The Wasp Spider at Minsmere

We had heard of the Wasp Spider (Scientific name: Argiope bruennichi) being seen in Minsmere Nature Reserve, so decided to spend some time trying to track down this elusive spider and perhaps get some photos. The day we visited was wet am, but started to clear later morning but there was quite a strong wind blowing. Not daunted, we headed along the dunes, where they had been seen, and before to long Rosey had spotted a beautiful female in her web.

So, a couple of my photos - despite the gale blowing! To say I was pleased to get these image is an understatement!

The wasp spider is a great mimic - looking just like a common wasp keeps it safe from predators, even though it is not dangerous itself. An introduced species, it can be found in Southern England, but is spreading north.

The wasp spider is a very large, colourful spider that is a recent arrival in the UK from the continent and has slowly spread over the south of England. It builds large orb webs in grassland and heathland, and attaches its silk egg-sacs to the grasses. The web has a wide, white zig-zag strip running down the middle, known as a 'stabilimentum', the function of which is unclear.

Mating is a dangerous game for males; they wait at the edge of the web until the female has moulted into a mature form, then take advantage of her jaws being soft and rush in to mate. However, many males still get eaten during this time.

The female wasp spider has yellow, black and white stripes, just like a common wasp. Its legs are also stripy. The male is smaller and pale brown.

Spiders use venom to immobilise and kill their prey. Unfortunately for humans, that venom is sometimes dangerous for us too: the black widow, redback, brown recluse and Brazilian wandering spiders are all notorious for biting humans and causing injury or death. However, most spiders are not aggressive and prefer to avoid large prey, or only bite in self-defence.

There are no deadly spiders living in the UK (although some do turn up in shipments of fruit from time to time), and our most venomous species is the false widow - a new arrival in the south, probably as a result of climate change. This species can cause a painful bite and flu-like symptoms.

All the above information is from the Wildlife Trusts website

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Sculpture at Marks Hall

Marks Hall was a Jacobean country house some 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Coggeshall in Essex, but by 1949, the mansion was neglected and said to be in a dangerous state, so was demolished in 1950. Forward to 2019 and Marks Hall Estate is now the site of 300 acres of Gardens and Arboretum - a great place at all times of year to wander and explore.

In 1163 the manor house and estate of Markshall were granted to the Markshall family after being confiscated from Hugh de Essex. They descended in the Markshall family until the estate was sold to John Cole, who renovated parts of the house. It was then sold to Edward Deraugh in 1581. In 1605 Robert Honywood purchased Marks Hall from Deraugh's grandson, William, pulled down part of the old timber-framed house and built a new brick building in 1609. It then descended through several more families until Thomas Phillips Price (1844-1932), a Welsh landowner, mine owner, and Liberal politician, purchased Marks Hall, then a mansion and deer park, at auction in 1898. 

He made provision in his Will to leave the Marks Hall estate to the nation in the interest of agriculture, arboriculture and forestry. During the Second World War, Earls Colne Airfield was built on the edge of the deer park and much of the property requisitioned for used as the headquarters for a number of local airfields. The 97th Bombardment Wing headquarters was initially located at the manor. 

Currently the gardens are host to an impressive biennial exhibition of carefully selected sculpture which include 253 quality pieces from over 50 national and international sculptors in a wide variety of materials.

Camera to the ready, we set off to explore some of the 253 exhibits. Just a few of the resulting images are shown below.

