From the Black Hills

 

This week we are going back to the beginning of May and some photos I took while visiting a church on the edge of the black hills in Wales

The church  visited with the black hills behind shrouded in cloud

The other way looking towards the nearby houses

On my was downhill I saw this and had to stop

Looking back uphill

Looking down the valley towards Talgarth

Before I went I heard shouting and spotted this shepherd on an off road bike heading the sheep with his dogs, normally I see them using a quad bike

Happy Skywatch

More Flowers and Roses

 

I'll start with this collage of a bee on one of out Fox Gloves

 I had been getting worried I had not seen any then this little fellow made free with them

 

I was messing around trying some settings on my camera when I too this one

 

And this one both of which are on our side patio

 

My wife favorite Rosa Californica 

 

And one of my Veilchenblou it really has some prolific flowers

 

I love the violet blue of it

 

It grows over our wood store about six foot over my head

 

The first time the iris flowered since we moved it here

 

Orange rose and foxglove 

More roses with foxgloves behind.

Take Care

St Ellyws Llanelieu

 

This week the Church Explorer takes you back in time to  St Ellyws Llanelieu a relatively unspoiled church up in the black hills of Wales 

Bluebell Sky

 

 A walk on the hillside near the campsite is always a good opportunity for some cloudy sky's and this day was no exception

Walking along the path you can see the clouds interspersed with hint of blue

 

Looking back it looked a little darker

 

Not much further along buebells apeared

 

Adding their color to the sky

 

Wide shot showing  the campsite and beyond with blue sky and fluffy clouds

 

Even the lake reflected the sky

 

Bluebells and blue sky

 

The bluebells looked beautiful in the morning
 

Panoramic view 

 

Happy Skywatch

Rose Time

 

 Over the years my wife and I have collected a lot of roses she also takes cuttings from them which adds more. Towards the end of May into June the roses are in full bloom. This year the display is a little early but none the less magnificent

 Collage of the rose heads

One we have in pots

This one is glorious and the sent is heavenly, it's called Olivia

The only white one we have

Collage of roses, the yellow is called Canary bird

We have lots of pink

Malvern Hills really Prolific

Collage of roses

 

 

I'll leave you with one of  my favorites Blue for you, there are two more ramblers that are just coming out which I will show when they are in bloom

Take Care

The Holy Rood Shilton

 

This week the Church Explorer visits the Holy Rood Shilton on his quest to visit Oxfordshire Best Churches  and where you will see an amazing Norman carved font

Castle Sky

 

Tuesday I showed the castle I stopped off at to have a look around, I mentioned if you would like to see the view from the top to come back on Friday, well here are the views from the top of the tower

Looking out past the top battlement towards the Brecon Beacons

Zoomed in view

The place I visited previous that day is in the black hills past the tree line you see

We drive past the hill you see in the distance on our was to and from home in England

 This was it looking in the Hereford direction

The town you see is Talgarth and where I visited another church

Over to the black hills

Wider view towards Hereford

Last of all a panoramic view from the top

Happy Skywatch

Bronllys Castle

 

Now this place I have been past so many times I have lost count, It looked interesting but I  never had a chance to stop off to look. As I had just been to visit a church in the next town I stopped off on the back to have a look

Bronllys Castle privately owned but they allow people to look around in daylight hours. As for being a castle there is only this tower left to see

You can go inside by going along this walkway

I doubt the trees were here when the place was a castle

There are a few information bards to read

In both Welsh and English

First thing you see from the inside of the tower, on the right is a walkway

The stones you see sticking out are corbels that would have held the floor trusses in place for the floor and roof

There is a doorway with spiral staircase in the wall you go up and this window you can go in

The view you get from the window

 

The stares will bring you out on a walkway where you can look back down inside the tower and the corbels sticking out

At the top you can look across to the old widows and recesses

The narrow spiral staircase you go up and down

This is an old fireplace in the wall

 

Looking down to the bottom

This set of stares has a hand rail

Back in the bottom of the tower is a window with this set of steps leading down to a door, an old jail or storage perhaps?

Collage of the windows

 

The house you see is who owns the tower and the last I notice the place was for sale.

If you would like to see what I saw from the top pf the tower come back on Friday

Take Care