There and Back

We visited here while based in a log cabin in Sherwood. We were mainly looking for different fungi on this trip, so this visit combined an historic site, with some fungi hunting. The former Augustinian abbey once belonged to Lord Byron and now has a Mixed Style romantic nineteenth century garden. The priory of St. Mary of Newstead, a house of Augustinian Canons, was founded by King Henry II of England about the year 1170, as one of many penances he paid following the murder of Thomas Becket. Contrary to its current name, Newstead was never an abbey: it was a priory. In the late 13th century, the priory was rebuilt and extended. It was extended again in the 15th-century, when the Dorter (A bedroom or dormitory, especially in a monastery.), Great Hall and Prior's Lodgings were added. The priory was designed to be home to at least 13 monks, although there appears to have been only 12 (including the Prior) at the time of the dissolution. The Valor Ecclesiasticus o

There is a certain appeal in woodlands this time of year, as the forest floor hides many fungi. With this in mind, we booked into a Cabin, not too far from Sherwood Forest. We saw many fungi, and below are just a few of them. Our cabin nestling among the trees  Dusky puffball (Lycoperdon nigrescens)  Blackening Waxcap (Hygrocybe cornica  Web Cap (Cortinarius varius)  The interior of the cabin where we stayed. The site was a pleasant one, and the cabin spacious but above all the hot tub!  Leopard Earthball (Sclceroderma areolatum) A tree stump that looked amazingly like the head of a dog.  Just liked the shapes of the trees and the light on the forest floor. Home

Overall, 2014 was a good year for the number of different butterflies and moths we spotted and photographed. This is a good sample, but not all of them. I owe Rosey a huge debt when talking of these amazing insects, because are very much part of the world that fascinates her and she has infinite patience in identifying them. Thank you Rosey! Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa) An unmistakable and distinctive moth with pinkish-brown markings. The wings are folded along the body at rest which gives the impression of a withered autumn leaf.  The adults are attracted to light and feed on flowers of Common Reed and other grasses and are frequently seen during the day, resting in the open, on walls, fences or vegetation. They overwinter as larvae so the caterpillars can be seen all year round, feeding in mild weather. They usually pupate in a cocoon just under the soil.  Small Argent & Sable (Epirrhoe tristata) Although the markings can be variable, the distin

So dawned our last day of Mull, and a great holiday it has been. Peaceful, interesting and lots to see. This fern just appealed to me as it sprouted from the stone wall - Polypodium vulgare, the common polypody. Seen at a stop on our way to today's adventure. Another abandoned cottage as we drove toward Loch na Keal, intending to explore another area we had not seen much of to date. Northern Eggar caterpillar or asiocampa quercus, as its Latin name. Loch na Keal - We drove along the southern edge of the loch toward Loch Ba. This was another unspoilt and beautiful drive. We watched sea eagles over the loch and just looked at the peaceful scenery, with all the worlds problems a million miles away. We came across this pile of stones, obviously left by some earlier passer by. Loch Ba More views of Loch Ba Our interest in this Mausoleum is the fact that, while traveling in Australia, Macquarie was a town that we pa

The A849 crosses Mull West / East (or East / West if you fancy!) and we travelled westerly today until we reached Fionnphort which is the Ferry Port for Iona. The whole route is through stunning landscape and beside a loch - Loch Scridain to be precise. The weather looked threatening as we progressed, but thankfully the rain held off. Fionnphort was nothing remarkable, but it was of interest to see Iona just a short ferry trip away. The beach looked as if, on a sunny day, it might have been beautiful to picnic or sunbathe on. From here we drove a short distance to Fiddon. Another stunning beach with pink granite outcrops and a large white sandy bay. Some of the rocks on Fiddon beach. And a row of camper vans next to Fiddon beach.  Just off the Fiddon coast is the island of Erraid. It is a tidal island one mile square in area which lies off the south west of Mull. It is connected by a beach at low tide to the Isle of Mull and it is renowned for b