Metomorphoman - White Marble Resin by John Williams

Genesis - White Marble Resin by John Williams

Diabolo - Coloured Stainless Steel Sheet by Diane Maclean

Boreas - Statuary Carrara Marble by Mel Fraser

The Key - White Marble Resin by John Williams

The Book - Stainless Steel by Richard Cresswell

Luminous - Greenheart Timber and Glass by Louise Durham

Aurora - Bronze Resin by Angela Farquarson

Ella gathering sticks (Winter) and Persephone gathering apples (Autumn) - Bronze Resin by Antoinette Jackson

Ripple - Carrara Marble and Caithness Stone by Tom Allan

Red Planet - Fused Glass & Steel by Ian Reynolds

Narcissus - Bronze on Steel by Teresa Wells

Secret and Poppy (the dog) - Iron Resin by Martin Duffy

Guy Gorilla - Bronze by John Cox

The 200 acres of Gardens and Arboretum at Marks Hall, are an unmissable attraction in the Essex countryside, with an enviable collection of mature trees, woodland and leafy paths. On top of that, there is a great eating place and a wonderful 18c Coach House as a magical wedding venue.

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Theberton and the tranquility of Dunwich

A visit to two interesting places today. One being Dunwich Heath and the other the village of Theberton. The village of Theberton has a grim past relating to the First World War, which can be perhaps glimpsed from the village sign? The burnt out airship. (sorry, not the best picture).

On the night of 17th June 1917, on the edge of this village, German Zeppelin airship L48 was brought down, with the agonising death of 16 of its crew. Finding yourself on fire and falling through the air cannot fill you with much hope of your survival, but remarkably some of the crew did survive, to be rounded up by the local constable, who I like to imagine arriving on his bike. The dead were buried in the graveyard extension here, before being moved to a military cemetery 60 years later, but their memorial remains. In the porch there is part of the superstructure of the giant airship, incongruous in a glass case.

The church of St Peter has one of Suffolk's prettiest round towers, and loveliest thatched roofs. 

Another view of the tower with its gargoyles ready to discharge their water on the unsuspecting people below

For me, the most memorable part of the 1840s restoration becomes evident as you step into the nave, for the south arcade has been painted with extravagant stencilling, as if it had been tattooed. We know that much wood and stonework was painted in medieval times with geometric designs, and some survives in Suffolk at Kedington and Westhorpe. It is interesting to see an early 19th century interpretation. It is said that Cottingham based the scheme on traces of paint found on the arcades. Who knows?

Memorial window to Lieutenant Colonel Charles Hotham Montagu "Richard" Doughty-Wylie

Lieutenant Colonel Charles Hotham Montagu "Richard" Doughty-Wylie, VC, CB, CMG (23 July 1868 – 26 April 1915) was a British Army officer and an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces. Doughty-Wylie was also posthumously awarded the Order of the Medjidie from the very Ottoman Government he had fought against.

A native of Suffolk, born at Theberton Hall, Doughty-Wylie was educated at Winchester College. His military career included the Chitral Expedition of 1895 and the 1898 Occupation of Crete, between and after which he was posted in Sudan serving with Lord Kitchener in the Mahdist War (1898–99). In 1899 he took part in the final defeat of the Khalifa as brigade major to the Infantry Brigade with the flying column, and was mentioned in despatches. He next served in the Second Boer War, then suppressing the Boxer Rebellion (1900) and in Somaliland (1903–04), where he commanded a unit of the Somaliland Camel Corps.

On 26 April 1915, following the landing at Cape Helles on the Gallipoli peninsula of the SS River Clyde, Lieutenant Colonel Doughty-Wylie and Captain Garth Neville Walford organised and made an attack through and on both sides of the village of Sedd-el-Bahr on the Old Fort at the top of the hill. The enemy's position was very strongly entrenched and defended, but mainly due to the initiative, skill and great gallantry of the two officers the attack was a complete success. However, both Doughty-Wylie and Walford were killed in the moment of victory, Doughty-Wylie being shot in the face by a sniper and died instantly.

In the churchyard, one of the better Puffballs I have seen for a while.

Some images of Dunwich Heath, the beautiful heather for which Dunwich is justly famous

Juvenile Stonechat

Pair of Common Blue

Painted Lady. We saw a lot of these today on our walk along to Minsmere and back.

