The drive across the bottom from Dover took us along the coast through some delightful countryside. Beautiful seascape vistas were ours to enjoy as long as you didn't want to stop to enjoy as there wasn't parking areas available. Villages with narrow streets were again the norm and you could see the shipping influence in the names of the inns and streets etc. Finally we went onto the A roads and then the motorway taking us away from the coast. We were happy to be able to travel more smoothly by now and the miles soon slipped by.
Weymouth has a strong naval influence and there are various MOD (ministry of defence) properties around the town. Just south of Weymouth connected to the mainland is the island of Portland which is reknowned for Portland Stone. This lovely stone is used in many buildings around the area and even the King Henry VIII fort built at Portland is of this stone.
We visited the castle / fort and enjoyed a tour with lots of photo ops. The fort was built in 1545 to help protect the harbour and was used up until the end of WWII when it was finally decommissioned and sat unused till around the 1960's when the building was recognised for it's historic value. During the 1800's it had been converted to be used as the private residence of the captain of the fort and was used this way for about 50 yrs untill the navy took over running the fort.
We also enjoyed walking the esplanade and yes it was sunny but a very cool breeze was blowing but there on the beach (gravel) folk were sun baking and turning red. It was so obvious. I am sure the water must have been cold however as there was no-one swimming. There were carousels and food vendors and deck chairs for hire (for 2pound) and there were folk just sitting in the deck chairs snoozing and turning red!
We were surprised to come across an ANZAC memorial on the sea front and it was quite moving to read the words there honouring our N Z and Aussie members of the forces who passed through that area during the first World War.
Weymouth is certainly a seaside destination for folk and when the sun shines they come out to enjoy, and so they should.
Friday, June 7, 2013
DOVER
Well what a great stopover. Our host David told us of a great spot to visit to have the best view of the white cliffs and he wasn't wrong.
We found our way to the lighthouse that was built in 1843 and this lighthouse would have guided my Captain Lott safely into harbour and that thought brought real emotion to the surface as I did a tour of the lighthouse.
We drove down to the beach at St Margarets and walked along to the cliffs. There had been a fall just a few weeks ago and the face of the cliff was so white. There is a building down on the beach and this was once owned by Noel Coward and later by Ian Fleming. It seemed quite abandoned at the moment so not sure if anyone is still living there.
Of course the sound of a beach house is rather ideallic however the reality would be a little different. The house was quite exposed and the beach was gravel not sand. No going outside and feeling sand between the toes here!
We were also fortunate to find our way to a cliff top to be able to look down on the ferry loading area. This is where the ferries depart for Calais in France and they say there is one per hour and we could see 6 berths in front of us with loading ramps for each one. It was like looking down onto a childs play mat with roads going everywhere. Trucks, buses, campervans and caravans along with cars were coming and going non stop. It really was amazing and the trip only takes about 45mins on these ferries.
We found our way to the lighthouse that was built in 1843 and this lighthouse would have guided my Captain Lott safely into harbour and that thought brought real emotion to the surface as I did a tour of the lighthouse.
We drove down to the beach at St Margarets and walked along to the cliffs. There had been a fall just a few weeks ago and the face of the cliff was so white. There is a building down on the beach and this was once owned by Noel Coward and later by Ian Fleming. It seemed quite abandoned at the moment so not sure if anyone is still living there.
Of course the sound of a beach house is rather ideallic however the reality would be a little different. The house was quite exposed and the beach was gravel not sand. No going outside and feeling sand between the toes here!
We were also fortunate to find our way to a cliff top to be able to look down on the ferry loading area. This is where the ferries depart for Calais in France and they say there is one per hour and we could see 6 berths in front of us with loading ramps for each one. It was like looking down onto a childs play mat with roads going everywhere. Trucks, buses, campervans and caravans along with cars were coming and going non stop. It really was amazing and the trip only takes about 45mins on these ferries.
