We've just had a couple of weeks away in the van.
Originally it was to visit a friend in Essex, who we haven't seen for many years, but then as we were having to travel from one side of the country to the other we thought we'd make more of it and visit places.
We stopped off outside Welwyn Garden City for a few nights and visited St Albans.
Here the Pilgrims shells have been incorporated into the walls of the cathedral
St Albans clock tower
Built in the 1920's it's very spacious and well maintained, but talking to local people this has a price in that the Community Charges are high.
After Welwyn we moved on to
where our friend lives and had the luxury of being the only people on its one campsite.
Brightlingsea has some very old and interesting buildings, some dating from the 16th Century.
This house is reputedly the oldest timber framed building in England and dates from the 14th Century.
This is what I was really interested in, the creeks and coastline of Essex. This area is famed for its oyster industry. Pete, our friend, who's a keen walker, took us on walks to places which we would probably never discovered.
This was one of the highlights for me, an old fishing smack in full sail, and with the traditional red sails as well. Not the best picture, but we were out cycling and I only had my point and shoot camera with me.
Then it was on to Norwich.
The remains of the old city walls.
Up the coast to Cromer,
home of the famous "Cromer crabs" which of course meant crab sandwiches for lunch!!
Is this a '57 Chevy??
Croquet is still played here.
Crab fishing boat.
The final stop was Warwick on the way home,
with a campsite which is next door to the racecourse.
We were lucky as one day there was a race meeting on.
And finally another friend who came to visit.
Many thanks for Wikipedia.
I love the really old buildings you show us as you travel...nothing of that age here! My husband used to live in Warwick, think I mentioned he was a steeplechase jockey and he worked and lived there back in the 60's before he immigrated to America... met his first wife there...such a small world. Love the black bird with the yellow eye ring..very striking!
ReplyDeleteWarwick is a nice place Sondra, and interest to think that maybe your ex rode that racetrack. Blackbirds are great and like many of our common birds are sometimes taken for granted and overlooked.
DeleteWhat a great tour!
ReplyDeleteTypical Essex houses in the picture, many going back several hundred years. I would love to be around those creeks, and at that time also when the place is empty.
Super wee house in Warwick.
Glad you had a good time.
Your neck of the woods Mr A. Those creeks are well worth a visit and near you there is a good bus service from Brightlingsea to Colchester. I'm very pleased I got to visit them.
DeleteThank you for the tour, amazing at how that bell tower had manage to stand all of these years, wow when the tide goes out it really goes out. Very lovely pictures with many old buildings.
ReplyDeleteHi Anita, this county has a lot of history and interesting villages, I've been meaning to visit for many a year.
DeleteCracking photos as usual Dave, and an interesting tour around. I think the Chevy is a '56 but I'm not 100% on that.
ReplyDeleteIt's great to see the old timbered houses still standing and in use, but I don't think I could live in one - gloomy places inside and not a straight, flat wall in some of them!
I've got a Blackbird, or birds, singing all the time around the house here at the moment, and it is a wonderful sound they make - very cheerful and almost cheeky sounding too!
Mick pleased I saw that Chevy as they have always been one of my favourite cars. There are a couple in an around Cardiff that I've spotted. We lived in an old house for many years, with its draughts and constant maintenance but now live in a newer one which is much cheaper to run.
DeleteInteresting tour, Dave. Hard to imagine a house from the 1300s. What are all the little sheds along the water?
ReplyDeleteThey are Beach Huts, used during the day by families. We saw some for sale for £25000 [$40,000] It some parts of the country they sell for far more than that.
Delete