Monday 24 May The drive to Barrow-in-Furness passed along a beautiful road this morning. We visited Furness Abbey and took lots of pictures. Nice drive the weather continues to be beautifully sunny. 

After the abbey we drove along beside Morecombe Bay where the low tide revealed the deadly sands. We lunched at The Old Farmhouse.

In the afternoon we toured Holker Hall and enjoyed long walks in the gardens.

Long drive up to Cumbria on Saturday. No photos along the way although we passed through some pretty country.

The cottage is on the edge of Ambleside in the heart of the Lake District. The whole place is within a National Park.

I took a few pictures early Sunday morning walking into the village and snapping the little house on the bridge owned by the National Trust. 

After breakfast I drove Chris and Steve into Ambleside and I went to Church in the Community centre attached to St Mary's parish church which is undergoing extensive repairs but the bells are not affected as the bells were being raised and I went to join them and drummed to some call changes; rang the fourth for plain courses of PB Minor and the treble for a touch of Grandsire then rang the second down in peal.

Fetched Kathy from home and then met Chris and Steve at Esquire Cafe where Wi-fi is available and a couple of public computers for £2.50/hr.

After lunch I listened to the radio adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's choice of a neglected work "The Snow Goose" by Paul Gallico. There followed a programme with Mariella Frostrup talking with the person who lives in one of the lighthouses at the mouth of the Nene which was the inspiration of the story suggested by the naturalist and painter Peter Scott.

Then I took a short walk up Loughrigg Fell. Walks here are short or long; they are all fairly strenuous, or is that my age showing? There is an annual running race up and down Helvellyn. That is a young man's sport.

Rydal Hall from lower Loughrigg

Day Seventeen Friday 21 May

Short day before we head off to Cumbria tomorrow. Quick drive to Mevagissey by way of St Germans to see the church. I had gone over to St Germans yesterday evening to ring but we were only three to ring.

 

 The west doorway and the west end of the nave

 

 Details of the bells

From St Germans we passed through wonderful countryside on the A390 to St Austell and on to Mevagissey . . .

 

Day Sixteen Thursday 20 May

The barometer has been steady at 29.7". Broken cloud visible. Fog lifting. Off for a mystery drive again; I don't get lost: a road has to go somewhere even if it dead-ends. And the intention is to drive to an end. Land's End.

A merry jaunt it was through countryside dotted with the remains of disused tin mines.

Drove around St Ives and along a narrow coast road to Zennor and Land's End stopping off at the Levant Mine owned by The National Trust as is much of the Coast Path which passes through the site.

We arrived at Land's End just in time for lunch. I then walked about gazing out to Carn Bras and the Longships light.

On the way home stopped we off at Falmouth briefly and I snapped a view from below St Dennis castle.

Two views

from the deck this evening. I don't intend driving anywhere tonight.

Day Fifteen Wednesday 19 May

The weather this morning was not conducive to appreciating the views from Land's End nor the kind of weather to be kind to Chris's arthritis so Chris, Steve and Kathy stayed home whilst I thought it a grand morning for a walk and so did the couple I met along the way on the Coast Path. I walked  as far as the labyrinth then made my way up to the single track road back to Seaton. This section of the path winds up and down the wooded cliff top with occasional glimpses of the waves crashing on secluded beaches two hundred feet or so below. The common wild flowers along the way I could identify as bluebells, red campion, buttercup and what's that smell? Wild garlic. I found wild strawberry in flower, too. And trees: groves of sycamore. And I heard and saw birds: robin, chaffinch, dunnock, rooks and pheasant.

Wild strawberry

The Labyrinth

 

Evening of Day Fourteen Tuesday 18 May

Off to Bodmin for some rounds and call changes at St Petroc's parish church. Many learners. Resource: Truro Diocesan Guild of Ringers

R.N.L.I.

Royal National Lifeboat Institution. I put the odd pound in the boat in pubs and at lifeboat stations many of which are open to the public.

Day Fourteen Tuesday 18 May

Looks like I missed a day. It was not Sunday 16th May we went to Port Isaac and Tintagel but yesterday Monday 17th May. I edited another post I'd started. I apologize for any confusion.

Took a little jaunt into Devon today to explore Plymouth and take a few pictures on Plymouth Hoe.

Anchor from Ark Royal presented to the city in 1980

Royal Navy Memorial

Armada commemoration

R A F Memorial

Remembering all the Empire, USAAF and USSR airmen who made the skies safe for the liberation forces in 1944 and the final victory in 1945.

No prizes for guessing who this is.

The Hoe lighthouse, formerly Smeaton's Tower at Eddystone rock.