September 30,2016 - A day outing in Wales at Erddig

Shwmae all,  


The weather is supposed to be good so we head off to explore Erddig a stately home just over the border of Wales just a hour away. The weather threatens off and on as we travel but the sun is out by the time we arrive. Built in 1684-1687 for Josiah Edisbury the High Sheriff of Denbighshire and designed by Thomas Webb a freemason of Cheshire. A grade 1 listed building and voted the UK's most favourite historic house in 2007 . Sadly it fell into deep disrepair so for us we have seen more elaborate homes on our travels.

We have lunch in the cafe before setting off to explore the house itself.We enter the house thru the stables and workshop which has been home to the Yorke family for 200 years. Sold to the master of Chancery, John Meller in 1714 he enlarged the house adding two wings in the 1720's. He died unmarried with no heirs in 1733 and the home passed down to his nephew  Simon Yorke and remained in  the family till  March 1973 when  it was given to the National Trust.  Collapse of a mine shaft under the home made the structure unstable and 120,000 pounds of NT funding  shored up the structure. Lands surrounding the home were sold to The National Coal board for 995,000 pounds which helps with the total restoration of the house  which over time had fell into disrepair.

The Yorke family were either very thrifty or hoarders as they rarely threw anything away so there are over 30,000 objects in the property. From carriages to old cars , tools to new inventions of the time are on display and tell a story of each  generation of the family.
The picture on the left is of a early vacuum cleaner that is operated by stepping on the plates to generate suction so you can suck up the dirt and dust. Called a Witch Dust Extractor not only would the maid clean up the dust but also get a major workout. The lower level of the house is quite plain and  somewhat dull but also had pictures of the servants and poems the master of the house had written about them. The servants here were treated more as family then workers and were allowed to mix among themselves outside their stations which apparently was a big no no. Something I was not aware of as I assumed a servant was a servant however even they had a class structure.

Pictured on the right is one of the few rooms that was spared damage . The green Chinese wall paper and ornate Chinese writing cabinet along with a bed that has been restored. The room is now hermetically sealed with a special glass casing the controls the air and humidity so no further damage can occur.


We now explore the gardens while still have a amazing amount of flowers in bloom. The gardens are one of the most important surviving 18th century formal gardens in Britain . I stop and speak to a gardener who is trimming Yews in a specific shapes with garden shears. I ask him how long it takes him and he replies too long. A full day he gets about six yews done and these are all hand trimmed not using any modern electric trimmers. What a painstaking job but the trees look beautiful and are all shaped to such a exactness.
There are over 180 varieties of apples on the estate as well as  other rare fruit trees , pond,  a channel, a Victorian parterre, and a Ivy collection. While walking through the gardens a mallard starts to

 follow Fred, he sits down on the bench to enjoy the sun and view and the duck walks right up to him looking for food. Very tame but sadly we have nothing to feed the hungry guy.

It has been a lovely day and has been much better then sitting around at home doing nothing . The last shot is of the view that the Yorkes had from the front of their house looking over the welsh countryside.


Check out my Facebook wall to see more pictures of Erddig.
We hope you have enjoyed this little tale of Erddig,

Hwyl fawr,

Sandy & Fred

August 19, 2016- Heading Home and A Party

Greetings All,

We were up early and had a wonderful breakfast. I had baked duck egg and chorizo which was absolutely delicious and Fred had smoked salmon with scrambled eggs. Once again there was fresh fruit, juice, pastries and a choice of bread for toast.

We have enjoyed our visit to Norfolk and celebration and headed back  home to continue celebrating as we were attending a 100 years young party for Fred's Aunty Eileen. The traffic home was horrendous and the 4 hour drive took us 6 hours. The picture to the left is of a beautiful dahlia garden we passed on our way home.

Eileen's birthday celebration was quite the party and we met a number of relatives for the first time. The picture on the right is of Eileen in the purple top, her sister in red and from the left to right, Fred and his cousins, Bryan, John and Cecilia.
I must be getting old because I found the music quite loud especially when the food was being served. The DJ had kept it cranked up rather then lowering it a bit so people could talk. It was a lively night though enjoyed by a wide range of ages from babies to of course the lady of the day.

