A Weekend Break

On Friday I took a train to Leamington Spa where I met up with some friends. Actually it was two trains because I had to change to a Cross Country route at Southampton. We stayed at the Regent Hotel which is now a Travelodge. It has come down in the world a little because in the 19th century Queen Victoria chose to stay over there, which is remembered in the stained glass windows on the landings of the very grand staircase (even though it has seen better days).

The Queen is also commemorated  in a statue outside the Town Hall, a very different and ornate Victorian building.

That afternoon  we visited the local museum and art gallery which is located in the modernised Pump Rooms of the spa. Here we learned some of the history and how the pump rooms were developed into a famed medical centre with a range of spa treatments available as well as its rejuvenating waters. Outside is an ancient drinks fountain where one of our party gave the water a try. He pronounced it not unpleasant but rather  salty. From the bridge over the River Leam near the Pump Rooms we could see the weir further up. Alongside the river were attractive looking gardens and walks.

This picture is of the bridge in Victorian times, and it is not that different now. The columns in the background are on the facade of the Pump Rooms and also look similar today.

On Saturday, we took a bus to Warwick and found historical buildings that go back a lot further. Do come back in a few days to read more about that.

Charlestown in Cornwall

I’m taking you back to Cornwall again. So far I’ve only reported on one day of our holiday. Another day we found our way to St Austell’s little port of Charlestown. It is very picturesque and made even more so because it currently houses the three square-rigged tall ships in my photographs.

 It is privately owned and today I discovered that it has just been put up for sale by its owner who is retiring and hopes someone else will take it over as a business, together with his staff. They build and restore ships and run training in seamanship on the tall ships, which are also hired out as film locations. The harbour was used by Tim Burton for his Alice in Wonderland film when the grown up Alice sets sail for China in one of the tall ships. The port was also featured in other films, including one of the Three Musketeers movies and an episode of Dr Who.

Charlestown gets its name from the person who conceived it, local industrialist and landowner, Charles Rashleigh. Built in the late 18^th century, it was originally used mainly by fishermen and for transporting locally mined china clay.

Members of the public can walk all the way round the port, crossing the narrow metal bridge that tops the rising gate that allows boats to enter or leave the inner harbour. Jade wasn’t too keen to set foot on that, but once we persuaded her she was happy to cross.

The beaches on either side of the harbour are private and although public access is allowed, dogs are not, so we didn’t descend to them. The small village that surrounds the harbour also houses a feted museum, The Shipwreck and Heritage Centre, but again we didn’t want to leave Jade outside so we missed that. Of course the South West Coast Path passes through Charlestown and we did walk some of that and got more intermittent but gorgeous views of the Cornish coastline.

Happy Times with a Dark History

Today was a happy day. Our friend Bramble, a tan and white spaniel, came with us to visit a village with a dark history. We took her to see some friends who’ve moved out to Norton St Philip. They used to work in our local pub and now they run their own, so we can drop in whenever we feel up to a 70 mile round trip with one of us driving and therefore not drinking. That of course has to be me, since hubby drives all week for work.

When I opened the car door at home, Bramble immediately hopped in and onto the passenger seat, refusing to budge over to the back, so that hubby could sit next to me. He was all prepared to sit in the back until I said I didn’t want an unrestrained dog sitting beside me in the front. After some rather hilarious pushing and shoving, we finally managed to get her out on the passenger side and then back in behind the two of us. And off we went amid some happy laughter.

Since the weekend, it’s been cloudy and grey with only people’s Christmas lights to brighten the streets. But today was a lovely day for a drive. The sun shone, burnishing the naked trees and brightening the grass. It was good to be out in the countryside with summer’s curtains of leaves drawn back to air the views.

The Fleur de Lys in Norton St Philip had not long opened when we arrived. Only one regular was sitting at the bar reading his newspaper; “escaping from in-laws”, he told us. To his surprise, we were welcomed with hugs and kisses by the landlady. And on the bar stood a glass wellie full of dog biscuits. Bramble was a happy doggie too.

The pub sits on a corner immediately opposite The George, and it's these two buildings that have the dark history. The George is reputedly one of the most haunted inns in England, and possibly the oldest. Probably first built in the 13th century, The George is recorded as having a continuous licence since 1397. In 1685, The Duke of Monmouth stayed here when he tried to usurp the throne of England from James II, and is said to have narrowly escaped assassination when a bullet was fired into the building through a window. His followers secured the village and fought off a Royalist attack, but Monmouth did not survive long afterwards for he himself was caught and executed.

The George also served as a court for his Bloody Assizes by the infamous Judge Jefferies, The Hanging Judge, who tried Monmouth's supporters, showing no mercy. Prisoners were either locked up in the George’s dungeons awaiting transportation, or hanged nearby. One of the accounts I have read says the executions took place at the Fleur de Lys and their bodies were displayed there. You can see it here, together with some photos of the two pubs that sit on opposite sides of the road.

We’ll have different memories of our visit to the village today, though, as we passed a happy hour with our friends before the skittle teams arrived for their lunch ahead of a game. We took our leave when they started to get really busy and wended our way home, let Bramble out for a run by the river, and settled in with some Christmas sarnies in front of the telly, before she had to go back to her regular master.

The Singers’ Oldway Grandeur

My sister got married yesterday in the Torbay Register Office in Paignton. This is situated in Oldway Mansion, former home of the Singer family, which produced all those sewing machines.

The weather was pretty dire but lots of photos were taken on the grand staircase that leads up to the first floor landing where the registrar offices are located. Here are some pics of the grandeur I managed to get. I’ve deliberately kept a few real people’s heads in some to demonstrate the scale of things.

This is the mural on the wall where the main staircase divides to go up to the left or right.

Looking across from the top of one side of the staircase to the other.

Some of the ceiling detail.

I'm sure there's an article just waiting to be written about all this.

An Uncertain Future for Dartington

I was in Devon for about 24 hours last weekend, visiting friends of long standing. These visits usually involve a bit of ‘culture’ and lots of pubs.

This time the culture was almost all in gardens, as it was the National Garden Scheme Open Gardens weekend at Bovey Tracey where I was staying. We did slip into the Great Hall at Dartington on Sunday morning, where we learnt about its first owner, John Holand, who was a half brother of Richard II. The estate was given to him in 1388 and the size of the Great Hall, which still survives with its minstrels’ gallery, and is often used as an event venue, gives an idea of how grand it was.

Ownership changed to Champernowne family in the 16th century. They held the estate right up to 1925, when it passed to Leonard and Dorothy Elmhirst. They set up the Dartington Hall Trust, and enthusiastically researched the history of the estate so that we owe much of our present knowledge to them.

I’m quite fond of Dartington. My mother told stories of being in service there in her youth, and I enjoy the peaceful ambience in the magnificent gardens. So I share the anxiety of locals who have recently learned that its College of Art is to close as it has been merged with a local university. Noone seems to know how this will affect the buildings and the gardens, and the trustees are not being publicly forthcoming.

I wonder if we will see the death of its famous Literary Festival. It is still due to take place this year and you can find it here. I note that my college pal, Mavis Cheek, will be speaking about her new novel, Amenable Women.