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Exploring the gardens of Woburn Abbey

Woburn Abbey is a country house, the family seat of the Duke of Bedford. Although it is still a family home to the current duke, it is open on specified days to visitors, along with the diverse estate surrounding it, including the historic landscape gardens and deer park (by Humphry Repton), as well as more recently added attractions including Woburn Safari Park. It also has (but we did not see) a miniature railway and a garden/visitor centre.
It was set out and founded as a Cistercian abbey in 1145. Taken from its monastic residents by Henry VIII and given to John Russell, 1st Earl of Bedford, in 1547, it became the seat of the Russell family and the Dukes of Bedford. The Abbey was largely rebuilt starting in 1744 by the architects Henry Flitcroft and Henry Holland for the 4th Duke. Anna Russell, Duchess of Bedford, originated the afternoon tea ritual in 19th-century England.

Lion Lodge is an attractive building at the entrance to Woburn Park along the road leading from Woburn to Eversholt through the park itself. I was more interested in the gate piers so did not photograph the lodge!

Closeup of the lion on top of its pier.

Some deer went for a spot of sunbathing ...

.... while others opted for a cooling off in the stream.

This little fellow ran across our path and then obliged by sitting very still on a nearby branch.

The front of Woburn Abbey taken as we drove in on the `long route` toward the parking area.

The rear of the stately home.

The sculpture garden

Looking toward the Rockery

In 1802 Repton was commissioned by the 6th Duke to produce designs for enhancing the gardens and deer park. The Duke wanted to create points of interest for the guests he entertained at Woburn Abbey.

The rockery and pavilion formed part of Repton’s plans for formal ‘Pleasure Grounds’ at Woburn Abbey and illustrations of all of Repton’s designs and ideas were collated in his Red Book. This book was completed in 1805 and is still held at the Abbey today. The Woburn Estate has the greatest number of realised Repton plans in the UK, but until 2011 the rockery stood uncompleted.

In 2009 the Gardens Team began restoring the rockery, which had suffered from weather damage and was overgrown with trees, with the ultimate goal of recreating Repton’s original illustration.

In 2011 F Martin Ltd were commissioned to build the pavilion and, together with the Abbey Gardens Team, constructed it on the top of the rockery. It took four weeks to build and a week to put together on site.

 The Bog Garden

 To quote their website: Woburn Abbey Gardens are located on ribbons of clay and sand. Where the two meet, there is a spring as the water tracks up to the surface in between the different materials. As a result a boggy patch developed in this particular spot. 

Opened in 2007, this contemporary part of the garden was initiated after Her Grace, the Duchess of Bedford, asked if we could do something with this boggy turfed area. It didn't make sense to fight the natural condition of the area, so the Gardens Team decided to design and create a Bog Garden for the space.The Bog Garden construction includes 9 different sizes of gravel and boulders to make up the layout that you see today. It was designed to represent a dried up stream and is planted with bog loving plants, including a few carnivorous species.

Figure in the Bog Garden

The Sculpture Gallery, with Rosey photographing dragonfly on the lake. The Sculpture Gallery is used for weddings and other functions. What a beautiful setting, with it`s secluded gardens as well.

The English custom of taking afternoon tea was popularised in the 1840s by Duchess Anna Maria, wife of the 7th Duke of Bedford. A Lady-in-Waiting to Queen Victoria, Anna Maria began the custom of taking afternoon tea at around 5.00pm and it became a popular part of the day at Woburn Abbey and the Royal Palaces.

The 6th Duke of Bedford designed the Hornbeam Maze in 1831. The plaque over the entrance incorrectly states that this is a Labyrinth, as it is actually a maze. A maze is defined as a branching puzzle which has multiple paths and directions you can take. A labyrinth is defined as a puzzle that has only one non-branching path, which leads to the centre.