The last picture is of when we all sang Happy Birthday to Eileen. Pictured is her sister, daughter Angela and son Allen. Eileen even did a dance after the song an amazing women who has lived through some terrifying and exciting times. A fabulous way to end our own little celebration.

The following day we headed off to The Southport Flower show with Bryan and Alison. Check out my Facebook wall for pictures.

We hope you have enjoyed this segment of our travels.

Ta ra till our next adventure,

Sandy & Fred

August 18, 2016- Celebrating 43 Years of Married Life

Greetings All,

What can I say my soul mate has once again picked a perfect location for our celebration of marriage. We had a fabulous breakfast, I had waffles with fried bananas and maple syrup and Fred had a full English breakfast minus the blood pudding. We had a nice chat with our host, who was from Australia, about the culinary delights of blood pudding and sausage. Breakfast also included fresh fruits, pastries, juices and cereals.

With a good start to the day we headed off to explore. The area we were in is called the Fens. A fen is an area of marshland or former marshland. Most fens lie with in a few metres of sea level. Where we were was obviously former marsh land.

Our first stop of the day was the Priory Church of St Mary and the Holy Cross in the village of Binham. Within the church grounds there is also the ruins of the Benedictine Priory which was founded in the late 11th century. The church continues to be a place of worship today. The priory is among the most complete and impressive monastic ruin in Norfolk. We wandered around taking pictures of the site. The church itself has had the larger windows cemented in as they were starting to collapse with age. My camera started to act up and I had to keep removing and replacing the lens. I was hoping it would last for our next stop.

Our last stop of the day was Holkham Hall, one of England's Treasure Houses.  It is an 18th century country home built in the Palladian style for Thomas Coke the 1st Earl of Leicester. Thomas was a cultivated and wealthy man who in his youth made a Grand Tour away from England for 6 years. He collected a great deal of books, art and sculptures which he planned to use in his new home. Upon his return his loose way of life and gambling lead to the building of the home being put on hold for 10 years. When building was finally started Thomas oversaw the project but delegated the on site architectural duties to a local Norfolk architect, Mathew Brettingham. Sadly, the Earl never saw the completion of his home as he died 5 years before it completion and his wife saw to the finishing and furnishing of the house.

The home is still lived in today by the Coke family, the 8th Earl of Leicester. The recently deceased 7th Earl, Edward Coke (1936-2015) was responsible for much of the restoration and modernisation of the Holkham Estate. We had lunch in the cafe before starting our exploring and our first stop was the farming exhibition. The exhibition was very informative and reveals a great deal about modern day farming and how far things have advanced. There was interactive things for kids to take part in and Fred and I took advantage of wearing the Coke Hats and asked one of the attendants to take a picture of us as seen above on the left. Fooling around done, we now headed to the main home.

The outside of the home looks rather plain with no fancy stone work or ornate carving, however, the interior of the house was quite spectacular and has been described as the finest Palladian interior in England. The picture on the right is the initial view when we walked through the door into the house. The Marble Hall is based on the Pantheon in Rome. The hall is not marble but Derbyshire alabaster.

We spent a good couple of hours exploring the home with its rooms, art work and tapestries all from the 1st Earl's travels as a youth.

To see more pictures of the interior check out my Facebook wall.  We took the golf cart to the walled garden. It was under renovation and most of the plants were well past their best. On our way back I asked our driver about the deer as they seemed to have moved away. They stay closer to the house in the morning (we could see them when we arrived) but as the estate gets busier they move away into the wooded area to get away from the people. Smart, but no pictures as they were so far away that even Fred's camera couldn't get me a photo.