Monday, June 3, 2013
Dover 'cnt
The Dartford bridge with a toll of 2 pounds carried all the traffic from north to south across the river and the Dartford Tunnel carries all the traffic going from south to north. The plan had originally been to have the tunnel carry both directions however the level of traffic was so heavy that the flow was changed to all lanes going the same way.
Once over the bridge we were not long to turn for Canterbury and head down into Kent.
Lovely green fields roll in all directions and more flowering Rapeseed fields pass us by. Having successfully negotiated a part of the trip I had been dreading we took advantage of one of the 'services' stops along the motorway and celebrated our success with a cuppa and a muffin. Such decadence!!
Our stay for the next 2 nights is a guest house on the outer edge of Dover but from where we can easily visit the 'white cliffs' and also the village where my great great grandfatherwas born. He became a Master Mariner (captain) and sailed to Austalia in 1853 bringing his pregnant wife and 4yr old son with him as he captained the ship safely to Port Melbourne where he stayed for a couple of years before moving to Newcastle in NSW. Just6 days out from land his wife gave birth to his second son my g grandfather named John (after his grandfather), Stanhope (the name of the ship), Otway (the first land sighted after his birth) Lott. This name has continued down through the family to this current day.
Once over the bridge we were not long to turn for Canterbury and head down into Kent.
Lovely green fields roll in all directions and more flowering Rapeseed fields pass us by. Having successfully negotiated a part of the trip I had been dreading we took advantage of one of the 'services' stops along the motorway and celebrated our success with a cuppa and a muffin. Such decadence!!
Our stay for the next 2 nights is a guest house on the outer edge of Dover but from where we can easily visit the 'white cliffs' and also the village where my great great grandfatherwas born. He became a Master Mariner (captain) and sailed to Austalia in 1853 bringing his pregnant wife and 4yr old son with him as he captained the ship safely to Port Melbourne where he stayed for a couple of years before moving to Newcastle in NSW. Just6 days out from land his wife gave birth to his second son my g grandfather named John (after his grandfather), Stanhope (the name of the ship), Otway (the first land sighted after his birth) Lott. This name has continued down through the family to this current day.
Down to DOVER
After our great time in York it was time to head further south. Our destination was Sutton Bridge a small village just north of Kings Lynn in Lancashire.
Our drive took us through what we decided must be part of England's food bowl. We saw fields in all directions under crops and fields of Rapeseed in flower giving us a golden field when the sun broke through clouds to shine on it. We had thought it was Canola and maybe it is by another name but the sight of bright yellow field after field was lovely to see.
If the fields were not yellow they were green, no signs of drought or dry land here.
We did not do any detours and just stuck to the main highway to arrive at our B&B by mid afternoon. We were happy to stay put for the rest of the afternoon and enjoyed a chat with the managers who have been caravanners (their van now for sale) and an evening of doing not much at all. That is other than studying maps to check out how to achieve our goals the next day.
We used to watch a show on ABC a few years ago called 'Jimmy's Farm' which was about a young chap setting out to save a breed of pig that was under threat of extinction and all the dramas and fun he had trying to achieve his dream of having a self sufficient farm. We had followed his story and decided that as we were coming over here we were going to visit his farm. Well we achieved our goal today and had a roast dinner in the restaurant on the farm and even sat and chatted to Jimmy and one of his long term staff who is still with him.
After having found our way to Wherestead we then had to make our way to Dover and this looked as though it would be a test for the nerves as we had to come west as far as the ring road around the edge of London before we could head south east to Dover. The real test came as we approached the Dartford Bridge to cross the Thames river along with a cazillion other motorists planning to do the same thing. Fortunately with all that traffic no-one could move fast so there was more time to look at the signs etc
Our drive took us through what we decided must be part of England's food bowl. We saw fields in all directions under crops and fields of Rapeseed in flower giving us a golden field when the sun broke through clouds to shine on it. We had thought it was Canola and maybe it is by another name but the sight of bright yellow field after field was lovely to see.
