The weather has been amazing since our return! While there aren't as many people on the beach, the seafront continues to be busy with tourists milling about. Pubs with tables outside do a brisk business on these lovely evenings. Sunny weather has lasted longer than anyone imagined it would...a real bonus. Taking advantage of a lovely Saturday, we went exploring.
The Coast Road links Weymouth to the village of Abbotsbury to the west. It's quite a high road, and there are lovely views along the way. Abbotsbury is a perfect English village with carefully manicured thatched roofs and window boxes, and plenty of tea rooms to accommodate the crowds who flock there to visit its famous swannery and sub-tropical garden. From there, we continued on through equally lovely Burton Bradstock and then hopped on the A35 to Honiton, our first destination.
I had been in Honiton the day before with quilting friends Jenny, Del, and Sheila. The four of us had gone to Exeter, where there was an amazing crafters' market...not just for quilters but for everyone who likes to create things with their hands. (I especially thought of sister-in-law Sue Moore, whose greeting card creations are legendary in our family. She would have swooned, for sure.) Anyway, on the way home, we stopped in Honiton at an ice cream shop that the ladies knew. Even if you haven't been to England, it's likely you have heard of Devonshire cream, and when churned into ice cream, especially at The Honiton Dairy, it's pretty legendary, too.
Our objective was to go back to Honiton, not only to sample a couple more of their forty-three flavors, but also to visit the wine shop across the street. Sheila had double parked in front of the wine shop, so we had to grab our cones and go...giving Jenny no time to investigate a sign out front advertizing a special on Australian Shiraz. She recognized the label and knew it to be a really good deal, so Dwight and I went back to get a case for us and one for Jenny as well.
With both of those missions accomplished, we headed east to Sherborne. As our neighbor Lynne would say, we hit a trifecta there: three really memorable experiences in that one little town. When we got out of our car, we immediately heard music playing and followed it into the park, where an orchestra in a gazebo was playing "Autumn Leaves." The music, the flowers, the sunshine, the music...the moment simply could not have been more magical! We lingered in that lovely park for a while before making our way to Sherborne Castle.
Built in 1594 by Sir Walter Raleigh, the castle was originally called "Sherborne Lodge" to distinguish it from an older castle, now in ruins, on the hill across the river. When Sir Walter lost his head, literally, for crimes of treason, his glorious property was forfeited to the crown, who sold it in 1617 to Sir John Digby. While owned to this day by Digby descendants, the castle has served other purposes. In WWI, it was a Red Cross hospital, and in WWII it was Commando HQ for the D-Day landings. The current owners live in a modern farmhouse elsewhere on the property, but the castle remains fully furnished and is used by the family for parties and ceremonies. Otherwise, it is open to the public for tours and serves as a popular wedding site for well-heeled brides.
Leaving the castle, we walked to the center of town, which is dominated by Sherborne Abbey. Built of golden stone, parts of the abbey date back to the first century AD. While it has been damaged, rebuilt, and expanded over the centuries, today's abbey stands in breathtaking beauty, both inside and out. Most notable are the ways in which subsequent additions have been integrated into the existing structure...always beautiful even if not exactly matching. The ceiling's elaborately carved and intricate fan vaulting is also memorable.
From Sherborne, we headed for home via the A352, making the compulsory stop at Cerne Abbas to see The Giant. Carved into the chalk hillside, the giant (the outline of a man carrying a club) is 180 feet tall and is considered a fertility figure. Exact dating is unknown, and there is debate as to whether it is from Roman times or perhaps much more recent.
Rereading this all now, I would say we packed quite a bit into our first Saturday. Looking forward to several more!
The Coast Road links Weymouth to the village of Abbotsbury to the west. It's quite a high road, and there are lovely views along the way. Abbotsbury is a perfect English village with carefully manicured thatched roofs and window boxes, and plenty of tea rooms to accommodate the crowds who flock there to visit its famous swannery and sub-tropical garden. From there, we continued on through equally lovely Burton Bradstock and then hopped on the A35 to Honiton, our first destination.
I had been in Honiton the day before with quilting friends Jenny, Del, and Sheila. The four of us had gone to Exeter, where there was an amazing crafters' market...not just for quilters but for everyone who likes to create things with their hands. (I especially thought of sister-in-law Sue Moore, whose greeting card creations are legendary in our family. She would have swooned, for sure.) Anyway, on the way home, we stopped in Honiton at an ice cream shop that the ladies knew. Even if you haven't been to England, it's likely you have heard of Devonshire cream, and when churned into ice cream, especially at The Honiton Dairy, it's pretty legendary, too.
Our objective was to go back to Honiton, not only to sample a couple more of their forty-three flavors, but also to visit the wine shop across the street. Sheila had double parked in front of the wine shop, so we had to grab our cones and go...giving Jenny no time to investigate a sign out front advertizing a special on Australian Shiraz. She recognized the label and knew it to be a really good deal, so Dwight and I went back to get a case for us and one for Jenny as well.
With both of those missions accomplished, we headed east to Sherborne. As our neighbor Lynne would say, we hit a trifecta there: three really memorable experiences in that one little town. When we got out of our car, we immediately heard music playing and followed it into the park, where an orchestra in a gazebo was playing "Autumn Leaves." The music, the flowers, the sunshine, the music...the moment simply could not have been more magical! We lingered in that lovely park for a while before making our way to Sherborne Castle.
Built in 1594 by Sir Walter Raleigh, the castle was originally called "Sherborne Lodge" to distinguish it from an older castle, now in ruins, on the hill across the river. When Sir Walter lost his head, literally, for crimes of treason, his glorious property was forfeited to the crown, who sold it in 1617 to Sir John Digby. While owned to this day by Digby descendants, the castle has served other purposes. In WWI, it was a Red Cross hospital, and in WWII it was Commando HQ for the D-Day landings. The current owners live in a modern farmhouse elsewhere on the property, but the castle remains fully furnished and is used by the family for parties and ceremonies. Otherwise, it is open to the public for tours and serves as a popular wedding site for well-heeled brides.
Leaving the castle, we walked to the center of town, which is dominated by Sherborne Abbey. Built of golden stone, parts of the abbey date back to the first century AD. While it has been damaged, rebuilt, and expanded over the centuries, today's abbey stands in breathtaking beauty, both inside and out. Most notable are the ways in which subsequent additions have been integrated into the existing structure...always beautiful even if not exactly matching. The ceiling's elaborately carved and intricate fan vaulting is also memorable.
From Sherborne, we headed for home via the A352, making the compulsory stop at Cerne Abbas to see The Giant. Carved into the chalk hillside, the giant (the outline of a man carrying a club) is 180 feet tall and is considered a fertility figure. Exact dating is unknown, and there is debate as to whether it is from Roman times or perhaps much more recent.
Rereading this all now, I would say we packed quite a bit into our first Saturday. Looking forward to several more!
