Around Winterborne Stickland

Today was a more restful day, and I spent the morning Geocaching around the village where we stayed. Only managed to find three I am afraid, but enjoyed myself anyway! While doing this, I took a few images of the local church.

One of the more historic churches in Dorset, St. Mary’s parish church in Winterborne Stickland occupies a central position in the village and dates from the 13th century. Built using a fabric of alternating flint and stone courses, the roof is partly tiled and partly slatted. The church is on the usual east-west axis and features a Perpendicular 15th century tower on the west side constructed of banded flint and ashlar. St. Mary’s underwent a restoration in 1892.

One of the lovely thatched properties in the village

A short walk in the afternoon and a couple of images above. The Rose Chafer and a pretty lily on a pond . Apart from that, not much today.

The Rose Chafer is a large, broad beetle that is found in grassland, scrub and woodland edges. The adults feed on flowers, particularly dog roses, during the summer and autumn, and can be spotted in warm, sunny weather. The larvae feed on decaying leaves, plants and roots, living in the soil for several years as they develop. When they pupate, they hibernate in the soil or in rotting wood over winter, ready to emerge as adults the following spring.

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Lulworth Estate and Durdle Door

The Lulworth Estate extends over 12,000 acres (20 square miles) of the south Dorset countryside, including 5 miles of the Jurassic Coast and internationally renowned landmarks such as Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door. Lulworth estate pedigree can go back as far as Doomsday times in the 11th century and beyond, and, since 1641, it has been owned and managed by the Weld family.

In 1641 Humphrey Weld, grandson of a rich London Merchant and direct ancestor of the current owner, purchased the Lulworth Estates from Thomas Howard who had built the Castle here between 1608 and 1610 to complement his manor house at Bindon Abbey in the nearby village of Wool.

Humphrey did not have the Castle for long before the Civil War erupted in England, during which the manor house at Wool was destroyed and the Estate sequestrated by the Parliamentarians. After the Civil War Humphrey Weld needed to refurbish the Castle’s interior as it was now the main family home and needed alterations to make it permanently liveable.

Over the years, the Castle has had various uses, occupants and a diverse and colourful history. There have been a number of significant events at the Castle, some like the fire of 1929 were devastating, others less so but equally as important in the Castle’s history.

From a perilous state of decay following the fire the Castle was saved from eventual ruin. The exterior is now fully restored and the interior consolidated. Exposed to the elements for 70 years after the fire, the Castle decayed rapidly, stonework eroded and unburnt timbers rotted until the whole structure was in danger of collapse.

Discussions between the Weld Estate and English Heritage led to the start of a programme of consolidation. The first priority was safety; dangerous and crumbling masonry was supported, scaffolding erected and the site was cleared of vegetation and loose debris.

Stripped of plaster and panelling by the fire, the naked walls revealed their history. Previously hidden details like blocked doorways and scars of demolished walls, together with historic records, were used to interpret the building’s development over the centuries. The project was completed in 1998 when the Castle opened its doors for the first time since the fire to allow the public to explore this unique building and discover its past for themselves.

Built in the early 17th Century as a hunting lodge, Lulworth Castle became the family seat at the heart of this large estate, hosting royalty and aristocracy before it was ravaged by fire.

The Weld Arms in Lulworth was a great spot to have our lunch

Lulworth Cove

Lulworth Crumple & Stair Hole

No visit to this area would be complete without a visit to Durdle Door - magnificent!

A view the `other side` of Durdle Door.

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Studland, Poole in Dorset

Today was a visit to Studland for a circular walk along Ballard Down and back through the heathland. This is one of my favourite walks and a must if in the area.

Ballard Down offers some of the best downland habitat in southern England and is home to many butterfly species, including Adonis blue and chalkhill blue. This one I believe is a Chalkhill Blue.