Sadly during our visit my camera totally gives up the ghost. We now headed back to Titchwell for our anniversary dinner. We have opted for the more casual dining area and enjoyed cocktails before the main event. I had a mojito and Fred had a pint of a local brew. Our appetisers were lobster bisque (Fred) and crab cake. For the main course Fred had a sirloin steak and I had a filet steak. We also enjoyed a bottle of wine with our dinner. The food was cooked to perfection and it was a leisurely meal. The sunset that night was spectacular but sadly the picture I took with Fred's phone did not do it justice.  We had an interesting chat with the couple sitting beside us and the waiter about the colour of the wall. The gentleman thought the wall was green, his wife thought it blue, but I thought it was what I would call sea-green. The waiter did not have a opinion either way, the coward that he was. We all had a good laugh as the lighting really affected how the colour looked; either more blue or green. We purchased a bottle of wine and headed back to our room to pack and get ready for our journey home.

Ta ra,
Sandy & Fred

August 17, 2016 - Exploring more of Norfolk with some disappointments

Greetings All,

We were up early and after breakfast headed off to Cromer another seaside resort town. As we neared the town I saw the Red Arrows fly by. We decided to head into town and park so we could watch the air show. We didn't know that it was the weekend for Cromer's summer festival, and consequently we couldn't find a parking space anywhere. So we decided to head off to Blakeney National Nature Reserve. This is a National Trust property and was a must go to on my wish list. It was written that it is an area of beautiful views of the Norfolk coast line and home to grey seals. We arrived at the reserve only to see what appears to be miles of scrub grass as far as the eye can see. The tide was out so the boats were all grounded in muck. We walked out for about 40 minutes but we were no nearer to the beach and seals so we packed it in. I was very disappointed but the drive to the area had taken us through some very pretty villages so it was not a total loss.

Our next stop was Felbrigg Hall, a 17th century country house. It was firstly a home to the Felbrigg family, then later home to the Wyndham family. Thomas Wyndham was a councillor to Henry VIII. The house is noted for it's Jacobean architecture and Georgian interior. The house did remain in the Wyndham family until 1969 when the last squire, Robert Wyndham Ketton-Cremer died with no heirs and left it to the National Trust. We spent a good 3 hours exploring the Hall with a break for lunch in the tearoom. To see more pictures of Felbrigg check out my Facebook wall.

After touring Felbrigg Hall, we headed off to our final destination and what was our home away from home for the next two nights, Titchwell Manor. Fred has booked for us a room with its own patio, a walk in shower and oversized king bed. Our drive took us on a road less travelled as well as some very pretty coastal roads and lovely little villages.

Our room was very lovely and spacious and we were given a nice little welcoming gift; a half bottle of champagne. A great way to start off our anniversary celebrations. We relaxed for a while downloading pictures and cleaning up e-mail before heading out for a fish and chip dinner at a chippy nearby that is run by the manor owners son who is also the chef. The chippy cooks in beef fat which brings back memories for us as I used to use beef fat to fry our chips when our kids were very young. The meal was tasty nothing really special as I have had better. However, Fred really enjoyed his meal. Tummies full we headed back to the manor for the evening.

The manor restaurant and bar was very busy when we returned and finding a spot to park was difficult. Titchwell is a very small village that does not even have a corner type store so the manor seems to be the main meeting place for the local residents.

Tomorrow we will be exploring the fens and some more historic sites.

Bye for now,

Sandy & Fred

August 16, 2016 -The Broads & Norwich

Greetings all,


We were up relatively early and after a very noisy breakfast (there was a tour bus full of seniors) we headed off to explore the Norfolk Broads. The broads is an area of lakes and rivers that resulted from the flooding of peat lands because of the medieval harvesting of peat by the monasteries for fuel as a side business. As the sea level began to rise it flooded the peat excavations. The building of dykes and wind pumps did little to stop the flooding. The picture on the right is of a wind pump.

Our first stop was Great Yarmouth a seaside resort since the 1760's and it was the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the North Sea. We parked and went for a wander around the town. It is a typical seaside town with a pier that is like a mini amusement park with rides for kids and numerous arcades.

The picture on the left is of one such ride which was about the Wild West which I found amusing. We continued our walk and headed down to the docks which is supposed to be an historic area. We did not find that interesting but did come across a wedding at the city hall and a Victorian shopping arcade which sadly had more empty shops than open ones as pictured on the right. Greater Yarmouth was one of the first areas to be bombed during WWII and was heavily bombed all during the war so much of the historical buildings were destroyed.

