West Country Tour … igloos, cheeeeeeses, food and family time … part 21 ...

A good mix of stories to bemuse you, entice you, laugh at … during Jenny’s last evening in Somerset … and a right 'mingle' of photos - be warned!

 

The lady I knew as 'Aunt Maud' in 1915

I never mentioned Somerzet zider did I – probably because we didn’t get to have any … I think we both had cider on our way round … but once in Somerzet it got forgotten!  Too many other things to think about … that school house featured here ... 

Roses in full flower in late October 2015

This lady is Maud – wonderful chalk art work I thought – I knew her with a pile of white, beautifully coiffed hair … we would see her when we went to St Ives to see my great uncle and Maud’s sister … 

Roses by the front door ... 

... to play tennis, be tipped upside down by my uncle and tickled mercilessly … to be followed by a tea of thunder and lightning: homemade scones, Cornish cream, blackcurrant jam or treacle … I almost always had the lightning.

The Aga - with horse clothes airing ... and
a world map to help the kids with geography

Jenny’s mother was my great uncle’s sister … if this helps in the scheme of family – and thus the connections of us all.

Cupboard doors made from primary school desk tops

We were staying with Maud’s daughter, who had invited her own daughter and grandchildren (from the school house) over to meet Jenny – after all Jenny lived in the land of the igloo … all icy, freezing cold, and with lots and lots of snow: how does she cope?!

Igloo community from 1865 -
not sure if the kids thought Jenny lived this
sort of life style?!

This needed to be clarified … but provided us all with amusing thoughts and teasing of the young ones (the youngest a feisty lad – he needed to be with two older sisters); it was half-term so the family had friends from Wales down to stay … so we were ‘a crowd’ …

Somerset blue

Our hostess struggles with allergies to food, but had kindly brought all sorts for us … and had the family to foist left-overs onto.

Smoked salmon on bread

I helped with the snacks … I remember lots of smoked salmon on bread slices, some salmon slithers on their own, cheeses, veggie sticks and cucumber hunks – which I stuffed with one of the cheeses … some greenery … all good to go – and go it did.

There was lots of chatter and laughter, and making sure Jenny had time with the different members of the family …

The school room - with the raised dais as a dining area

… then we waved them off back to their school house … and settled to fixing up some supper – delicious … salmon with a lemon herb sauce, fresh veg and new potatoes … followed by a Waitrose dessert or fruit salad … I cannot remember what – but we were pretty full after the snacks etc

Herby sauced salmon

Then we had some cheese and coffee … Somerset cheeses – we could eat them, our hostess had a little of the goat cheeses … I love them all!

A variety of cheeses ... 

I was asked if I’d like some of the cheeses to take with me to my next stop (down the road) to see an English friend, whom I’d met in South Africa: which I wasn’t going to refuse! 

The other side of the sitting room - with the
mezzanine floor

Her parents live in the same town … so I was able to call in and see them … my mother and I had always called in, when they too lived in Sussex, for a sherry on our way down to my brother’s house in Sussex, when I came over from SA, and drop off letters, presents and news from their South African living daughter and grandchildren.

The other half of the house - up to the bedrooms

The next morning we ‘packed’ Jenny off to the train for London – and weren’t exactly early ... while the train was packed to the gunwales – still a porter was grabbed … and ‘orders’ issued to the guard on the train – to look after the treasured elder – a seat was found, the whistle blew and they were off.

View across the fields from the school room

We went back ‘home’ where I helped do what I could to clear up after our stay … and soon then I too packed and left.  A rest was needed for our hostess …

View from Maud's daughter's home

I took those cheeses with me … went off to pass the time before I could visit for tea and then meet Clare for supper and find my bed for the night.  The weather was now ‘wet’ … very damp and ‘depressing’ … still I found a place for a light lunch and a read …

The tiny lanes ... 

Every time during the rest of the day – I thought to myself – why on earth is my car so ‘stinky’ … it was wet gumboot smell, almost dung-like … I couldn’t fathom it!

It's almost November ... the leaves are still on the
trees, the grass is green ... yes Autumn is coming
but it took its time - now in February we wait for winter!

Oh well – tea calls … the car is still stinking … but it was lovely seeing Clare’s parents – it’s now been 37 years that I’ve been popping in to see them.

Chicken oven bake

Evening comes, Clare gets home from work and I wander across town to park – normally I don’t have a problem – but the local cinema was a few houses down … and the latest James Bond film had just come out – so no spaces.

