Mead foot Beach area..Torquay, Devon where the evening light is perfect.
I often walk along the coastal road in the late afternoon, early evening. This spot, Meadfoot Beach, has the most breathtaking light which illuminates the sky, even on a dull day and shimmers on the surface of the sea.
I actually prefer winter evenings here…the contrasts can be quite stunning and the cold crispness in the air sharpens the beauty.
Cockington Church…Cockington Court, Devon.
A church has stood at this sight for some 900 years. Cockington Church is a small and perfect example of English church architecture, a delicious mishmash of styles. The castellated tower is the oldest part of the church built in the 13th century. The main part of the building is from the 14th/15th century. The church was damaged during the war by two bombs and a crater is still visible close by.
Cockington church is plain on the outside, but inside a treasure trove of delights.
Watch the step…which is immediately in front of you as you push open the old church door.
To the left on the wall are several interesting items….a piece of wood carved with a date and initials from 1767 left in the rafters by a worker…WH; a plaque regarding the church bells and several pictures of the church years ago.
From the entrance stairs the whole church can be seen taking in the windows, the pulpit and the rood screen, up to the altar.
Inside it has a warm, intimate feeling. Dark carved wooden choir seats and a beautiful rood screen add to the intimacy.
The Caen stone font from 1485 is octagonal in shape and shows the shields of the families the Cary family had married into. The Cary family owned the land and buildings from 1375 to 1654.
An old bell, 1653, can be seen in the left hand corner of the church.
The 16th century pulpit is thought to have been made up from the carved and painted wood taken from a Spanish ship during the Armada…1588. It is certainly unique.
The rood screen in front of the altar is a wonderful example of wood carving showing twisted vines, thick foliage and bunches of grapes. And above this, in the centre, Jesus on a wooden cross accompanied by Mary and a disciple, St John.
Below this and behind the screen are wooden benches carved with praying angels.
All but two of the beautifully shaped windows are plain glass. The main window above the altar is stained glass, as is the small window to the right of the large one.
Seating in the main part if the church is simple, just wooden chairs.
Cockington Church is a lovely, historical church…well worth a quiet visit.
Two interesting facts;
.The name Cockington refers to the red soil of the area….
The Celtic: ‘Coch’…red…
The Anglo Saxon: ‘ing’…meadow ‘ton’…settlement…
=The red meadow settlement.
.The twisted grape vines carved into the rood screen refer to Jesus speaking to his disciples…John 15….’I am the vine and you are the branches’
Close to the church up a small flight of stone stairs is a Sweet Chestnut Tree….worth a view.
Dawlish’s beautiful Black Swans…….Cygnus atratus.
The black swans of Dawlish, Devon had a bad year in 2014/15. One of the females was killed by a dog, the other was killed during the fierce storms.
A kind lady, Rose Dennis, bought two new females to join the two males this year.
The swans I watched on Monday were washing in the pond. They used their beaks to separate and clean their feathers.
They fluffed up their feathers and used long necks to turn this way and that and across their backs as they groomed.
They moved slowly and elegantly…..balletic was the word that came to mind as I watched.
Originally from Western Australia these beautiful birds seem quite happy on the stretch of water in Dawlish. They are joined by local ducks and more exotic ducks and geese, but its the swans who steal the show.
Brazil’s National Drink…Caipirinha.
The drink Caipirinha was first made by Brazilian slaves in the1800s. It was made from boiled cane sugar juice and Cachaça, a spirit made from sugar cane. To this mixture was added fruit juice.
The name Caipirinha came from blending of two words Curupira…forest demon and Caipira a name used for the inhabitants of some remote rural areas.
Cachaça can be bought in good supermarkets. Its essential for an authentic Caipirinha.
Ingredients…, Cachaça, a lime, 2 teaspoons sugar, crushed ice cubes.
Cut lime into quarters, put in glass, crush. Add two teaspoons sugar. Add crushed ice cubes and 1 2/3 oz Cachaça. Mix.
Caipirinha is a delicious drink or cocktail, especially on a hot day. I can only personally drink a couple before I start giggling.