If the fields were not yellow they were green, no signs of drought or dry land here.
We did not do any detours and just stuck to the main highway to arrive at our B&B by mid afternoon. We were happy to stay put for the rest of the afternoon and enjoyed a chat with the managers who have been caravanners (their van now for sale) and an evening of doing not much at all. That is other than studying maps to check out how to achieve our goals the next day.
We used to watch a show on ABC a few years ago called 'Jimmy's Farm' which was about a young chap setting out to save a breed of pig that was under threat of extinction and all the dramas and fun he had trying to achieve his dream of having a self sufficient farm. We had followed his story and decided that as we were coming over here we were going to visit his farm. Well we achieved our goal today and had a roast dinner in the restaurant on the farm and even sat and chatted to Jimmy and one of his long term staff who is still with him.
After having found our way to Wherestead we then had to make our way to Dover and this looked as though it would be a test for the nerves as we had to come west as far as the ring road around the edge of London before we could head south east to Dover. The real test came as we approached the Dartford Bridge to cross the Thames river along with a cazillion other motorists planning to do the same thing. Fortunately with all that traffic no-one could move fast so there was more time to look at the signs etc
Sunday, June 2, 2013
York cnt
Just another gremlin.....
As I was saying, or trying to, the first cathedral was built in 620AD so the history is long and varied.
St Cuthberts church was built in the 1200's and has a small door on one side called the 'devils door'. When christenings were being held this door was opened to'let the devil out'.
The visible walls around York were built in 1220 as the original walls were wood. The mounds on which the walls stand were built however in 900 by the Danes.
In York the streets are 'gates', the gates into the city are 'bars' and the bars are 'pubs'.
So you really have to be careful what you ask for!
There are buildings where you can see that the windows have been bricked up. There was a time when there was a tax on the number of windows you have and if the tax wasn't paid the town officials came and bricked up your windows, hence the term 'daylight robbery'.
York is known for being a chocolate town as chocolate has been made here since 1707 with two families, the Jukes and Rowntree families establishing factories in the city. Both families were Quakers and introduced improved working conditions for their employees and their families. They were the first to introduce a pension scheme and at night Mrs Rowntree ran schools for the employees and their family so as they could have an education. Rowntree still produce Kit Kats in York.
The other chocolate factory closed in 2007 and their product is now made in Poland.
Mickelgate Bar is the main entrance into the city and all royalty that has visited the city has entered by this gate, even the current queen makes her way to this gate to obtain the permission of the Lord Mayor before entering. Traditionally this was the entrance way where the heads of those found guilty of major crimes were put on pikes to act as a warning to to others back in the 1700's.
You could easily spens a week here alone and we finished our day with a meal in a pub
As I was saying, or trying to, the first cathedral was built in 620AD so the history is long and varied.
St Cuthberts church was built in the 1200's and has a small door on one side called the 'devils door'. When christenings were being held this door was opened to'let the devil out'.
The visible walls around York were built in 1220 as the original walls were wood. The mounds on which the walls stand were built however in 900 by the Danes.
In York the streets are 'gates', the gates into the city are 'bars' and the bars are 'pubs'.
So you really have to be careful what you ask for!
There are buildings where you can see that the windows have been bricked up. There was a time when there was a tax on the number of windows you have and if the tax wasn't paid the town officials came and bricked up your windows, hence the term 'daylight robbery'.
York is known for being a chocolate town as chocolate has been made here since 1707 with two families, the Jukes and Rowntree families establishing factories in the city. Both families were Quakers and introduced improved working conditions for their employees and their families. They were the first to introduce a pension scheme and at night Mrs Rowntree ran schools for the employees and their family so as they could have an education. Rowntree still produce Kit Kats in York.
The other chocolate factory closed in 2007 and their product is now made in Poland.