We had a lovely evening just chatting and catching up - finding out how her sons were doing and generally nattering away.  She is an excellent cook ... and we had a chicken oven bake with lots of veg, then fruit and ... 

A selection of Somerset cheeses - not the ones we had!

… that packet of cheeses I’d been given – ah ha … now I know where the stinky-poo came from!!  We laughed … but thoroughly enjoyed ourselves – a treat of extra cheese.

Well that is the end of our journey … I stayed over one night, and then went home via Chichester, where I’d stayed the night at the start of my journey – with some other SA friends – as I needed to collect something I’d left.

Somerset Cider Press

For all these posts and travels, I’d only driven 600 miles: Jenny and I had six nights in hotels, two nights with friends/relatives … and I had a bookend night at the beginning and start of the trip. 

Carved Bench ends of the pews in
Altarnun Church

We had taken a few short side turnings – South Zeal, Brixham, Hartland Point, Altarnun … while some places needed more than one post …

Joss Merlyn walking from the Moors back to
Jamaica Inn

… as too our stay at Emily Hobhouse’s birthplace St Ive, near Liskeard, and where her story starts aged 35, in 1895 … the visit to the Moors … a few posts here … and why this journey was undertaken …

Lyles Golden Syrup - the very sweet
'lightning' part of thunder and
lightning cream teas

Jenny, I might say, went on to London and then onto other relatives, more Emily tie ins around the Bath area, before heading off back to Vancouver Island and her family.  

These are six Ciders and Perries from England
with some history to read

The worst thing about the whole trip ... is that I never had time with Jenny to go back over the trip, and to find out a few more of her thoughts and find out about that time in Bath.  I shall have to ring her.

Next comes my post on Emily Hobhouse …

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

West Country Tour … near the end … now for quick visits, some food, and stories … part 20 …

We are into family time now … so checking out various places, home for lunch and supper, a school house … without (whew) much history!

Notley Arms with charabanc

The road was trafficked up and there was no phone signal – kind of helpful … still we went off the main road, went inland … to our first meeting point – a pub!  But we did meet and only had coffee there …

The bar at the Notley Arms

The Notley Arms Inn at Monksilver, Exmoor National Park, was rebuilt around 1870 … and we could easily have had a pub lunch ... but other visits called: family and churches.

The nave, chancel and altar showing the
tiled floor of the aisle, Stogumber Church

We went via this fascinating 13th C/ early 14th C church in Stogumber .. more details via the link.  But various photos of the Church set out below ... 

Here we can see some of the William Morris
inspired decorative work

The Church was restored by the Prebendary Edward Jones who was vicar from 1871 – 1907 at a cost of £2,400: rather a lot at the time.

Three of the poppies from the
Remembrance Memorial outside
the Tower of London re WW1

The chancel was tiled and stencilled, with the interior roof being painted – as we can see Edward Jones was a great follower of William Morris.

One of the old tower clock weights

The Heritage Railway has a stop near Stogumber … but please tell me – where on earth would you have the station building on one side of the tracks …


... with the platform being on the other ... ?!  Only in Somerset!

The Heritage Station waiting area

There is now a connecting pedestrian bridge – bet it wasn’t there earlier – but Health and Safety prevailed.  We do find some oddities around the UK …

Sydenham's tomb - Elizabeth was his daughter

Two notable residents of Stogumber deserve mention … the first is Elizabeth Sydenham of Combe Sydenham – who married Sir Francis Drake in the village in 1583.

Now the Allard Hall, named after the donor,
following a large recent donation

Then George Fredrick Curtis, born in 1906, was the founding dean of the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Law in Vancouver – emigrating with his parents in 1913.

Saint Joan (play) by GBS

One last snippet …  John de Stogumber is the name of a bishop in George Bernard Shaw’s play Saint Joan.   Shaw contacted the local rector to check there was no-one living with the surname.

We then visited our relative’s daughter’s home … some photos in the next post – it was an old school house … which they wanted Jenny to see before she returned to Vancouver Island … with their beloved horses in the fields surrounding the house.

Tomato and Basil soup

Next stop was to drop our luggage off … a home (no check in required!)  – but had to visit another Church as our last essential visit of Jenny’s time in this area.  So after a tomato and basil soup lunch, with breads and fruit … we set off to Pitminster … it was a wiggle through the lanes.

This village’s boundaries were first established by Saxon Charter in 834, given to the Bishop of Winchester by Edward the Confessor in 1044.   The church being first recorded in the 10^th century.

