Monday, May 25, 2015

The National Trust in Devon

National Trust properties feature in all our UK trips.

Parke was 3 miles from Three Pound Cottage.

We took the river walk to the medieval weir.

Castle Drogo was not Lutyens' shining moment.

This scaffolding alone cost 1 million pounds.

6,400 acres of working farms, 200 cottages and gardens.

Sir Richard Acland donated the land and the 18th C home to the Trust in the 1930s.

Always on the lookout for a robin.

The Parker family's Georgian mansion and estate near Plymouth.

Lots of places to roam . . .

and peek into.

Although not a NT property, it is within Dartmoor Park
about 20 minutes from Three Pound Cottage.

A beautiful setting for the animals. . . 

and a great time to visit  . . . babies everywhere!

Monday, May 18, 2015

Abroad Thoughts From Home


Before the spell begin to fail,
Before these things have lost their power,
Before this grassy kingdom fade
And Georgetown traffic roar invade,
I think so fondly on my Lustleigh hour. *

dancing

praying

 pub-ing

 shopping

fish 'n' chip-ing

nibbling

strolling

nesting

gazing

lane-ing

and more lane-ing

 finding

seeking

 hiding

hiking

and homewarding

                                                                                                                           * almost Betjeman

Friday, May 15, 2015

Fairground Has Returned


How neglectful! Two months without a post! Shame on me.
Perhaps I can appease you with photos from our most recent UK adventure to Lustleigh, Devon.

Lustleigh is a charming village on the edge of Dartmoor National Park . . . 

with its own pub, a couple of churches and 
a fantastic corner shop called The Dairy.

We rented Three Pound Cottage, a 16th C thatched, grade 2 listed property that had all 21st C mod cons including heated floors.

 There were many walking paths on our doorstep
  leading through residential areas . . .

farms, valleys and cleaves.

 Dartmoor was a short drive away.

More of our trip to come.