A frosty morning at Flatford

It was a cold and frost morning when we visited Flatford Mill, and we were pleased to see that everywhere was covered in, what my dad called, `a hoar frost` Not the usual warm day that you visit Flatford , but nevertheless, very pretty! 

This image was taken on a cold and frost morning with the sun creeping round from the other side, and the water frozen.

Originally part of Gibbeon’s Gate Farm, Willy Lott's House is a Grade 1, listed building. Willy Lott (1761-1849) was a tenant farmer who worked the 39 acres around Flatford that made up Gibbeon's Gate Farm. He lived in a house attached to the farmland, which long after his death, became known as Willy Lott's House. Willy Lott's parents lived in this house, Willy and his sisters and brothers were born there.

A image facing in the opposite direction, depicting the Field Study Center, leased by the National Trust to the Field Studies Council, FSC, which is an environmental education charity `providing informative and enjoyable opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to discover, explore, and understand the environment`.

As you can see, this is the `Mill` of Flatford Mill.

Some interesting iron work against one of the Mill walls.

Sometimes misty, but still a lovely spot.

And of course, sometimes very cold and frosty. Taken on the pathway beside the river.

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The seals at Horsey

A record number of grey seal births at a Norfolk beach shows a "major change" in behaviour as the animals become used to humans, marine experts have said. The 1.5 mile (2.4km) stretch of dunes at Horsey has hosted 1,018 births so far this winter compared to the previous winter when there were 804. (BBC report)

We had been here on a previous visit but decided we would like to see them again. It is a worthwhile trip if you have never seen them.

Mother rushing to protect her pup (and herself probably) from approaching bull.

Keep away from my pup please! Mothers defending their space by putting herself between the bull and her calf.

Mothers and pups, a joy to watch

The big males just kept pestering the females, in or out of the water

Grey seals have grey and brown fur, sometimes with a pattern of blotches; no ears visible; long muzzle; nostrils parallel; larger and darker than common seal, with flat or convex profile to its head (the common seal has a concave profile).

Size: 

Average for males 207cm; females 180cm; flippers about 25cm.

Weight: 

Males 233kg; Females 155kg.

Origin and Distribution

Grey seals around Great Britain are found mainly along exposed rocky northern coasts. They also occur in the south west and off the east coast, around the Isle of May and the Farne Islands off Northumberland, and along the west coast of Ireland.

Diet

Sand eels and cod are their most important foods, but grey seals are opportunistic feeders and probably take whatever fish are most abundant.

General Ecology

Between the tides they haul themselves out on to rocks, usually on uninhabited offshore islands; though some haul-outs are on secluded mainland beaches. Grey seals are gregarious at these haul-outs, sometimes forming large groups of several hundred, and at Horsey we have seen 2,000 plus animals, especially when they are moulting their fur in the spring. They are not, however, very sociable and keep a distance between one another. About two-thirds of greys seals' time is spent at sea where they hunt and feed. In the autumn grey seals congregate at Horsey beach to breed. The timing of births varies around the coast, beginning in September in West Wales, in October in western Scotland, and as late as November in Horsey.

Pups and Breeding

Grey seal pups weigh about 14 kg at birth and have soft white fur. They remain on land where they suck from their mother for 18-21 days. A female's milk contains up to 60% fat, so pups grow very quickly, gaining about 2kg in weight each day. This weight gain consists mainly of a layer of blubber below their skin, which is vital insulation when they go to sea. During the pupping season, male grey seals also come ashore to mate. The largest males, usually more than 10 years old, compete for a position within groups of breeding females. Occasionally males fight, and may sustain deep scars on their necks as a result.

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Evolution of our garden

Our rear garden was a source of frustration from the time we moved in to our bungalow. Although we made the most of the space as it was and had a small lawn with a few plants, it was not as we would have wished. As well as the garden needing some reconstruction, the conservatory  was small and the worse for wear, so the two things came together in 2016 with a grand project, captured here on a few images. The results - well see below!

Starting point - the small conservatory and the steps and slabs which dominated the area.

Facing the other direction, we have the area that Rosey turned into a small flower/lawn area.

This is how it finished, thanks to a lot of hard work by Rosey. Then, time to move on.....

Demolition time! Where has the conservatory gone? plus all the furniture? What a lovely fence!

Someone is preparing for action by the looks of the building plant beginning to appear.

Re-construction has started as our new conservatory takes shape.

`Lo and behold` a new fence with a new gate - and in a different position.

The old shed has gone, the soil has begun to shift, and more slabs have appeared in a pile.

Trench dug for the retaining wall dug and more soil heaped up. Also the blocks for the wall are ready in a pile by the fence.

Danny`s tools and markers in place ready to start building the retaining wall.

The conservatory is finished  and the retaining wall takes shape. All that soil to remove!

Slabs re-appear, properly laid. The shape of the three tiered beds become apparent.

The path to the newly positioned gate appears.

How much cleaner and neater the whole garden appears!

New shed! Some initial planting and the end is in sight.

The finished article. We are really pleased how it has turned out, thanks in large part to the vision of Danny and his landscaping skills.

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Sparrowhawk with kill

Just looked out of the window and sitting on the lawn was this Sparrowhawk having just brought down his prey which was still struggling to get away. Brutal as it might seem, this is nature and repeated millions of times all over the planet by numerous creature, every day.