After our visit we headed off to the village of Burgh Castle which was just a short drive away. Burgh Castle was not a castle but the site of a Roman Shore Fort built around the 3rd century AD to hold the Roman calvary as a defence against Saxon raids. The fort was roughly rectangular in shape and measured 673 ft by 330 ft with the walls on the north, east and south sides being mostly intact. The west wall collapsed in the distant past into what once would have been an estuary. The walls were constructed of mortared flint, rubble and red tile or brick in alternating bands. The walls were quite thick 9.8 ft at the base. Archaeological finds have shown that the Romans continued to inhabit this site up until the early 5th century AD.

A short walk from this site we also visited the medieval parish church of Burgh Castle, St Peter and St Paul which was constructed from reclaimed materials from the fort. The church is also one of the 124 existing round towered churches in Norfolk. In England there are 185 surviving examples of round towered churches with the largest amount being in Norfolk. The churches seem to be found in areas that were lacking in normal building stone and used knapped flint. Corners are difficult to construct in flint, hence the  thick round walls of the towers. The churches also seem to be found in areas that were subject to raids and were built as defensive structures though the towers do not seem high enough for defensive measures. Check out my Facebook Wall for further pictures.

We stopped in the village pub for a late lunch and we enjoyed ham and cheese paninis and a pint  of local brew for Fred and ½ pint of cider for me. After lunch we headed off to another ruin, St. Olaves Priory. It is an Augustinian Priory founded in 1239 in the time of Henry III. During the reformation of Henry VIII the priory was handed over to a local
gentleman, Sir Henry Jerningham on January 16, 1546 and it became a private family home. The undercroft is in excellent condition and shows once again the amazing workmanship of the time. The priory is now an English Heritage site but we think we went in through the back door, as we drove into a parking lot of a restaurant with a pasture for two Alpacas and entered through a cattle type gate, but that was the way the Nav chick brought us.

It was still early in the afternoon so we decided to head back into Norwich to check out the Cathedral. The picture on the left gives you a good idea of the many rivers and lakes that make up the broads. We think that in order to truly experience the Broads you need to do it by boat as there is so much more to explore and we have only done some highlights. Our last stop of the day was the City of Norwich and the Cathedral.

The cathedral was built, primarily, in the Norman style with construction starting in 1096 and completed in 1145. It was constructed out of flint and mortar faced with a cream colour Caen limestone. The Norman tower was topped with a wooden spire and covered in lead. Over time damage due to riots, storms, fire lead to the rebuilding of some sections of the cathedral. However, in the early 1600's the Cathedral had fallen into ruins and with the Restoration (of the monarchy in 1660) under Charles II, the Cathedral was fully restored. More restoration work was also completed in the 19th and 20th centuries. Norwich Cathedral has the second largest cloister in England and has over 1,000 bosses in it. The picture below on the right is of the spire and the south transept taken from the far side of the cloister.  While we were exploring we got to experience the choir practicing. The choir master was very exacting and critical but the hymns we heard were just beautiful and fill the whole Cathedral.


The last picture (below) is rather interesting as it is a copper baptismal font that was gifted to the Cathedral. It was a chocolate making vat that Cadbury's no longer needed and they gave it to the Cathedral. So everything, old is new again.


It has been a long full day and we decided to have a light supper in our room so we visited the grocery store and picked up some cheese, mixed italian cold cuts, grapes, crackers and wine as the tour bus had returned and the main dining room was sure to be very noisy again. We had a fairly early night as we were heading off towards the fens and Titchwell Manor for our anniversary celebrations.

Bye for now,
Sandy & Fred

August 15, 2016 - Anniversary Trip off to Norfolk to Explore

Greetings all,

We were up and off early heading to Norfolk an area that we have never been to that consists of Broad's and Fens. I will tell you more about these areas as we visit them. We had decided to take the most direct route to Norfolk which consisted mostly of motor or highway travel. Due to road construction the traffic was very heavy and slow moving. Our base for two nights was just outside of Norwich town centre. Our fist stop in Norfolk was Oxburgh Hall a National Trust property. It is a great example of late medieval construction, being built around 1482 by Sir Edmund Bedingfeld. It is a moated family home that looks like a fortress, however, it has always been a family home and still is today. The Bedingfeld's were catholic and had a priest hole off one of the bedrooms that we are able to view. A priest hole is a small hidden room beneath the bedroom floor. It would have been extremely uncomfortable to have hidden in it even for a short period of time. They were used during the reformation period.

The rooms in the older sections are ornate and pictured on the left is the leather embossed wall paper in the hallway, which is from the 19th century. Oxburgh Hall also houses a collection of embroideries made by Mary Queen of Scots and Bess of Hardwick while Mary was held prisoner in England in the custody of the Earl of Shrewsbury. Pictured on the right is needlework that is extremely detailed and it must have been a challenge working in candle light. Our last stop before heading to the hotel was the church or private chapel on the grounds. The chapel itself is relatively plain but has a beautiful 16th century altarpiece as pictured on the left. It has been a long tiring day especially with the drive that was far busier than we anticipated but an enjoyable one.

Ta rah for now,

Sandy & Fred

May 21 - 22, 2016 - Mevagissey, Polperro and Home

Dyed dal all,

Sadly on Saturday we woke up to heavy rains but the sky did appear to be lightening up. At breakfast we chatted with Mike and his wife Leslie, they are heading home to Manchester today and he told us about their visit yesterday to Polperro. We had met Mike two days earlier in the pub over a few drinks. Leslie, his wife was not feeling well that evening. After breakfast we said our farewells and headed up to our room to wait a bit for the weather to break. Eventually we headed off to Mevagissey another small Cornish fishing village. Thankfully it was clearing up and the rain was more like a light mist. The town's first mention in recorded history was from 1313 although there was evidence of a settlement dating back to the bronze age. The current harbour was built on the site of a medieval quay and an act of parliament allowed a new port to be built in 1774. There was an inner and outer harbour built from this act, the the outer harbour being added in 1888. The outer harbour was seriously damaged by a blizzard in 1891 and rebuilt in 1897. The harbour was given a charitable trust status in 1988. In the summer you can take a ferry to Fowey which was something I would have like to do but today the ferries were not running because of the weather. We did not explore the town any further as the heavens opened so we headed back to the car.

Our next stop was Polperro a quaint village and fishing harbour that has been around since medieval times. The picture on the right is of a mechanical fisherman that greets you as you enter and leave the parking lot. There are no cars allowed in the village proper unless you are a resident. On a nice day would be awesome to explore all the narrow streets and alleys. We had lunch at the Three Pilchards a pub built in the 16th century. As we were in Cornwall and a fishing village we would be remiss if we did not have some fresh seafood or fish. Fred had the crab bisque and I had scallops as pictured below on the left.

Now I have never had fresh scallops and was not sure if the red part attached to the scallop was edible. I tried a bit and it was tasty so I ate everything. It was absolutely delicious though I am sure it was artery clogging as I had my scallops prepared in garlic butter. I mopped every bit up with the fresh crusty bread provided. The best meal I had while in Cornwall and I would highly recommend a visit to this pub if you are ever in the area. We explored a bit and I came across the boat that according to the menu caught my scallops. Sadly the heavens once again opened so we headed back to the car and into St Austell to the grocery store to pick up wine, cheese, grapes, a selection of Italian cold cuts and crackers for our dinner as we did not want pub food again but something light. Rainy weather certainly curbed our exploring but we have enjoyed our mini break. Back at the B & B I uploaded pictures, enjoy a nice cup of tea and relaxed organising the cases for our trip home. The sun did come out at about 6:00 pm so typical of British weather.

May 22 - Once again after a hearty made to order breakfast we did our final sorting, paid the bill and headed off home. Thankfully, the sun was shining as I really hate driving in the rain especially when we were covering a long distance. I am the world's worst passenger as Fred, I am sure will attest to. Our drive home was on motorways and A class roads. There was a hefty £6 toll on the bridge crossing the mouth of the River Severn into South Wales. We saw some different countryside as we had not previously travelled this area and also partly due to a serious accident, we were diverted on to country lanes.  The last picture is of one of the many flax fields in full bloom that we have seen both on our trip south and back home.


Cha welesl (see you)
till our next adventure,

Sandy & Fred

May 20, 2016 - Tintagel Castle & Looe

Dyed dal all,

After breakfast which was again plentiful and fresh, we headed off to Tintagel parish and Kastel Dintagel a'gas dynnergh. Thankfully, the weather was dry and sunny though a bit cool. Tintagel is located on the Atlantic coast and the castle which is a ruin, dates back to 1230. The site has been occupied since the late Roman period and became a thriving Dark Ages settlement and port. In the 12th century, Geoffrey of Monmouth named it as the place where the legendary Arthur was conceived. It was almost certainly this link to the legendary hero that inspired Richard, Earl of Cornwall to build his castle here.

The climb up was once again steep and it took us a while but the effort was well worth the spectacular views you have looking up and down the coast. In its time the castle must  have been the size of a small village. The castle was built on a headland, but over the centuries the land has collapsed which gives the impression now that it was built on an island. The picture upper right is the Island Courtyard and Great Hall. To get to it you descend stairs cross a bridge then climb back up. The picture on the left is of the remains of the upper mainland courtyard taken from the island. We spent a couple of hours walking around the ruins taking photos before heading back to the town. The picture

on the right is one of the spectacular views we saw from the top of the island.

It started to spit rain so we headed to the car rather than walk around the village. Our next stop was Looe, a fishing town. The nav chick once again took us along some single lane roads and we had a few interesting moments but thankfully we did not meet much traffic.

Looe has evidence of being inhabited as early as 1000 BC and was once held by William the Conqueror. The town is centred around the harbour and the tide was out when we arrived. We both liked this little town as for us it had more character than St Ives and while busy it did not seem as crowded.

We found a pub for a late lunch, only to discover the pub only except cash, no debit or credit card service at all. We found this a bit strange given that the area caters to tourists and most of the industry except for fishing is centred around that trade.  We enjoyed a nice late lunch and wandered around the town a bit. My back was now killing me with two days in a row of steep climbing so we headed back to the B & B. It was late in the afternoon and while things are relatively close the roads make travel time longer. Once again we traveled some interesting roads and were very lucky to see sheep being moved from one pasture to another. They were being herded by a SUV rather than dogs which was interesting. The sheep must be used t it as they ran ahead of the vehicle and remained together.

Back at the B & B we relaxed and were in bed early as all the fresh sea air and climbing had been tiring.

Duw genowgh hwil,

Sandy & Fred

May 19, 2016 - Marazion, St Michael's Mount to St Ives

Dyed dal All,

We were up early and after a very hearty breakfast especially for Fred, as he had the full Cornish breakfast which consisted of bacon, egg, sausage, baked beans, tomato and special type of Cornish sausage that to me tasted a bit like haggis.  I had poached egg on english muffins. There was cereal, fresh fruit salad and toast with juice, tea and coffee all freshly made to order.

We headed off to Marazion, a small village from which you visit St Michael's Mount or in Cornish Karrek Koos yn Koos which means " hoar rock in the woodland". We arrived just after 10:30 and as the tide was out we were able to walk across the bay on the causeway. It is man made from granite setts. The picture above on the left shows St Michael's Mount from the beach in Marazion and the one below to the right is of the causeway taken from the top terrace of the castle.

There is evidence on the island that people lived there in the neolithic era when it was once part of the mainland before the bay was flooded. Radiocarbon dating on the remains of hazel wood found at low tide have them dated to about 1700 BC.

The island was once a priory, then an abbey before it reverted to the crown. It is historically the Cornish counterpart to Mount Saint- Michael in Normandy France. There is a great deal of history around the site with it changing hands numerous times. It was sold to Colonel John St Aubyn in 1659 and remains in the family today.

