Day one of a brief trip to Dorset.

I have not visited Dorset for many year's which after this trip I will definately be back next year.

I wanted to have a long weekend break and found a perfect campsite that was only 113 miles or 2 hours if I had driven straight there from home.

I live in the Cotswolds as my home town.  So many celebrities seem to be moving to the area based on how "pretty" it is.  To me Dorset easily beats it, not only does it have the most picturesque towns and villages, but it has such a fascinating Jurassic coastline.

I was staying within a short walk of Burton Bradstock that had so many thatched cottages.

 

So once I had set up the van at the campsite I set off for a wonder around the village. 

I loved this rambling Rose just making it's way over the roof of the building. 

In my short walk around the village I came across this great bench which was such a focal point for the centre of the village. 

I love noticing the small details like the plants growing out on the stone wall.

 

Just a short twenty minute walk from the village you can make your way to Hive beach

 

It is a beautiful shingle beach that is full of activities from fishing, to swimming and generally just relaxing on the beach. 

There were a couple of men fishing on the beach.  I can't lie when I saw one of them reel in what looked like a really big fish and just leave the fish fighting for breath on the beach, I was so glad another person on the beach went up to them and persuaded him, once he eventually got the hook out of it's mouth to put it back in the sea.  

I am not sure he would have bothered or what he intended to do with the fish, but it was an eye opener seeing how some people fish. 

I know lots of people like sandy beaches.

But for me this shingle beach was so interesting, I mean just look at all the colours and textures in this one small image. 

It had been a long day, so it was lovely to settle into the van with my trusty travel companion and get some shut eye, ready for another busy day the next day.

Ashton Under HIll Open Gardens

I first visit Ashton Under HIll Open Gardens back in 2022.  

The event that has now been running for 46 years including this year.

This year there were 23 different gardens of varying sizes to view.

Intially I took myself off up a lovely country lane to explore. I came across this incredible view overlooking miles and miles of unspoilt countryside. Sometimes it is nice to just enjoy the moment.

I then viewed around ten of the gardens open and focused on two to share.

 

 

The first garden I viewed the owners had only been there for four years, but you would not believe it based on the transformation of the space.

 

 

The entrance from the front itself was very different to many bungalows you see.

 

The owners had shared fascinating information about the progress of the garden work that had been and is still ongoing with work being carried out.

 

 

This was the amazing view from the bottom of the garden and the owner said it was the reason they bought the property was due to the view.

By contrast the other property I focused on, again new to be shown this year, was Old Manor Farm which dated back to 1600's.

 

I just loved the child-friendly touches dotted around the garden along with the whimsical additions of the mirrors on the wall and the metalwork houses and church, as I do so love extra additions to the garden.

I then carried on past the last house that was available to view and came across the very quaint thatched cottage and another amazing view through a hedge in the farmer's field and beyond.

 

Another landmark for the village is the church which dates back to 1624.  Inside they had created a display showing the gardens through the decades and the events that had happened during the 45 years the open garden scheme had been running.

 

I also loved seeing the crafts that the local craft group who meet weekly had made. 

The covering of the war memorial was something special with the different flowers that had been added.

 

I do love spotting the small details like the cute doll sitting on top of the sign.  The vivid red poppies against the Cotswold stone wall and I enjoyed coming across a new pond I never knew was there right by the church.

I have to say walking around this village and many other small Cotswold villages I have walked around the current book I am reading The Telephone Box Library by Rachael Lucas which is set in a Cotswold small village is so apt.

I am also slowly working my way through and reading all the Agatha Raisin books of which there are currently 36 in the series! which again is based here in the Cotswolds.

When I was visiting the first house a friend of the owner was sharing pottery she makes Luna Pots Ceramics.  I am so glad I bought my perfect little vase as she unfortunately does not have hardly any only presence to be able to purchase her wears, so I shall treasure my perfectly coordinated pottery to my yarn creations.

WWT Slimbridge

 

 

If you have been following this blog for a number of years, you will know that WWT Slimbridge is one of my favourite places to go.  

 

I have created a side tab (on the right) dedicated to Slimbridge where I have shared many visits.

 

I am so lucky that it is only about 30 minutes down the M5 and a short trip on the A38 and I'm there.

 

To me, Slimbridge has not only changed to accommodate what the public wants, but also massively what is needed for the environment and wildlife that visit. 

 

As I visit between 4-6 times a year, every year I have seen the transition over the year's.  The area that is in front of the Kingfisher Cafe, used to house one of the collection of Flamingo's.

 

To say the transition is just spectacular and the pictures really do not do it justice.

 

Over on Slimbridge's website, they have written a brilliant blog showing the stages it has taken to create this incredible addition to the site.

 

 

 

 The flowers around the site are so varied and always so lovely to spot.

As I walked around the site I used the Merlin.  A brilliant free way to identify birdsong, these were the birds that I heard in the three hours I spent walking around.

 

One of the highlights for me when visiting Slimbridge is the chance to walk along the  Summer walkway  You can normally walk right down to almost the riverbank. But at my time of visiting they had roped off the walk down through the grass due to protecting the nesting birds.

 

I did find it so funny though when I was sat quietly crocheting and I turned to look at the Shepherd's hut this huge camera lense poking out.

 

 This was my view from the estuary where I sat and did some slow steady crochet.

 

Obviously the WWT sites, of which there are 10, are famous for the birds and there are so many and the fact that it's chick season was so cute to witness.

 

 

To end my trip before heading out was to have a lovely cuppa and cake overlooking the new area.

I had every intention of walking along the canal before heading home.  But literally a minute into walking up the road I looked at the incredible sky to see this.

Whilst I do love a good cloud formation I was very glad I stuck to my gut and went back to the van and headed home having had the best few hours.