It brings back memories of a vibrant, friendly country and the magnificent forest I love.
My first taste of this refreshing drink was on my first trip to the Amazon rainforest. I was hot and overwhelmed by the forest and this welcome ice cold drink was perfect. As I slowly sipped it through a straw, I relaxed, not knowing then how this beautiful forest would change my life.
A walk along the coastal roads of Torbay, Devon, particularly Torquay, my home town, is always a pleasure and full of surprises.
Stone steps and dirt paths lead to beautiful views of coast and sea. The coastal path runs close to the edge of unstable cliffs.
Sometimes there are a combination of man made structures…steel railings, wooden gates, brick arches, stone steps and buildings…and nature…which mostly blend and compliment.
The sea changes colour constantly depending on clouds and sunshine. Sometimes the sea is a jade green then it will turn to a silver grey then a deep blue…all in one afternoon.
Trees, bent by the vicious winter wind, hold on to the earth with deep roots, their trunks and branches twisted.
This time of year, autumn, sees coastal plants dying off and drying out. These delicate brittle plants cover hills and cliffs alongside robust green grasses and red berries and orange seed pods.
Birds…raptors, corvids and seagulls can be seen flying over the cliffs and sea and grey seals can still be found in some of our little coves.
The idyllic picture I paint of my home county is so far removed from the inner city London council estate where I grew up.
People here pass by and greet me with a smile, not the look of suspicion I would expect on the estate.
Surrounded by ancient trees, wild flowers, the soothing sound of the sea, soaring sea birds and delicate butterflies, I could so easily forget the cold concrete, the dark stairwells, the stinking lifts…..but I don’t.
I’ll never forget that some people in this world…an increasing number thanks to certain governments, are born without hope and without the wherewithal to get out, as I did.
That’s why I occasionally tweet something political, because I care.
Autumn walk in Cockington Water-meadows, Devon.
Wildlife is winding down in the water meadows at this time of year. The leaves on many of the trees are turning red, gold and brown and carpeting the damp ground.
The dragonflies and damselflies have disappeared, only their eggs remain hidden beneath the waters of the stream in the vegetation.
The only butterflies still flying were brown ones. This pretty Speckled Wood butterfly was one of them.
Buzzards flew overhead and magpies, pigeons and crows wandered through the trees.
Occasionally robins stopped their tut tut tutting to ward of intruders, and opened up their beaks to sing, their red throats trembling with the effort. Such a gorgeous sound in the autumn woods.
From the Water-meadows continued the walk to Cockington Lakes.
The lakes were a thick brown colour due to the earth colour and decaying vegetation. Visibility in the water was low and fishes could not be seen, but they were there. Evidenced by the splashing of water as they leapt up for insects and the rings of water flowing out from the centre where they had dropped.
There were ducks on the lakes…a lone Moorhen on the small lake…Mallards and Moorhens and some black ducks, so far unidentified on the larger lake.
There seemed to be two groups of these water birds on the main lake. Mallards and Moorhens and their youngsters had joined forces within each group, with clearly defined areas of the lake for each group. When one group moved into another’s territory all hell broke loose and their was a lot of quacking, beating of wings and lunging.
The black ducks had joined one group. Their bodies were predominantly black with black beaks, black eyes and black feet. They had white chests dappled with black. Their wing feather barbs were sky blue, but could only be seen when they stretched out the wing.
Unlike at the water-meadows a few red Common Darter Dragonflies still flew over the lakes.
What was in abundance as expected at this time of year were fungi of various shapes and sizes. There are hundreds of different kinds of fungi in the UK.
Looking through a book on fungi gave possible names for some, but as I cant be certain ill just show the photographs.
I did notice a skull and cross bones beside the majority of the fungi in the book I was reading, signifying danger if eaten. Definitely not on my menu then.
The meadows and lakes are quiet at this time of year…when the autumn sun is shining there is nothing so pleasant as to sit on a bench by water, eyes shut and face uplifted to the warmth.
The black ducks appear to be Swedish Blue Ducks….thanks to Aristarkhos for identification.
Dartmouth and Compton Castle….glimpses of history.
