Tuesday 4 October 2016

Tracing the steps of poets











Photos from a walk along the banks of the Severn Estuary. Broadchurch is filmed in the nearby town and at this little church, parts of which date from the 12th century.

The romantic poet Coleridge walked up here and sought inspiration from the countryside and sea. He lived in a small cottage with his wife, Sarah Fricker, after their marriage. The house inspired his poem The Eolian Harp.

The  poet Tennyson used to visit his friend Arthur Hallam at a local manor house, now owned by the National Trust, and when Arthur died at just 23 he was buried in the church. Tennyson's poem, In Memoriam, A H H was a tribute to his close friend. I do like to know a little history of a place.

Beyond the church you can see for miles, up and down the estuary and across to Wales. There's an Iron Age hill fort there, perfectly placed for keeping an eye on whoever is approaching.

I hope everyone's had a little sunshine these past few days. I can feel an October chill creeping in now. Apples and pears are falling from the trees and the box of yarn is out ready for a spot of knitting, or maybe even crochet.

Good news about the ivy mining bees, the man from the local authority has advised that they be left well alone, so it seems they have a reprieve. I added my two penn'orth worth and now everyone in the Allotment Society is apprised of their value. No doubt one or two members will be looking wistfully at their bottles of insecticide, but I'm hopeful they'll hold off.

I'll leave you with a question that the littlest boy asked me this evening. "Mum, can a sock go through a printer?" Hmm. I'm wondering what he might be planning.

22 comments:

  1. I fear for your printer. :) Hopefully this was a hypothetical question. It's interesting to learn more about the history of this place and who has been here in the past. As much as I loved Broadchurch, it's nice to know that a beautiful area is not just a pretty face, so to speak. I'm so glad to hear of the bees' reprieve, good work!

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  2. How interesting, I thought Broadchurch was all filmed Dorset - West Bay, Eype and the like - I suppose that's just for the beach and cliff bits. Well done championing the mining bees and I'd keep a close eye on that printer if I were you! xx

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  3. Yes, excellent work on the bees, well done CJ and always good to see where you've been working. A walk is so much more than a walk when history or literature or even geology can be added into the mix. Good to hear you're knocking your allotment back into shape. We can do it, and remember that an hour now is worth two in the spring.

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  4. Lovely post, I also like to know the history of a place. Thanks for sharing! Anita xx

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  5. You certainly took us on a wonderful stroll, you are blessed living near such beauty. I fear for your printer, I do wonder what he has planned...

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  6. Your pictures always put a smile on my face, as do your conversations with your boys :o). Great stuff about the poets- did inspiration in the form of verse strike upon your return? Keats wrote season of mists after strolling through winchester's water meadows. I think of him every time I'm there. Great re the bees- well done, Bee Lady! Xx

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  7. Love the route for your walk and yes, it always enhances the sense of a place to get the inside story. Well done for speaking on behalf of those bees and good question about the sock and the printer. I think I can guess the answer but can advise that you can't warm a doughnut on said device. You know, just in case.

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  8. A most enjoyable post and lovely pictures.
    You will let us know the answer to littlest boy's rather intriguing question won't you. Flighty xx

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  9. Great news about the bees – well done. Gorgeous allotment shots and lovely scenery. Sock – printer? Oh dear. Sam x

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  10. I think a sock might foul up your printer thoroughly. Loved your images.. the garden plot is so neat and tidy! What I wouldn't give to live in a stone cottage overlooking a sea or bay. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  11. Little boy's who ever knows what is going on in their heads. Glad the bees can live another day. I listened to Broadchurch and was fascinated, never having seen the show. I was spell bound.
    Meredith

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  12. Lovely walk. Glad your bees are safe and that the doubters leave them be. No pun intended. Better keep counting the socks.

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  13. ... I love to know a little about places too, thank you! I don't know much about English poetry... I guess in Italy we studied 'our own' but perhaps I ought to check those poems out...

    (and I'm very interested about the sock experiment....)

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  14. Lovely photos of such a beautiful place. I too love to learn about the history of places. I'm so glad the bees have a reprieve.

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  15. Children: priceless! Looking at your photos, I feel a little poetic myself. Thank you. x

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  16. Hey CJ,
    Hoorah for the bees! They've had a reprieve here too. My neighbour was going to douse the nest on her side of the verge in boiling water......
    Leanne xx

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  17. There's so much to be said for a little history and your photos really capture it. Thanks for sharing. I'm very fond of the last cemetery photo.

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  18. Beautiful photos CJ. Love those yellow flowers. Have a great weekend xx

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  19. That church is in an amazing location, it's nice to see the wider landscape around it. They have been doing the last week of filming down here this week. It always seems strange when we see locations that don't belong to Dorset on Broadchurch even though they are lovely. We were told that the cost would be too high if everything was filmed here. Sarah x

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  20. I love the depth of history we have in our country. So many villages tell stories like these. Beautiful photos CJ. Xx

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  21. i'm so very envious of all those history-soaked places. as lovely as this country is, it just doesn't have the same depth of character, even in the oldest of the cities. time and occupancy infuses the landscape with such richness...*sigh*

    the sock-printer query is rather intriguing. :) xo

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  22. If he means can he photocopy a sock then the answer is yes because I have had great success with bricks and beads and little wooden toys. If he means can he feed it through instead of paper, to have something printed it on it then the answer is probably too late.

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