St Andrew and St Mary Church, Pitminster

So much history related to each of these villages, to the Churches and to the parish records: one here dates back to 1541 … how the villages with the resources available and thus trades came to be and then developed in those early years …

… loamy soil, with extensive quarries of flint used for building.  A tannery, two maltings …

A window from the Pitminster Church

We have now reached our last day of our tour – my next post ties up a few stories, and on Sunday I shall put up the post on Emily Hobhouse … then – that – is – the –end - of - this - journey!

One of three Effigy tombs in Pitminster Church
to the Colles family

It was getting dark at 4.30 pm – so time wouldn’t wait for us … and we needed to get back to ‘collops’ in a heap – have tea, chat, prepare for the family to come over for some drinks and snacks … so they could all meet Jenny – and then leave us in peace for a quiet supper.

Somerset lane on our way to
Pitminster

It was only 8 nights … but I think I’ve extrapolated time a little … still it’s been good to have the record here … I’ll be sending Jenny a photo file for each of the subjects we’ve covered along the excursion: we’ve got our photos here.

The late afternoon darkening

Next will be some views of the countryside, the school house and some food stories … before I bid you farewell from this series of posts, after the post on Emily.

A winding down post – now I need some supper … with some stories …

Information on Stogumber Church - Images of England

Quantock on line community - Stogumber

Information on Pitminster Church - Images of England

Pitminster Village information

My post on Armstice Day 2014 - when I posted about the start of World War One, and gave details about the Poppy Display at the Tower of London.

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

West Country Tour … Whistling Ghost, ‘Obby ‘Horse, South West Coastal Path at Minehead … part 19 …

So much for trying to sneak out of Minehead … I need to post one more here … and let you know about a couple of other interesting points ... prompted by Mel of A Heron’s View …

Quay Town and the harbour, under the lea of
North Hill, Minehead - on a windy day

… the village of Dunster is beautiful and is an easy two mile walk from Minehead … found on the edge of Exmoor, while the Luttrell family had a huge influence on medieval Minehead.  Having had a brief look via my computer screen! – I’d say Dunster would be well worth a visit and a layover if time permits.

Dunster Yarn Market - the castle is
in the background

The southern entrance to Dunster is the Gallox Bridge – a stone packhorse bridge … important for the transporting of wool and other goods into the village market in the early 1200s. 

Gallox Bridge

It was called Gallocksbrigge – but derives from the gallows, reminding us of gruesome times – it crosses the River Avill close to Dunster Working Watermill, at the foot of Castle Hill, and provides access to Dunster Castle’s Deer Park.

Mel’s next suggestion is the West Somerset Railway - now owned by a charitable trust … it was closed by British Rail in 1971 and reopened as a heritage line in 1976.

The heritage line near Watchet

This runs from Minehead along the coast to Watchet before turning inland to Bishops Lydiard … it looks stunning – and for railway fans – would be a perfect day trip.

Daniel Defoe came back in 1724 to search for fossils at Watchet, which I gather is rich in reptile remains, with ammonites being common – fossil casts of giant ammonites can be seen on the foreshore.

Ammonite split in half

Now back to Minehead … there’s considerably more than I can write up here … the long pier, accommodating the many tourist steamers, was built in the 1900s and has a fascinating history – until it was demolished during WW2 as it was in the way of the gun site facing into the Bristol Channel.   When the gun was test-fired … it dramatically rocked the harbour foundations and was deemed too risky to be used!

Quirke's Almshouses in the 1900s and 1930s - they have
been refurbished for the 21st C now - but retaining the
ambience (fortunately not demolished in the 1980s)

In the 1630s a master mariner, Robert Quirke, was caught in a storm, so serious it was that … he and his crew vowed to sell the ship and cargo and benefit the poor and needy in Minehead should they return safely.

Some almshouses were built, and over the years have been refurbished, or reconstructed! due to their state of disrepair … they have been maintained over the centuries from the leased income of two cellars on the quay.

The Mission Chapel is down stairs through the
dark door ... the Old Ship Aground is to the left and behind.
This is on the quayside - the Lifeboat station is at the back.

In 1910 the cellars, originally a 17^th century warehouse, became St Peter’s Mission Chapel, which we saw, as the Chapel is next to the Old Ship Aground,  but were unable to visit as we were too late or too early leaving.

A painting by an unknown artist of about 1620 -
a Hobby Horse at Richmond, Surrey

The ‘Obby ‘Orse … is custom purported to go back to Viking Days (800 – 1066 AD) … when an error of judgement caused a Viking warrior to be chased through Minehead until he was caught and then ‘bootied’ by the locals.  The ‘Orse charged the marauding Danes, who hastily retreated and put to sea in flight.

