Cornwall England - 25th April 2018

Tintagel

Historians have had difficulty explaining the origin of 'Tintagel': the probability is that it is Norman French. If it is Cornish then 'Dun' would mean 'Fort'. Oliver Padel proposes 'Dun' '-tagell' meaning narrow place in his book on place names.

The name first occurs in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 'Historia Regum Britanniae' (c. 1136, in Latin) as Tintagol, in early Middle English, the name is rendered as Tintaieol. 

The modern-day village of Tintagel was always known as Trevena (Cornish: Tre war Venydh) until the Post Office started using 'Tintagel' as the name in the mid-19th century (until then Tintagel had been restricted to the name of the headland and of the parish). The village also has the 'Old Post Office', which dates from the 14th century. It became a post office during the 19th century, and is now listed Grade I and owned by the National Trust.

Old Post Office

In Geoffrey's Historia, Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall, puts his wife Igraine in Tintagol while he is at war. Merlin disguised Uther Pendragon as Gorlois so that Uther could enter Tintagel and impregnate Igraine while pretending to be Gorlois. Uther and Igraine's child was King Arthur. In the Tristan and Iseult legend some events are also set at Tintagel.

Camelot - King Arthur's Castle

Sir Silvia - knight of the Round Table

Sir David - Knight of the Round Table

Shame 'Free House' does not mean free beer

Camelot Castle Hotel and Restaurant

Coastal view of the Atlantic Ocean

Sunset

Elegant meal in the Camelot Castle

Boscastle

Boscastle (Cornish: Kastel Boterel) is a village and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England, UK. It is 14 miles (23 km) south of Bude and 5 miles (8 km) northeast of Tintagel. The harbour is a natural inlet protected by two stone harbour walls built in 1584 by Sir Richard Grenville and is the only significant harbour for 20 miles (32 km) along the coast.

Flood of 2004

A flash flood on 16 August 2004 caused extensive damage to the village. Residents were trapped in houses as the roads turned into rivers: people were trapped on roofs, in cars, in buildings and on the river's banks. and the village's visitor centre was washed away. Two Royal Air Force Westland Sea King rescue helicopters from Chivenor, three Royal Navy Sea Kings from Culdrose, one RAF Sea King from St Mawgan and one Coastguard S61 helicopter from Portland searched for and assisted casualties in and around the village. A total of 91 people were rescued and there were no fatalities, only one broken thumb. Around 50 cars were swept into the harbour and the bridge was washed away, roads were submerged under 2.75 metres (9 ft) of water, making communication effectively impossible until flood-waters subsided.

St Ives

St Ives is a seaside town, civil parish and port in Cornwall. The town lies north of Penzance and west of Camborne on the coast of the Celtic Sea. In former times it was commercially dependent on fishing. The decline in fishing, however, caused a shift in commercial emphasis, and the town is now primarily a popular seaside resort, notably achieving the title of Best UK Seaside Town from the British Travel Awards in both 2010 and 2011. St Ives was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1639. St Ives has become renowned for its number of artists. It was named best seaside town of 2007 by The Guardian newspaper. 

The Harbour

A Rainy day

You can rent these small rooms close to the beach

Mussels freshly harvested today

Whole fresh white-bait fish

We bought some great whisky here

A little bit windy

This is a 2-way road with a 60 mph speed limit

The old fish market

As you can see the sea was a little rough

A very eclectic fisherman's cottage

A typical side street

A historic chapel on the hill

Lands End

Polperro

Polperro is a large village, civil parish, and fishing harbour within the Polperro Heritage Coastline in south Cornwall, England. Its population is approximately 5,820.

The River Pol passes through the village, which is 7 miles (11 km) east of Fowey and 4 miles (6 km) west of the neighbouring town of Looe and 25 miles (40 km) west of the major city and naval port of Plymouth. It is a noted tourist destination, particularly in the summer months, for its idyllic appearance with tightly-packed ancient fishermen's houses which survive almost untouched, and its quaint harbour and attractive coastline.