There is something tantalising about catching a ‘glimpse’ of a street, church or garden. Curiosity seems to grip me if I look down a narrow alley, or through an arched window or door. I have to go forth and explore.
The alleys of Dartmouth afford attractive glimpses of houses and inns…. Rarely am I disappointed by the discoveries I make. The town is some nine hundred years old so finding ancient stones and buildings is not difficult.
The five hundred year old Bayard’s Cove Fort in Dartmouth has further glimpses out to the harbour through arched windows and doors.
Compton Castle is another place where arches give teasing looks into walled gardens and shadowy rooms.
Strangely a connection between Dartmouth and Compton Castle exists in the shape of Sir Humphrey Gilbert who helped colonise Newfoundland….the Gilbert family owned the Castle for much of its existence.
Plaque on a house in Dartmouth close to Bayard’s Fort.
The Coroner…a new afternoon program on BBC1, is set in Dartmouth.
The Red Arrows roared into Torbay on Wednesday. They gave a thrilling display lasting some twenty minutes
The pilots of the nine red and white planes are fast jet pilots. They return to their Royal Air Force duties after three years as Red Arrow pilots.
The Red Arrows display is one of great skill. When in formation the space between each plane is perfectly measured and is an extraordinary sight.
The Arrows use coloured smoke…red, white, blue…. in their displays which leaves twirls and loops of bright colour in the sky
The beautiful and exciting display is greatly appreciated by Torbay residents and visitors and is met with cheering, whistling and clapping as they fade from sight. The sound of the plane engines can still be heard in the distance.
Sunset over Torquay, Devon…an extraordinary natural phenomenon…heart stopping in its beauty…August.
The sunset over Torquay on Tuesday was extraordinary. It lit up all the main rooms in our apartment to a rich rose pink.
The sky began changing to a soft blush pink as the sun descended, but instead of ending there and blending into the darkness of night, the colour of the sky quite suddenly deepened. Layers of deep pink and crimson, golden yellow and aqua blue appeared and the sea turned scarlet.
The mysterious, ancient hills of Dartmoor in the distance turned purple and the town darkened and faded and quietened in the wake of this amazing natural phenomenon, but for the sparkling lights from the Big Wheel and the fairground.
It was one of those night-skies that you don’t forget….so beautiful.
I looked ten years younger in the pink glow…another reason to love it 🙂
Stover Country Park…woods, marshes and lakes.
Nature Reserve, Newton Abbot nr Torquay,Devon.
The path through the tall trees from the parking area to the lake promises treats ahead for nature lovers.
The large, glimmering lake was full of Mallard Ducks, Swans, Coots and Moorhens
The ducklings were stretching and flapping their wings.
To my delight there was also a Great Crested Grebe family. The male was diving for fish in the middle of the lake. It dived for cover when two children came screeching along, but I was lucky to see the female half hidden beneath a branch in the distance.
Getting closer I saw she had two chicks. One swam beside her and the other rode on her back.
The adult Grebes were in their summer plumage of head and neck crests. The little grebes had black and white striped plumage.
The RSPB was set up to protect these birds which were almost driven to extinction due to the fashion of wearing their feathers.
Further along I saw these Common Darter Dragonflies on the decking overlooking the dragonfly pond and the grasses.
Larger green dragonflies raced past overhead and smaller turquoise damselflies flitted to and fro above the water.
Grass Hoppers were everywhere tucked under blades of grass. You have to look hard to find them.
Butterflies were fewer than I expected, but I did see this lovely, rich yellow, Brimstone from which the name butter…fly comes.
This Grey Heron stood motionless in the water and to my surprise as I watched the heron, a kingfisher shot past. A flash of brilliant colour.
Beautiful views of woodland, marshes, and grassland can be seen in all directions along the lake pathway. You come away from the nature reserve feeling lighter somehow.
There are areas of tranquility, although harder to find in the children’s summer holidays. Best visited in Spring and Autumn when its quieter if that’s what you enjoy on a nature stroll.
Oh, and the nature poetry of Ted Hughes can be spotted on wooden posts all around the lake.
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