Images taken with Nikon D5500 and Nikon 18-200 mm lens.

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Sandymouth and Welcombe Mouth

Today we decided to walk along the coastal path and just soak up the glorious day. This looked like a lovely long beach with the prospect of a walk along a short part of the Coastal path.

We were not disappointed as, on a glorious day, we arrived at Sandymouth.

As you can see, there were very few people about, apart from the odd couple walking along the Coastal path like us, toward Northcott Mouth. 

A walk back along the beach was planned but was abandoned when, on composing this picture, we were surprised by a fast incoming tide and ended up with very wet feet. It was funny though! 

The reason we were taking picture of this particular rock formation was the apparent presence of `coral` formations on it? Anyway, back up onto the cliffs and trying to dry out the feet on the way back. 

This little creature posed for a few moments. 

A cup of coffee and a sandwich of crab (a bit disappointing), and we made our way toward Welcombe Mouth - a place we had visited before. On the way out, we stopped for a photograph of the dishes which make up GCHQ Bude, formerly called the Composite Signals Organisation (CSO). Station Morwenstow, is a satellite ground station and eavesdropping centre located between the small villages of Morwenstow and Coombe, operated by the British signals intelligence service (GCHQ), on the site of the former World War II airfield, RAF Cleave. 

A farmer carrying out the age old process of bringing in the harvest while the latest technology sits on the hills in the distance. This is a GCHQ listening post. 

On a previous holiday we stayed near Welcombe Mouth, so we looked forward to a re-visit, and were not disappointed. 

The small stream that cascades onto the beach, and like so much of the Cornish coast, in a secluded spot with rarely another person to be seen. 

It's just a rather pleasant, quiet spot. So ends our week in North Cornwall. Not the best of weather but nothing to stop us getting about. And now to face the long journey home! 

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The Edge of Bodmin

There were a few places that we had earmarked for today and the first ones were really just plucked from the map - `Picturesque village.` Well, we had to have a look at that one!

The village in question, on the edge of Bodmin, was Altarnum which had this wonderful packhorse bridge, and a magnificent church, perched at the top of the village. Well worth a visit.

A packhorse bridge is a bridge intended to carry pack horses (horses loaded with side bags or panniers) across a river or stream. Typically a packhorse bridge consists of one or more narrow (one horse wide) masonry arches, and has low parapets so as not to interfere with the horse's panniers. Multi-arched examples sometimes have triangular cutwaters that are extended upwards to form pedestrian refuges. 

Packhorse bridges were often built on the trade routes (often called packhorse routes) that formed major transport arteries across Europe and Great Britain until the coming of the turnpike roads and canals in the 18th century. Before the road-building efforts of Napoleon, all crossings of the Alps were on packhorse trails. Travellers' carriages were dismantled and transported over the mountain passes by ponies and mule trains. 

The village is dominated by the 15th C church of St Nonna (strange!) Measuring the tower height from the ground to the top of the pinnacles is over 100ft! 

From Altarnum it was a short hop across to the next village whose claim to fame is regarding a certain John Wesley. He was was an Anglican cleric and theologian who, with his brother Charles and fellow cleric George Whitefield, founded Methodism. Throughout his life, Wesley remained within the established Anglican church, insisting that the Methodist movement lay well within its tradition. In his early ministry, Wesley was barred from preaching in many parish churches and the Methodists were persecuted; he later became widely respected and, by the end of his life, had been described as "the best loved man in England" 

The cottage looks like a million others in Cornwall but its fame lies in the following story: On their first trip to Cornwall with John Wesley in 1743, two of his companions, John Nelson and John Downes, stopped at stonemason Digory Isbell's cottage to seek hospitality. 

They were welcomed by his wife, Elizabeth. Nelson called again as he was leaving Cornwall and reportedly preached to some 300 people. 

After that Wesley was also a regular lodger, and so Digory Isbell added a two-room 'Prophet's Chamber' to his cottage where Wesley and his preachers both stayed and preached. 

The lower room of the Chamber is thought to be the smallest Methodist preaching place in the world. 

In the garden can be seen the following Biblical text. 

And of course, the plaque on the wall for the tourists - (us!) 

Bodmin is a great place for wind, and this wind turbine looked good against the beautiful sky. 

On leaving John Wesley behind we made our way toward Bolventor, the site of Jamaica Inn. This I was looking forward to seeing, as one of my favourite books is Daphne du Maurier's 1936 novel Jamaica Inn. I had an image in my mind of an inn deep in Bodmin Moor, isolated and wild. What a contrast to reality! 

Today it is on a main road and is a very busy place. It is, to be true an 18th century Inn, and the surrounding moorland is bleak, but the illusion is shattered! 

One of the best bits was the sign showing a smuggler, an occupation described in the book and once widespread in that area. 

That evening we were going to drive to Crackington Haven, but somehow took a wrong turning. After some twisty turns and a very scary descent we arrived at this charming bay called Millook. 

My first image (above) was of an old boat leaning against a shed, just catching the last of the sun. 

As the sun dipped, the sky and beach were bathed in a beautiful light. I guess this isolated spot would be less secluded in daytime, but tonight, except for three young people (below) wandering past magnificent cliffs, we were on our own. The sunset (above) was the best view of the evening but all in all, a beautiful spot - if you can stand the descent!!

The beautiful patterns of the cliff structures 

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