What a wonderful Venue.

 Todays blog is about a place quite close to home, only about 6 miles away on Devon's Haldon hills.This is the Haldon Belvedere or St Lawrence Castle.This three turreted tiny Castle lies on a hill top about  250 metres above sea level with fabulous panoramic views.It was built in the 1780s by Sir Robert Palk an extremely wealthy business man who acquired his fortune in India.The Castle was originally built as the centre piece of his huge estate, on completion it was dedicated to Major General Stringer Lawrence the founder of the Indian Army. The castle is in a cleared area in a small wood with well kept lawns, Rhododendron and Azalea's bushes flower for long periods during spring and summer
The Castle is available to view or to hire for functions such as private dances,Weddings, large birthday parties etc. It also has a Civic marriage licence, so you can do it all in one building, the Wedding ceremony, the reception and the beautiful Balcony flat for the Honeymoon, also it has a licence to sell Alcohol at functions.
Here is the original road bridge (re pointed obviously), this now joins with the new Tarmac road.
Do click on any picture to enlarge it.

This is the original old  pathway used by both Horses and carts to cross the bridge to the Castle.

The old path now joins the new, with a first glimpse of the Castle.

Below This here is the view as you pull into the car park, me and my car are parked in front of the castle.

Another view.

Each piece has its own door, which when open on summer days makes a lovely open room.

If you fancy a night or two here in this unique setting, in the rooftop flat then its possible. How many friends will have stayed alone in a Devon Castle ???? then look in the link below for details. This link (copy & paste) has every thing you need to know about the belevedere. Please do click on the Blue writing under the pictures in the link to give you a full 380 degree panoramic views.
http://www.haldonbelvedere.co.uk/Home_Page_.html

Joke of the day.
A man walks into a bar and notices an attractive but older woman sitting alone on a stool. The man approaches her slowly, sidling along the bar,eventually asking "may i buy you a drink?" The woman turns slowly to him saying "No thank you, Alcohol is bad for my legs"
"I'm sorry" the man says, "do they swell ?"
"No" the woman says "they spread".