The climb up to the castle was very steep, on uneven granite stones and not for the faint of heart. Thankfully, it stayed dry as I would not like to be climbing up or down the wet stones. With quite a few rest stops for me I finally made it to the castle. The climb was well worth it. The mount has been conquered on a number of occasions, and I really wonder how. A soldier in full armour would be exhausted by the time they reached the summit. Most of the interior has been refurbished in the mid to late 18th century to make it a more comfortable domestic home. The picture on the left is the Chevy Chase. It was once a refectory for the priory and the main dining room for the family until 1950's. We spent a good couple of hours exploring the castle, church  before heading back down to the causeway.  The tide was just starting to come in but we were able to cross the bay back into the town using the causeway. The island is one of 43 unabridged tidal islands in Britain that you can walk to from the mainland. St Michael's Mount is also home to some 34 families as well as Lord St Leven, a descendant of St Aubyn.

Back on the mainland, we did a walk about of the village and stopped in one of the local pubs for a drink. By the time we headed back to the car the tide had covered most of the causeway as you can see by the picture on the right. To get to the island now, you have to take a boat, for a small fee.


While at the castle we came across the most miserable man ever. He was very loud and kept saying he doesn't know why people bother taking pictures, what was the purpose and rushed his wife along. He repeated the same thing in each room and was still carrying on as we departed. I really had to bite my tongue everytime we came across him. Unbelievable and I kind of felt sorry for his wife but only kind of because I certainly would not put up with him and his attitude.

We now head along the coast to check out the little fishing village called Mousehole. There was not much worth noting here. As it was now raining, we did not stop to walk around but we wanted to check it out given it's name. From here we headed out to Lands End. As you drive toward Lands End there is a pub which has a sign "The Last Pub in England". Then as you leave Lands End its sign says"The First Pub in England". With the rain and a heavy mist that rolled in we couldn't see anything so we just turned around and continued on our way heading to St Ives a very popular seaside town. The nav chick we discovered really liked to take us along single lane roads. While everything in Cornwall was relatively close, travel takes time due to the narrow roads. St Ives is a pretty seaside resort town once a fishing village it has a harbour and is already very busy. There is a ton of little stores selling everything you can think of for a resort town. We wandered around for a while before heading back to the B & B. The last picture is of St Ives taken from the harbour. We were somewhat disappointed in St Ives, I think partly because of all the hype we have heard around it. It was crazy busy and rather commercial. We decided to eat at the pub next door to the B & B again before relaxing and and planning for Fridays exploration.

Duw genowgh hwil,

Sandy & Fred

May 18, 2016 - To Cornwall and Lanhydrock

Dyed dal All,

The drive to Cornwall was rather nice considering I do not like motorway (or highway) driving at all. We were travelling on a combination of motorway and A class roads and the truck traffic was not that heavy. We stopped at Lanhydrock or in Cornish, Lannhedrek which means church closure of St. Hydrock. The estate originally belonged to the Augustinian priory of St. Petroc at Bodmin. The dissolution of monasteries in 1530 saw the land pass into private hands. Then in 1620 Sir Richard Robertes, a wealthy Truro merchant purchased the property and began building the Victorian home we see today. The picture above to the right is of the main gate entrance to the estate and dates back to the 17th century. The house was designed as a four sided building around a court yard. Sir Richard died in 1624, so the work was carried on by his son Sir John Robartes who was the 1st Earl of Radnor and a notable public figure. In the 18th century the west wing was demolished leaving the U shaped house we see today. In 1881 a major fire destroyed the south wing and severely damaged the central range of the house.

The only part of the home not affected by the fire was the north wing and the long hall which is pictured on the left. There were 50 rooms to meander through and we spent a good three hours walking through the house, the church and a bit of the gardens. We had a good laugh as we came across a large Canadian Moose head on display which Sir Robert's had hunted in 1914.

Done with the house we headed off to the church and then a short tour of the gardens near the house. Overall, there are 890 acres of grounds.

Pictured on the right is one of the many colourful Rhododendron bushes. We now headed off to Ladock and the Bissick Old Mill which will be our home away from home for the next four nights.
Our host Patrick checked us in and made me a much needed cup of tea. We had dinner at The Falmouth Arms, a pub next door to the B & B. The food provided was very upscale for a pub.

The last pic is of the B & B our home away from home.

Duw genowgh hwil all,

Sandy & Fred