The stunning views along Studland Bay

Canoeists having fun along Studland Bay

Standing tall at the southern end of Studland Bay is one of the most famous landmarks on the South Coast – Old Harry. How Old Harry got his name is hotly debated. Some say it is linked to the Devil who, legend had it, once took a nap on the summit.

Others claim he is named after the notorious Poole pirate Harry Paye who terrorised the English Channel in the 14th century. It is said Harry’s ship used to lurk behind the rocks ready to pounce on passing merchantmen.

Whatever the truth, the bridleway from Studland village to Old Harry and Ballard Down beyond is today of the best loved walks in Dorset, and is also popular with mountain bikers and horse riders.

Until 1896 there was another stack beside him known as Old Harry’s Wife, but erosion caused her to tumble into the sea, leaving just a stump.

Shall I - shan't I?

Daucus carota, whose common names include wild carrot, bird's nest, bishop's lace, and Queen Anne's lace

Ballard Down - the walk is spectacular and it`s easy to see why it is one of the favourite walks on the Dorset coast.

Orchids on Ballard Down

Stone seat seen near the junction of two paths, at the top of Studland Hill. At one end is an inscription that appears to read "D.J. 1852"

The obelisk at Ballard Down commemorates the provision of a new supply of drinking water for Swanage in 1883. It was taken down in 1941 as it was a landmark that might have aided enemy aircraft during World War II, but was re-erected in 1952.

Some of the best views of the heath sweeping down to the shores of Poole Harbour are from the dramatic Agglestone – a 400 tonne rock sitting alone on a hill as if a giant had dropped it there. 

So out of place does it seem that legend suggests it was placed there by supernatural forces. It is said the Devil was sitting on The Needles when he saw Corfe Castle being built. He was so offended by the beautiful white tower of the Norman keep that he threw his cap at it: the missile fell short, however, and became the Agglestone. 

Legend aside, the 17-foot rock is thought to be part of a band of ironstone which crosses the heath, also including the nearby and much smaller Puckstone. 

When you arrive here you know you are not far from the end of your walk.

A closer view of Agglestone

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Corfe Castle

A trip to Corfe castle and perhaps Studland was planned for today. The images of the castle were not that spectacular I am afraid on the day but we returned another day to get some better ones

Another image, actually taken next day when we passed through on the way to Studland.

The Swanage Railway steam train passed through while we were watching a falconry display at the castle. 

Apparently, there are five steam engines on the line including the Battle of Britain Class Manston and these are regularly rotated so there is always something new to see. About ten special trains a year visit Corfe Castle and Swanage from the rest of England using mainline steam engines. You have to marvel at the feat of operating this 6-mile line. When British Railways closed it in 1972 everything was taken away. Volunteers have rebuilt every metre of track and a lot more besides and nearly 600 volunteers keep the railway going.

Hopes remain high that a regular service will start from the mainline at Wareham in the next few years offering direct connections to the whole UK network. A pilot service will start in 2017.

In the town of Corfe, and after some lunch, we spotted this sign on the wall of the `smallest town hall in England`

The Old Town Hall at Corfe Castle was passed to the Town Trust in 1888 and at that time was already more than 200 years old. The ground floor was built from secondary use of stone from the castle after it was destroyed during the Civil War.

The single story thatched building was destroyed by fire in about 1680 and the present two story structure dates from the early 18th Century when it was the seat of the Mayor and Barons of the Ancient Borough of Corfe Castle with its Charter dating back to Queen Elizabeth I.

Given that the floor area of the Council Chamber is only 350 square feet it claims to be the smallest Town Hall in England

We then followed the road toward Studland with some lovely views of the estuary complete with artist in the foreground.

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We are off to Dorset

The start of our holiday in Dorset included a journey through the New Forest on the way to our destination and base for the week. A stop in the forest for lunch, and we came across this unusual object - The Portuguese Fireplace

The Portuguese Fireplace can be found by the roadside close to Millyford Bridge - 2 kilometres (1¼ miles) from Emery Down, near Lyndhurst, beside the minor road leading towards the Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary.