Mickelgate Bar is the main entrance into the city and all royalty that has visited the city has entered by this gate, even the current queen makes her way to this gate to obtain the permission of the Lord Mayor before entering. Traditionally this was the entrance way where the heads of those found guilty of major crimes were put on pikes to act as a warning to to others back in the 1700's.
You could easily spens a week here alone and we finished our day with a meal in a pub
York
Our drive on to York was all in fog. Once we came south from Hadrian's Wall we were in thick fog with visibility very limited. Needless to say there were still some driving fast on the roads.
Now that I have found how to use my tablet as a sat nav we are not getting lost as often but if we do take a wrong turn we can find our way back easier.
I just have to remember to download the maps for the next day at night for use 'offline'.
York is a 'walled' city and only the foolish or desperate would drive there. There is a ring road system around the outside and we made use of this to get to our hotel and for our foray to Heartbeat country the next morning. This was our 2nd sunny morning so we drove out and caught the steam train that goes to Whitby from Pickering and stops at Goathland where the village ' Aidensfield' is filmed. Yes there was the pub and 'Scripps Garage' looking just like they should. I believe the station was also used for the Harry Potter movies.
We drove back to our hotel and left the car for a 10min walk into York centre and a tour on the ity sightseeing bus. These really are the way to go to see and hear about the local history.
York Minster the beautiful cathedral took 200 yrs to build. It is the 4th on that site as the first 3 were burnt down and it was finished in 1472.
The craftmanship is incredible and there is restoration work being done on the east tower and the stone masons have their work area set up so that you can see the work being done, all by hand, once the blocks are to size.
Now that I have found how to use my tablet as a sat nav we are not getting lost as often but if we do take a wrong turn we can find our way back easier.
I just have to remember to download the maps for the next day at night for use 'offline'.
York is a 'walled' city and only the foolish or desperate would drive there. There is a ring road system around the outside and we made use of this to get to our hotel and for our foray to Heartbeat country the next morning. This was our 2nd sunny morning so we drove out and caught the steam train that goes to Whitby from Pickering and stops at Goathland where the village ' Aidensfield' is filmed. Yes there was the pub and 'Scripps Garage' looking just like they should. I believe the station was also used for the Harry Potter movies.
We drove back to our hotel and left the car for a 10min walk into York centre and a tour on the ity sightseeing bus. These really are the way to go to see and hear about the local history.
York Minster the beautiful cathedral took 200 yrs to build. It is the 4th on that site as the first 3 were burnt down and it was finished in 1472.
The craftmanship is incredible and there is restoration work being done on the east tower and the stone masons have their work area set up so that you can see the work being done, all by hand, once the blocks are to size.
Whitley Bay to York
Our evening at Whitley Bay was spent staying warm after we went out for a walk to the sea front. Th wind was blowing a gale and it was trying to rain at the same time. Fortunately it didn't or it would have been sleet. We enjoyed the bracing air (for about 2 mins) then struttrd our way round and back to our hotel from which we didn't move till next morning.
The new day was just fog and more fog .
HADRIAN'S WALL - we visited Chesters Fort near Hexham and wow what a place to stroll around. The history there was amazing. The wall built in 122AD and the various forts along it are testament to the Roman skills of the day. The remains of the bathouse beside the river at the fort show the ingenuity of those folk. There was a stoker hole where fires would have urnt and then above this was the 'hot' room then connected to the 'warm' room with finally the 'cold' room furthest away. The rooms had been placed above channels that carried the steam and heat from the stoker room under the slabbed floors so that the steam and heat could rise to be used in the room. There were channels and drains built to carry the clean water and to dispose of the dirty as well as latrines for toilet waste. All these are constructed with blocks of stone some the height of Lawrie for doorways etc and others cut as blocks for constructing the walls. Just amazing to be able to touch something this old.
It is currently mid term break over here and the centre at the fort were running activities for the children with dress up and role playing for all. Looked a lot of fun, yet educational for the kids.
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