At the centre of the maze is The Chinese Pagoda which was built in 1833 and is based on a design by Sir William Chambers dated 1757. The Woburn Abbey Hornbeam Maze was 6 feet high when restoration work started but reduced to 3 feet and 6 inches - a big shock to such an old hedge.

The hornbeam was allowed to re-grow and then, over 2 years, slowly clipped it back to form the maze you can see in the gardens today. 

There was no physical evidence of the original Aviary, which was constructed in 1805, as it had been cleared during the war for easier maintenance of the gardens. The restoration of the Aviary in 2011 aimed to make Woburn Abbey Gardens more family friendly. The Aviary was returned to Woburn using etchings and descriptions of the building from an historic book about the Gardens called Hortus Woburnensis. It was reconstructed with a frame made of green oak. During the reconstruction a time capsule was placed in the roof of the structure which included photos of the Gardens Team, the Duke and Duchess and their children, and a newspaper from the day of completion. The Aviary is now home to golden pheasants, budgies and quail.

A cool place to sit on a very hot day!

In the village of Woburn are these cottages which were once almshouses, I believe. In 1968 the almshouses were settled on new trustees and registered with the Charity Commission. Both blocks were listed by English Heritage in March 1987 as Grade II, of special interest. The listing states that the present properties were erected by Francis, 7th Duke of Bedford, in 1850. They are built of yellow brick with dressings in render and have clay tiled roofs. Blocks built to the rear are in red brick. The dwellings comprise two storeys and are built in a “loosely Jacobean style”.
Their origins reach further back in time to when, on 29th May 1635 Sir Francis Staunton of Birchmoor made his will. One of the clauses read as follows (note the original spelling): “I will and bequeath forty pounds to be bestoed by my executor in house or land to the use of the poore of Woburne aforesaid for ever, within six yeares after my decease and in the meane tyme till the said house or Land shall be bought, in lew thereof I appoint my executor to give unto fortie of the poore Twelve pence a yeere upon the Eight day of december”. The trustees, many years late, bult the original amshouses.

The church, on Park Street, Woburn, was built to the designs of the architect Henry Clutton between 1865 and 1868 and paid for by William Russell, 8th Duke of Bedford. It replaced the old parish church in the village which, except for the tower, was demolished when the new church opened.

The tower was equipped with a monster bell (said to be the largest in a parish church at the time) of 55 cwt (6,160 pounds (2,790 kg)), cast in C by Mears and Stainbank of London.

On opening the church tower was surmounted by a spire which reached to a height of 181ft. This was itself crowned with a copper cross at its summit, which took the total height to 195 feet (59 m). However, structural problems caused the removal of the spire in 1890.

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Rosey filming for Countryfile at Woburn Abbey

A surprise message via Rosey's website led to a great couple of days in Woburn, with Rosey filming with the BBC Countryfile team! The message was from Katie, a researcher with the BBC, who was looking for a Macro bug photographer, preferable a female amateur photographer. Rosey fitted the bill! Katie also loved the images on Rosey's website.

The Countryfile 2020 Calendar has a theme of Beauty and the Beast, and Rosey was to be filmed being interviewed by John Craven, and photographing some bugs (Beasts).

In the morning we were able to search around the grounds of Woburn, courtesy of the staff, for a suitable area and Rosey did get some images. However, by the time the team got around to filming in the heat of the afternoon, most sensible bugs, and people, had run for cover!

With everyone wilting in the heat, filming got under way and was quickly completed. Rosey was later asked to supply some of her images to be used, we assume, in the programme.

John Craven, Rosey and Katie, the researcher. 

John Craven and Rosey in action.

One of the two cameramen.

The producer having a pre-filming chat.

Rosey being fitted with sound equipment as the team survey the chosen location

Prior to Rosey filming her slot with John Craven, we watched the team interviewing the Head gardener on the bridge in the Bog Garden

All in all a memorable occasion which will live long in Rosey`s memory. She deserved the opportunity, as she is an excellent macro photographer, and this was some recognition of that fact.

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