ONE OF THE BEST VILLAGES IN N DEVON, CLOVELLY.

Please click on these pictures to enlarge and do them and Clovelly justice.


These are pictures of one of the most beautiful villages in N Devon. It retains much of its character because it is closed to traffic and so remains unspoilt. The visitor centre which stands above the village is a bit in your face on entry, but thats about the only complaint. The steep, cobbled, narrow streets remain exactly how I saw them 44 years ago.These streets are very steep in places so please wear stout footwear (especially in the wet) if you visit.The donkey pictured is one of several that still work these traffic free streets, bringing supplies to the houses, shops, pubs on large sleds pulled along by them.The ascent from the bottom is available by a Land Rover which skirts the village.Just as a by the way there are two tea houses and two pubs which you can use as rest points on the journey. On the day we visited we took our friends Karen, Pete and their son Dave from Gloucester with us, they appear in a few photo's. PLEASE CLICK ON ANY PIC TO ENLARGE.

THE WEST SOMERSET RAILWAY (Part 1 the station)

This blog called WSR is all about steam trains and stations and other associated things. Now, I can hear some of you say how boring, well I'm afraid to some it will be, to me it is something I have always loved from way back in my trainspotting days (around 51-52 years ago). This station in Minehead, Somerset is based around mainly steam and is run by staff 95% of which are volunteers.There are also both Diesel and diesel electrics used on some occasions,the station itself is much as I remember them from back then with those lovely smells and sights. Believe it not there are even unlocked waiting rooms.All this combined with water towers, coaling docks, repair sheds,manual signal boxes, I could go on and on. For those of you who have never experienced these things please please do visit this or any heritage type steam station.The actual trains they run on this line will come in later blogs(I'm afraid). Above is a picture of a train(Dinmore Manor) which they are fund raising to restore back for use, the railway is also fund raising for an engine turntable here at Minehead. (Below) A signal unit and views of the sidings including an old diesel train.As a by the way there will be no technical jargon ie wheel configurations etc as I'm not into it that heavily.
This is a picture from the far end of the platform looking back to the station.The railway runs around the Somerset coast for around 20miles calling at 9 stations along the way ending at Bishops Lydeard and can connect with regular trains to go on from Taunton.
This picture (above) from the end of the platform shows the road crossing on the outskirts of Minehead its only 400 yds from the station.Below a real signal box which is manned all the time the station is open
Below is an ex buffet car permanently sited on the station siding and turned into a cafe/restaurant.For those of you who are interested in more info go to www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk

DUNSTER CASTLE.

This is the slightly uphill walk from the car park through the portal door to the entrance of Dunster Castle.
This view of one of the entrances and coat of arms reminds me that I must try to put my family coat of arms in a blog sometime.
The Castle area also contains a tenants hall, garden keep, gazebo, crypt, lemon hse, orangery plus lovely well kept stables and visitors shops.
The pay and display car park is next to the castle but also covers acres and acres of beautiful parkland for you to exercise your dogs or do what lots of families were doing, going for a days picnic at, I must say a very reasonable price.
If ever you are in this area Dunster town itself is really olde world and mostly unspoilt and worth a stroll through the narrow streets. One of the castles approach roads leads right into the village (200mtrs).
These are views of the car parks, gardens, parklands and coast from the highest point available to us on the day.
As you can see there were running repairs being done on the castle battlements when we were there, so parts of it we were not able to visit.

A few weeks ago we visited Dunster castle in coastal Somerset.The day we picked was ideal, warm bright and sunny. (see more at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dunstercastle)
The Castle itself was probably built in the 13th century and a gateway from around that time still survives.It went through a major remodelling in about the 1860s to 70s, it was owned by the Luttrell family who lived there for over 600 years, then given to the national trust in 1976.The castle stands on a wooded hill 85 metres above sea level commanding lovely views of the Bristol channel and the Quantock hills.The Castle stands in beautiful parkland with gardens and terraces which are well kept and worth a visit.The houses interior has loads of interesting rooms, artefacts etc but interior photography is not allowed so those I cant show you.

ITS THAT TIME AGAIN (oct 07)

The photo's here were taken on the hills over looking Porlock one evening about three weeks ago.

The 21st Oct and as the title says its that time again, nearly the end of the caravan season and soon time to tuck it up for the winter. So a quick line to keep my blog going until the end of the month when I have four months to blog away to my hearts content on the long winter nights (sorry about that). This is our last week at the van and we hope to do a trip on the steam train from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard, so we'll hopefully get a few good pictures for a future blog. I have always loved steam trains, from way back in the days of trainspotting.

A LITTLE HUMOUR.

So this aircraft crashed headlong into a(Pikey) gypsy encampment killing a few of its occupants, later that day in heaven there was a knock on the pearly gates and when St Peter answered there stood about 15 or 16 of the gypsies. Can we come in said one, to which St Peter thought a moment and said "I think I had better check with god" and off he went, and said to god"i've about 16 gypsies outside at the pearly gates asking to come in what will I say" "blimey" said god "thats an awful lot to let in at once at this time of day just let in a dozen for now , let them decide for them selves which ones come in. So back to the gates went St Peter, when he arrived they were gone, so back to god he rushed shouting"they're gone they're gone my goodness they're all gone"Calm down calm down" says god "what do you mean they're all gone what all 16 of them""yes yes" says St Peter and the gates too.

A little girl goes to the barbers with her father one day,while watching him getting his cut she is eating a large cream bun and getting a little close to the barbers chair, so, he turns to her and says "sweetheart your gonna get hair on your muffin"to which she quickly replies" yes I know and I'm gonna get boobs too".

One day the junior school teacher is telling the smaller children the age old story of Chicken Licken,she comes to the part where chicken licken tries to warn the farmer and so, she reads chicken licken went up to the farmer and says the sky is falling the sky is falling, the teacher then pauses looking around asking who knows what the farmer said? a little girl in the corner raised her hand saying "I think he probably said Holy shit a talking chicken, for the next 10 minutes the teacher was unable to teach.

LUNDY ISLAND (part two).

Please Click on any Picture to enlarge it.



I now its a bit cart before the horse but please read Lundy part one first.These two pictures show the habour and landing jetty on the lovely quiet, picturesque island of Lundy,the first from just a few hundred yards up the long (for me) haul 400 or so feet up to the top. The second was taken above Millcombe house almost to the top and a well earned rest. One thing for sure is Health allowing we will be back next year to see what we didnt manage this time.
While on the Island we half hoped to see Puffins but neither ourselves or anyone we spoke to on the return trip managed that.
Looking down on, directly in front the "Marisko Arms" and central, people sitting outside the well equipped little shop where we bought Lundy's own postage stamps.The church is in the background.
(Above)This is a view from the window of a disused cottage,who the hell would move from there.
This picture is of the disused hospital and workers cottages, it has such a beautiful view it must almost have been pleasant to be in here.They are around a third of the way along the path (we only managed a few hundred yds more)
These photo's show how flat the ground is once you have reached the top.The Heather here makes a lovely contrast with the grass and rocks.
In the photo below, Sue, with the long central path disapearing into the distance.

Below the path as it leads away from the jetty toward the top and a well deserved rest and a little drop of tea ( or what ever is your tipple).