sunrise from Broadstairs or Ramsgate, and if it’s a good day, an equally gorgeous sunset from Pegwell Bay or Margate. I’ve been known to rush over to Margate to catch the sunset or a quick walk to the cliffs above Pegwell Bay.
I’ve always loved walking. As a young girl, in my 20s’ when I lived in Hillbrow Johannesburg, I used to spend the whole of Sundays just walking around the suburbs for hours on end. I used to walk to work every day, up the hill and down the other side….right up until I was 8 months pregnant, and then my boss wouldn’t allow me to walk anymore and insisted one of the staff take me home by car and collect me the next day.
I lost my walking after my daughter was born and my husband bought me a car. By then it wasn’t that safe to walk alone anyway and I got lazy.
When I arrived in the UK, my love of walking was reignited. I lived in Dublin, Rep. Of Ireland for 6 months and my sister, brother-in-law and I used to walk everywhere, especially on weekends when we’d head out to Dún Laoghaire or Glendalough and the Wicklow mountains. In fact we travelled to so many places, I’ve quite forgotten all but the most memorable. I do remember though being able to walk home from Dublin to Monkstown late at night and never feel unsafe….and my love walking, freedom really, was reborn.
I remember one weekend when we walked across country from Waterford city to PassageEast in the County of Waterford, took the ferry across the River Barrow to Ballyhack Lower in County Wexford, then walked to Arthurstown and onto Duncannon…and in reverse the next day. One of the many fun excursions from my 6 months there.
On most of my overseas trips since, I’ve invariably planned a 10 day stay and walked….everywhere, and included a day trip to another destination. When I visited Venice I literally walked around all the accessible islands and usually started at 8am and walked till late at night exploring every nook and cranny. Actually, after Ireland, Venice was my very first trip to Europe and albeit terrified, I loved every minute.
I’ve since walked 80%+ of the streets in the City of London….much of my free time was spent exploring every court, lane and street, and I walked a fair amount of the City of Westminster too. When we still lived in Richmond, I often walked along the Thames riverbank, either downstream to Kew Gardens or upstream to Kingston and even Hampton Court. Even in the snow 😉
When we moved to Broadstairs we used to walk along the beach to Ramsgate. I always thought it was quite far, but its actually only just over 3kms. Now that I frequently walk in excess of 20kms and occasionally as much as 35kms, it seems absurd that I thought 3kms was far 😁😁
During my last stay, I walked along the beach from Ramsgate to Stone Bay and back, and one morning I enjoyed a sunrise walk to Viking Bay…of course I stopped off at The Old Bake House and bought a take-away coffee and my favourite pastry; an almond croissant then sat on a bench on the promenade to enjoy my treat.
Its such a stunning section of the coast and offers much of interest to see. Stretch your legs and walk to Margate… fantastic route, especially along the beach.
A few weeks ago I decided to walk to Sandwich (for the 3rd time) in order to increase my mileage for the Conqueror 2020 Challenge. Somewhere along the way I hatched the insane idea of walking the whole of the English coastline….I know…bring on the strait jacket. I blame it on the moon 🤭🤭🤭 I’ve walked as far as Dover so far. Of course Covid-19 has held back my horizons, but I’m hoping to get out more frequently in 2021.
I love walking and one of the benefits of my job is that I get to travel all over England, often times to places I’d never heard of…and then I walk…
But my walking got a real sense of seriousness when I started training for the Portuguese Camino in 2017, and started following the #walk1000miles challenge in 2016. That really got me going. I struggled at first to get into walking daily, bought my first pair of walking poles (still have them 😄), a decent pair of walking shoes (asics) and I’ve never looked back, now I find it difficult to not get out for a walk on a daily basis and get quite tetchy if my walking is interrupted ….😉
Show me a path and I’ll walk it….
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