See the beginning of the forest--see the farm way down--well we walked from there and felt very proud. We did have to stop and ask local farmer what direction--up he replied--and keep going up.
They have places to park your dogs near the stores. And they need to as people take their doggies to the shop. On our walk into Monksilver there was a sign on the post that advised us about a naughty dog who liked to follow walkers. If we should spot this dog send it home and say "naughty dog". Then when we got into the pub there was a sign telling us not to feed another naughty dog. The thing we noticed was the way dogs are so much part of the community. It was this area more than any other that really involved their dogs in all their daily activities. And even though they say they have 'naughty dogs" all the dogs we saw were very well behaved.
Not one of our shots but Monksilver seemed such a nice place that we thought perhaps we should have stayed here rather than Bicknoller---although we did eat and drink at the 'Bic' and so, apparently, did Wordsworth.
Lo and behold--Sue on the ropes at All Saints Church, Monksilver. The builders (this dates from the 12th century) knew how to use natural light. Perhaps a blessing from Coleridge? More spooky stories later.
Lesley and I were looking for a 'dog pound' as per the instructions: that is, our idea of a dog pound, being a modern large fenced enclosure. We found it, at right--it is a 14th century dog pound (silly us), and one of the first in the country. All that is left is the wall and emblem of the dog. Easy to miss--it forms part of a wall along a track but it is a very interesting marker. Who would have thought of a 14th century dog pound?
This crossing is just outside of Bicknoller. The railway is a privately owned steam rail running regular services in the area. We heard the train but did not see it. On Lesley's left is a 'kissing gate' --the first of quite a few of these gates that we climbed and crossed.
We were so glad to see this place. We had walked
This is a cairn--it is a signpost. We could have done with this earlier on as we were a little confused in one section. Reason being: Wordsworth Alfoxden Hotel(where Wordsworth and Dorothy lived in 1797--Dorothy said the beauty of the walks was their wild simplicity) is no longer a hotel and has no signs on it. This messed up our directions as they said "go past Alfoxden Hotel". No sign so we didn'tknow we had walked past it. We were sitting on the hills looking concerned when a nice local man and his dog walked past and directed us upon the right path. Back we went on the right path. It was so windy up here and we could see all the way to the Bristol Channel--look way out into the background. After making our way through the forest this open space was quite a contrast. So much air it almost took our own breath away.
This is an entire path of beech trees. They are very very old and the feeling was amazing. I kept expecting to see a hobbit come running out, or at least an elf.
The path begins to take us into woodland with banks of very old trees and we began to sense the age of the forest and the path itself.
The Coleridge Way quill in Brown and the Blue marker (the public walkway) became our saviours. The non-appearance of these markers meant we were in trouble. As you can see they are hardly large signs, especially when covered by stinging nettles, tree branches, and rain.
Taken from opposite the church in Nether Stowey, while waiting for the B&B to open. At this stage we thought it looked like a nice gentle walk.
This is the rear garden of The Old Housel, Nether Stowey. It was meant to be a photo but the very nice host Manor took video instead. His B&B was a great start to the trip.
The Coleridge Suite at The Old House, Nether Stowey, our first B&B. We did not stay in this room (we stayed in 'Sarah's' room) but this room is available for renting--and for wedding parties.
The plaque on the wall of the Coleridge Cottage at Nether Stowey. Opposite the Ancient Mariner pub (which we didn't frequent) and down the road from our great first b&b The Old House, a good start to the adventure.
Tara (my daughter) and Giorgio ( my son-in-law)at Hampton Court Privy Garden. They agreed to go to Hampton Court with me because they know I love all that stuff and secretly so do they. Henry VIII had a clear view of this garden from his apartment window. He could see who Anne and Catherine were talking to out of his window.
Somehow I ended up at St Paul's. I had high heels on but still thought I would climb to the top and take a picture. Good exercise I thought. Not a good idea--but I finally made it and the view was worth it. Lesley
1. Dubai-land, a city of great contrasts. The photo shows the view from the swimming pool rooftop -- the pile of old mattresses and rubbish on the nearby roof argues somewhat with the high rise. The skyline is dominated by cranes and the infrastructure for the rapid transit system is phenomenal. A highlight was drinking hot coffee around a roaring fire at a man-made indoor ski slope while it was 39 degrees outside. Lesley says ask Sue about the doona story.--'doona' may be used a lot more in Australia. Sue says ask Jo (Sue’s daughter) about the very friendly shop assistant helping Jo to try on jewellery. Jo and Lesley love the bling.