I can’t find out what ‘bootied’ means – but a “Boot” (courtesy of my “Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable” was an instrument of torture … and you all thought they were comfortable walking footwear for various functions?!

The Victorian Hobby Horse Hotel on the front

Always associated with Quay Town is the Hobby Horse, a genuine remnant of early eras – now the brightly coloured ‘horse’ with its long tail is used to encourage donations … ‘it’ is accompanied by a group of musicians … with the tradition established to start on May 1^st and last for four days, which may well reference the ancient May Games.

The Hobby Horse hostelry – I thought would be a small pub – but no ... it is a Victorian grandiose building on the seafront … with an incredibly elegant ballroom … reminding us of times gone by.

The Bootie … ‘parade’ goes through the town stopping over to collect donations, which go towards Mental Health, and the Lifeboat Institution in the town.

Today's version - outside the Old Ship Aground
and the Chapel on the quay

A fun day for one and all … lots of entertainment at that magnificent Hobby Horse Hotel and at the Old Ship Aground Inn – which seems to be a folk musicians paradise ... situated as it is on the quay.

What Whistles up a Storm? – why the whistling ghost of Old Mother Leakey … there were several inns amongst the old fishermen’s cottages: the Queen’s Head, opposite the Old Ship Aground, and then The Mermaid … all on Quay Street.

View from harbour across to the cottages

These old buildings which altered their business according to the times … a warehouse, a ship’s chandlers, a 19^th C department store, then a demolishment, an inn, or a tea room.

There is more to Mother Leakey than
whistling up a storm on the seas
(see link at end)

But Old Mother Leakey caused a stir during her lifetime and after her death in 1634 became notorious as the whistling ghost – whenever one of her son’s ships neared port she whistled up the next storm.

The townsfolk were haunted by her tauntings … and called in the Bishop of Bath and Wells, who presided over a commission to inquire into the matter: it was confirmed that such an apparition did not exist … but some inhabitants were not quite so convinced!  Her ‘influence’ waned in the coming years … but the folklore is part of Minehead’s history.

Now should you wish to return along the South West Coast Path back down the north Devon coast, into Cornwall and round the peninsula, crossing back into Devon on the south coast and walking on until you reach Dorset … you would be welcome … but don’t put those ’booties’ on!

The sculpture at the start of the
South West Coast Path - reading
an ordinance survey map, which
intrepid walkers would carry for
reference purposes

It covers 630 miles, twice the distance of the Pennine Way, and will take you six to eight weeks … if you have that spare?!  But is a unique journey, as it was based on a working footpath …

… the ‘first’ path to be controlled every day in pursuit of revenue protection against smuggling.  A whole series of coastguard cottages were built at convenient intervals (lighthouse to lighthouse; or with the creation of a hamlet around a church with an enormous spire, which the sailors could see from afar) and most of these stand in rows along the path today – reminding us of how the path originally came about.

The reverse of the sculpture -
sculpted by Owen Cunningham
from Belper, Derbyshire

The coastguards had to be able to see into every cove and inlet on the coast – giving us the magnificent views that we get today: but rarely the most direct path between two points.

Their children used to use the path to get to school, while their wives used them to get from one fishing hamlet to the next … giving us their considerable history of usage.

To find out more … artists, craftspeople, writers and musicians … films and tv series … please see the BBC Somerset site … but note their “Nota Bene” at the end … the time frame required to walk round!

Minehead - the tiny harbour in Quay Town
The Old Ship Aground is just up the slipway
behind us

I’m showing some links – if you wish to find out more … but I shall be moving on along the Vale of Taunton to our last stop – which was with near-relatives ...

… there will be two or three more posts, together with a summary post – things I’ve picked up along the way … and then a post on Emily Hobhouse herself, as this trip was to follow in some of her footsteps, while giving Jenny a chance to see some parts of the country she wanted to return to, or to see again.

Watchet:A sculpture celebrating
Coleridge and his poem
"The Ancient Mariner"

Minehead a Short History … this is very informative

BBC – Somerset – Coast … stage 4 covers my recent posts

The Hobby Horse – an old tradition of Minehead

An article from Warwick University re Peter Marshall’s book onMother Leakey and the Bishop – there is more to this story as you’ll find out here.

The Religious History of Minehead … may interest some of you

Fossil Collecting in Somerset

Now before I write any more … I’m jumping in my car (well we did pack up and moved on!) and finding my way to our next destination …

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories