Exeter Cathedral, N.T. Properties & things

Sue and I took the bus into Exeter twice. The second trip we visited the Cathedral which dates from 1050. The architecture, as with all British cathedrals, is magnificent. Unfortunately there was scaffolding up at the entrance hence the exterior side photos.

 

The cathedral is well known for its misericords, minstrels gallery, astronomical clock and library.

 

Parliament Street is a 50 metres (160 ft) long street in Exeter. It links the High Street to Waterbeer Street and dates from the 14th century. At about 0.64 metres (25 in) at its narrowest and approximately 1.22 metres (48 in) at its widest, it has been claimed to be the world's narrowest street, although this title actually belongs to the Spreuerhofstraße in Reutlingen, Germany

     

Above right – Sue at rest after a hard day

The outdoor pool at the caravan site

Yours truly getting in very slowly. Brrr! It was heated, a bit.

We visited two National Trust properties in the second week. At the first Compton Castle you pass this wonderful thatched barn at the entrance.

Compton Castle is more a fortified manor house with high curtain walls, towers and a portcullis. Home for nearly 600 years to the Gilbert family, including Sir Humphrey Gilbert - half-brother to Sir Walter Raleigh.
                                           The front

Part of the rear

We had lunch in the garden and were entertained by this robin.

The second NT property was A la Ronde on the outskirts of Exmouth.

This is a quirky 18th-century house with fascinating interior decoration and collections.
This unique sixteen-sided house has to be visited if you are in the area. It was built for two spinster cousins, Jane and Mary Parminter, on their return from a grand tour of Europe in the late 18th century. It contains many objects and mementoes of their travels.
The extraordinary interior decoration includes a feather frieze, gathered from native game birds and chickens, laboriously stuck down with isinglass. There is also a fragile shell-encrusted gallery, said to contain nearly 25,000 shells. This cannot be visited, because it was being damaged by visitors,  so it can now be viewed using a touch screen 360 degree virtual tour.

Diagram of the house

Exterior view

 

How we used to live – I remember using a jug and ewer when on holiday in Staithes, Yorkshire. Have you used one?

  

Looking around these NT houses tires you out

Part of the shell collection, seen from a distance

    

Early morning along the Exe estuary

 

This concludes our September trip away.

Oldie Photo:

Stuart in Holland 1975

Out and about near Dawlish, Devon

Dawlish Warren beach huts

Cockwood Harbour a mile from the caravan site. The main line to the south west is just behind me  - so not the quietest of places.

The Tour of Britain came close to the caravan site at Starcross. I had heard nothing about my entry this year so I went down to watch. This must have been a good day for the criminal fraternity in the area and for errant motorists because all the local police seemed to be involved in this event.

Police motor cyclists clearing the route

The leader followed, very closely, by a motorcycle cameraman

 

That’s ‘Wiggo’ in the Sky shirt – he didn’t wave to me!

Part of the caravan site – this is just one half

I rang Sue up so she could come out of the caravan and give me a wave.

It’s that time of year again – Heritage Open Days
We visited four properties in Exeter

The first was the Mint which is a restored former refectory building in which the monks of St. Nicholas Priory once dined. Unfortunately, we could see only a small part of it because half of it is rented out and the deal is that they must make their part available to view on certain days. They had gone out (on purpose, who knows?).
We then crossed the road to see St. Nicholas Priory – an Elizabethan town house.

Lunch is ready. Look at the decoration – very impressive

Lion’s head decoration

 

Sue in the bedroom

We then moved on to Tuckers Hall – this is a 15th chapel converted in to a meeting hall in the 16th century. It is the only surviving trades guild in Exeter of ‘Weavers, Fullers and Shearmen’
The panelling and wagon roof is well worth seeing

 

Carving detail

Our last visit was to Exeter Guildhall. This has been the centre of Exeter’s civic life for more than 800 years. We were given a comprehensive tour including the cells where they now keep the booze for the civic functions.
                Sue having a breather in the reception room

Congratulations should go to the organisers of the Heritage Open Days in Exeter for the informative pamphlet and the fact that they had 48 properties involved

Exeter Civic regalia

On the prom at Teignmouth

 

Teignmouth Harbour – very picturesque

Washing on the beach – comment from a passer by’ I wouldn’t hang my smalls out for everyone to see!’

Just hanging around

   

Teignmouth promenade from the pier – which is still being repaired after the storms

Dawlish in the winter – remember the railway was washed away amongst other things (photo of a photo)

 

This rig is part of the £8 million project to increase the resilience of the sea wall in Dawlish following the 2014 winter storms – the photo was taken from the top deck of a moving bus, hence the poor quality.

Below – photo taken off the  ‘Dredging Today’ website

              There is still more to come of our visit to Devon.

Heading West – Street, Somerset

In early September the schools go back so we head off. This time we went to Street, Somerset (well known for the Clarks Village Outlet Shopping ) and to a caravan site near Dawlish.

The first caravan site, Redlake Farm, is close to our friends Norman and Maya, who live in Street. The on site facilities were a ‘work in progress’ , but the grounds were lovely as can be seen from our caravan. Somewhere under the green grass are the remains of a Roman villa – this was excavated by ‘Time Team’ a few years ago. There were no Centurions marching around.

There were two National Trust properties fairly close to Street. The first Lytes Carey Manor is described as ‘an intimate medieval manor house with a beautiful Arts and Crafts garden where you can imagine living.
Originally the family home of Henry Lyte, where he translated the unique Niewe Herbal book on herbal remedies, Lytes Cary was then lovingly restored in the 20th century by Sir Walter Jenner.’
The topiary is quite extraordinary.

 

Main Hall photo from a postcard – sorry

Sue in the garden

   

Evening meal with Maya and Norman at the caravan

Another meal photo

Congratulations! Norman’s 100th geocache

 

Norman and I found about 40 geocaches on two outings.
There is some lovely countryside in Somerset.

Visit to the The Shoe Museum, Street

Left photo – a Pedoscope for viewing children's feet inside the shoe. This was actually an X-ray machine and was used until the 1970’s when Health and Safety caught up with them. Do you remember these? I do.

Right photo – A shoemakers bench with tools.

 

Shoes from various era

 

Maya, Sue and myself went to a quilting exhibition in a church in Martock.

There must be thousands of hours of work in here. Very impressive!

The second National Trust property we visited was Montacute House. ‘Montacute House is a masterpiece of Elizabethan Renaissance architecture and design. With its towering walls of glass, glow of ham stone, and its surrounding gardens it is a place of beauty and wonder.
Sir Edward Phelips, was the visionary force and money behind the creation of this masterpiece, which was completed in 1601. Built by skilled craftsman using local ham stone under the instruction of William Arnold, master mason, the house was a statement of wealth, ambition and showmanship.’

The garden

 

Interior views

 

Norman is a keen boat modeller and took us for a day at his local lake (my request) and Maya provided the tasty lunch. The weather was superb, but no wind for the sailing boats, maybe that’s why he let Sue and me control his boat. Sue won the raffle and sent me to choose the prize. I thought the bottle of wine looked good, but better get something Sue might like so I chose the box of chocs and a bottle of cider – the chocs didn’t last long!

  

Slow progress

Fire fighting model boat

 

Maya and Sue overlooking Cheddar reservoir

You must be wondering, by now, if we visited the Clarks Village Outlet Shopping – we did three times. I even bought shoes, trainers, shorts etc. so I don’t need to go to the shops for a couple of years. Needless to say Sue came away with a reasonable amount of booty.