Abbotsbury

The plan was for a day centered on Abbotsbury, the place of the sub-tropical gardens and the swans. A day which kicked off at Bridport bus station, a little way to the north. From where we headed off down the very scenic coast road. Scenic to the extent of offering outstanding panoramic views over the coast, its valleys, headlands, cliffs and beaches. Not least, the impressive Chesil Beach.

First visit to Chesil Beach at Swyre, with the off shore breeze blowing up the waves in a most impressive way.

Mint like plant

Then to an iron age bill fort, possibly Abbotsbury Castle, from where there were more fine views. And once again, impressed by the discipline which would be needed to storm such a place if it was properly defended. Perhaps including a good supply of rocks with which to pelt the advancing storm troopers from above. Also by the quantity of the mint like plant snapped above. Note also the flowers with the five pairs of petals. Noting that quite often, the pairs are lost, with the ten petals just appearing as a rosette, we wondered whether the five has some connection to the five petals of the buttercup, the staple of botany classes at school? Perhaps I will make inquiries and find out what it is called. Perhaps I will make inquiries about whether five is an important number in this connection, rather than the more usual seven.

Burton Road

Drove resolutely past the sub tropical gardens to find Burton Road, an unfenced road running along the beach below Abbotsbury. I had been impressed by it having been taken in by the Street View camera man.

Beach one

Beach two

Looking towards Portland, with the Isle clearly visible on the horizon.

Beach three

Plenty of that distinctive waves on shingle sound.

Beach four

There was also a car park, a small café and a collection of beach huts which we were told exchanged hands for in excess of £100,000. Not of our money. Tea and rather stodgy cake, followed by further inspection of Chesil Beach.

Lunch at Ilchester Arms Hotel, with the noble lord in question, the Earl of Ilchester, still owning large chunks of the village, owership which extended to a lot of the front doors being painted in the same colour, just like university owned housing in places like Cambridge.

The wine

Ambience good, food satisfactory, it my case a vegetable lasagne, wine not so clever. It came warmly recommended, so perhaps the idea was to get rid of the stuff. Otherwise, not a bad place to stay, convenient for lots of attractions. Although BH was not so pleased with the rather narrow entrance she was required to navigate on exit, helped along by two back seat drivers.

Reredos behind

Next to Abbotsbury church, which turned out to be an extraordinary confection of bits and bobs. First, the heavily ornamented, brown wood reredos containing, inter alia, the ten commandments. Common enough in big 18th century churches in central London, but I don't think I have ever seen such a thing in a country church before. Not sure why the snaps are took are so bad, all obscure by the brass eagle. Perhaps I did not care to enter the precincts of the altar, as it were, for such a purpose.

Truncated arch

Notice the odd way the important arch at the west end has been truncated, at least visually, by the north aisle. Whoever paid for the aisle to be added clearly got a bit tight when it came to hiring an architect to do the job properly.

Elaborate pulpit

The abbey

With the snap above showing the abbey as it was in its glory days, before it was sold up by Henry VIII, at which time the present church was just an annex stuck on the north side of a much larger complex.

Planters

Outside, we came across a couple of medieval stone coffins, without lids, which had been recycled as planters. Note the nifty head rests.

Tithe barn

Model boats

Next to the famous and ancient tithe barn, once important for collecting up the tithes belonging to the abbey. Perhaps now better known as the oldest house for a children's ball swamp in the UK. We declined to pay the £10 a head or so they wanted for us to get in. On the other hand we could admire the ancient fish pond and the cygnets thereon for free. The radio controlled galleons were, however, chargeable.

St. Catherine

We passed on the massive chapel to St. Catherine, perched on the top of a nearby hill. But we did learn something about her gruesome martyrdom and subsequent veneration. An important saint, not least to the fellows of our two St. Catherine's colleges ('Cats' to cognescenti), but despite that was one of those who was struck off the official register in the 1960's, to be partially rehabilitated in the new century. Should you wish to see the picture included above for real, perhaps to pay your respects, you will need to go to the National Art Museum of Azerbaijan in Baku.

I will be noticing our visit to the valley of the Bride separately.

After which it was back to Bridport bus station. Major road works on the outskirts, which looked to be to do with drains, continuing to cause delays.

Back to the Nag's Head at Poundbury for a steak frites supper. While BH took a giant ploughman's. She was spared the dollop of cabbage stirred into a lot of mayonnaise of some sort, commonly included and which I do not care for at all.

There was a smart television mounted on the wall in our room upstairs. Will we go for such a thing when our stand mounted television gives up - or when we decide that we need to join the connected world? One catch would be that television life in our household has adapted to the fine stand noticed at reference 1, and a move to wall mounted would entail substantial change thereof. Almost any kind of change being bad at our age.

PS: a day involving lots of bluebells. On the road sides, in the pastures and in the woods.

Reference 1: https://pumpkinstrokemarrow.blogspot.com/search?q=Alphason+Cordoba.

Reference 2: https://www.theilchester.co.uk/.

Reference 3: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_of_Ilchester.

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