A plaque explains the presence of the Portuguese Fireplace:

’This is the site of a hutted camp occupied by a Portuguese army unit during the First World War. This unit assisted the depleted local labour force in producing timber for the war effort. The Forestry Commission have retained this fireplace from the cookhouse as a memorial to the men who lived and worked here and acknowledge the financial assistance of the Portuguese Government in its renovation.’

Nearby, a New Forest Pony. Great to this iconic creature on passing through so briefly.

Our base for the week - Winterborne Stickland, Dorset

This was our accommodation for the week, which we found quiet, and rather pleasant.

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A visit to Framlingham

A visit to Framlingham Castle, as we thought Izobelle might be interested - it's amazing the variety of things which grab her interest, and long may it last. Actually, these first three images were taken on a previous visit and I have not included them in a previous post. 

Framlingham castle was built by the Bigods, a powerful Norman family in the 12th century. The first stone buildings at the site were probably the work of Hugh Bigod, 1st Earl of Norfolk (d. 1177). But it was under his successor, Roger Bigod II (d. 1221), that the huge stone curtain walls we see today were built.

In 1213 Roger Bigod II entertained King John at the castle. But by 1215 relations had soured - Roger, along with 25 other barons, challenged the high military taxes levied by King John and forced him to accept the Magna Carta. Enraged, John laid siege to Framlingham in 1216. After two days, the castle surrendered. This loss of the castle was only temporary however - it was later restored to the Bigod

In the 14th century Framlingham passed to the Brotherton family. For some 17 years it was in the hands of Margaret, the daughter of Thomas Brotherton, 1st Earl of Norfolk. Margaret, who was known to have enjoyed a lavish lifestyle at the castle, was a powerful woman of the period and the first to be made a duchess in her own right.

Following Margaret's death, her grandson and heir Thomas Mowbray inherited Framlingham. It was then passed down to the famous Howard family in 1483. Despite the brief period of the Howards tenure, Framlingham underwent substantial repairs during this time.

Through the disgrace of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, Framlingham came into the hands of Mary Tudor, elder daughter of Henry VIII in 1552. It was around this time that the castle became the scene of a succession crisis.

Although the catholic Princess Mary had been named Edward VI's heir by their father, the young Edward attempted to surrender the throne to the protestant Lady Jane Grey. Pursued by supporters of Lady Jane Grey, Mary fled to Framlingham to gather her troops.

It was while she was installed at the castle that she received the news she had been proclaimed queen. One of her first acts as ruler was to restore the estates and dukedom to the Howards.

The two images above are views of the castle from across the mere. Apparently, with its surrounding wet meadows and ancient castle backdrop, the Mere is considered by many to be the best view in inland Suffolk. Its wildlife is equally special and the reserve is best known for its sedge beds – a rare habitat in Suffolk – and stream of migrating birds. There is a wonderful show of massed marsh marigolds, delicate ragged-robin and lady’s smock in spring and if water levels aren’t too high, birds like green and common sandpiper and snipe can sometimes be seen.

A build up of silt over recent years resulted in restoration work being carried out by Suffolk Wildlife Trust, Framlingham College and the Environment Agency. This involved removing over 40,000 tonnes of accumulated mud from the Mere to restore water levels and wetland wildlife, pollarding historic trees and planting new ones and improving information for visitors. Wildlife has already responded to the improvement in water quality resulting from the restoration.

The castle from the grounds, to give an idea of its imposing presence.

  

The inner court from the wall walk.

So, lunch finished, lets play football. Izobelle just missed this one!

Now I am confident, I will take on Mummy!

I like the look of these slopes for rolling down.

Come on grandad, you do it like this.

Then mummy has a go.

I think she enjoyed it!

Meanwhile nanna did the sensible thing and supervised from the sidelines. It was a fun day and enjoyed by old and young.

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