River Pol

Champagne

Lincolnshire England - 19th April 2018

Mareham le Fen

Mareham le Fen is a Lincolnshire village and civil parish about 6 miles (10 km) south from the town of Horncastle. The hamlet of Mareham Gate lies about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) south from the village, and it is believed that the deserted medieval village of Birkwood is situated nearby.

Mareham le Fen is listed in the 1086 Domesday Book as "Marun", with 33 households, 60 acres of meadow, 300 acres of woodland, and a church. The Lord of the Manor was William I.

The parish church is dedicated to St Helen, and is a Grade II listed building of greenstone dating from the 13th century. In the north aisle is a tomb to James Roberts who died 1826, and sailed in the Endeavour with Captain Cook and Sir Joseph Banks. In the churchyard is a medieval stone cross, which is both Grade II listed and a scheduled monument. Dating from the 14th century.

The Grade II listed Royal Oak public house has a datestone of 1473, but is believed to date from the 17th century, with 18th- and 20th-century additions.

Also in the village is a Grade II listed tower windmill dating from 1820, although it ceased working as a windmill in 1910.but continued to mill with an engine until mid 1940s.

Rapeseed. Used in the production of vegetable oil.

Grimsthorpe Castle

Rand Farm

Piglets suckling with their mother

Making friends

New-born Lamb

Feeding time

Time for afternoon milk with the baby goats (Kids)

Someone seems very happy with the baby goat

Mareham le Fen Tower Mill

Saint Helen's Church - 13th Century

The Royal Oak pub - dates from 1473

Deer feeding in the forest

Typical country road

Ball room dancing

Warwickshire England - 4th April 2018

NUNEATON

Nuneaton was originally an Anglo-Saxon settlement known as 'Etone' or 'Eaton', which translates literally as 'settlement by water'. 'Etone' was listed in the Domesday Book as a small hamlet. The settlement gained its current name of Nuneaton in the mid-12th-century when a Benedictine nunnery known as Nuneaton Priory (parts of which still exist) was established. A market was established in 1226, which is still held, and Nuneaton developed into a thriving market town. 

Birthday present and celebrations with my daughter and her boyfriend.

Birthday celebration with the family

I think the cake and the table melted from the heat.

Birthday Cake

MARKET BOSWORTH

Building work has revealed evidence of settlement on the hill since the Bronze Age. Remains of a Roman villa have been found on the east side of Barton Road. Bosworth an Anglo-Saxon village dates from the 8th century.

Before the Norman Conquest of 1066, there were two manors at Bosworth one belonging to an Anglo-Saxon knight named Fernot. Following the Norman conquest, as recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, both the Anglo-Saxon manors and the village were part of the lands awarded by William the Conqueror to the Count of Meulan from Normandy, Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester. Subsequently, the village passed by marriage dowry to the English branch of the French House of Harcourt.

King Edward I gave a royal charter to Sir William Harcourt allowing a market to be held every Wednesday. The village took the name Market Bosworth from 12 May 1285, and on this day became a "town" by common definition. The two oldest buildings in Bosworth, St. Peter's Church and the Red Lion pub, were built during the 14th century.

The Battle of Bosworth took place to south of the town in 1485 as the final battle in the Wars of the Roses between the House of Lancaster and the House of York. Following the discovery of the remains of Richard III in Leicester during 2012, on Sunday 22 March 2015 the king's funeral cortège passed through the town on its way to Leicester Cathedral for his reburial. This event is now commemorated with a floor plaque in front of the war memorial in the town square.

In 1509 the manor passed from the Harcourts to the Grey family.

Thatched Cottage

St Peter's Church

BARLESTONE

Barlestone is a village and civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England. The 2011 Census recorded a parish population of 2,481. The village adjoins the neighbouring village of Osbaston.

River Devon

 Old Bicycle used to deliver groceries

English Spring Hyacinth

Post Box dating from the reign of King George VI

Bosworth Canal

St Peter's Church Window