Builth Churches

 

This week the Church Explorer shows some of the  Welsh churches that he has visited that were featured on Builth Churches the website built by the late Phil Jones 

The church shown is St David Colva 

 

 

Saturday Sky

 

Last Saturday I went for a walk up the churchyard and stopped on the old railway arch to look at the sky the clouds needed photographing

From the Railway arch I looked in an easterly direction towards Wallingford

The clouds looked like cotton wool

Towards the west the sun behind the clouds made them look darker

Towards the church it was lighter with the blue skys

 Sunset at home and the clouds were lit by the setting sun adding colour to them

Take care 

Baking Teddies

 

 

The Old Road

 

This week I am going to take you on a walk showing you the Old Reading Road in Cholsey.  My walks starts here in the village where we walk up Ilgies Lane, could not tell you where the name came from

The Lane eventually leads into this track which takes you to the Reading Road which was the Old Toll Road that came from Shillingford on the London Road and went towards Reading

The track comes out here but one it would have carried on across the road through the gap you see in the hedge. I have a photo showing a gate across it. The track there took you to the River Thames and was most likely an old path people used. Now the path has gone and crops grown there.

Turning left and you see the Reading Road, over to the right you see a layby, this is the old Road or A329 as I remember it. The new road was built to smooth out the bend where people used to come to grief. One guy I know managed to launch his TVR over the hedge into the filed on the right he was OK which was more than I can say for his car. That does not mean to say after it was OK as another mate of mine landed in the ditch in the centre section after driving into the layby

This view looks back along the old road, you can see the bend which then went the other way after it and past the old Hospital that was there. A few cars have found themselves in the hedge along by that as well

The road then would have carried on across the road here where the gate is and bend  right after that

Anyway after failing to find the old entrance to go across I carried on along here to the entrance to Caps Lane, again can't tell you the origin of the name

The old entrance and junction was here which as you can see was rather dangerous for some one emerging from it

This is the direction of the Old Road, once you could navigate to the end here but it has become very overgrown now with brambles

Looking back to the junction you can see it is nigh on impossible to see

This was the old road past the junction, it was Pecked full of holes and left and even now the odd bit of road still comes up

The Old road went in that direction

To the right of the footpath sign

This is the new road and bend, I might add not long after it opened around 1971 a lad I was apprentice with managed to end up pinned on the armco. The armco came in through the rear door and out through the passenger side where is girlfriend was. She was asleep and went out through the door and woke up on the grass. He is married to her now

This path that comes down from the Road follows the old road

And comes out at Bow Bridge one of the reasons for the new one being built because over to the left many cars came to grief in the woods there.

Going past the bridge you can see part of the old road still there. The part further on is still in use as a private entrance to some of the houses there. From there the road is mus as it used to be apart from Winterbrook where the built a bypass across the road

The New road was built around 1970 and for a couple of years I did drive along it in my dad car. As youngsters we used to love to see how fast we could get around the bend. I suppose we were lucky not to become a statistic for it but I would love to have driven it in my Last Mini which was a pocket rocket so to speak, now I just like to walk around it and see how nature is claiming it all back. 

Taking Part in My Little Corner of the World  Our World Tuesday and Imag-in-ing, you can find all the links in the right hand column Take care everyone

St Giles Horspath

 

This week the Church Explorer managed to get out and visit St Giles Horspath near Oxford, the church dates back to the 12th century and is one I will be revisiting for photos inside when it is permitted.

 

Blue sky to the South

 

Walking back from the village the other day I noticed the sky over the allotments near our house as I had my phone I thought I would pop in for a couple of photos 

Looking towards the south the clouds were in a westerly direction

 Turning towards the west showed a different picture high clouds one way lower ones the other

Happy Skywatch

 

Winter Teddies

 

Deer Crossing

 

 A couple of months back I had to go to a nearby village to drop off package at a UPS pick up point. On the way back I spotted a deer looking to cross the road. After stopping and noticing it was going to cross I fumbled for my camera but by the time I got the thing the deer had crossed the road and were lost in the woods again. After carefully driving past where the deer had come out in case there were more I carried on my way realising that my dash cam had recorded the whole thing. When I got home I downloaded the clip and managed to save a few of the stills from the video. There are ten photos in this sequence and all have been cropped to show the deer.

At this point I noticed  deer poking it's head out of the roadside. you can just make it out on the left by the bend

It noses out a little further and I slow right to to see what it will do

At this point it turns to go back in the wood

I am fully stopped here and see the deer has gone but I wait a little longer to watch what happens, you can never be too sure with deer

Then I see it looking out again

This time there are a few more along with him

Then the whole herd wander out on the road

and trot across followed by a couple of stragglers

 

Then another comes bouncing along

and as I am about to pull away a last one darts across the road. That was it all over in a couple of seconds. What a beautiful sight. 

 

Taking Part in My Little Corner of the World  Our World Tuesday and Imag-in-ing, you can find all the links in the right hand column Take care everyone.

 

Church Memorials

 

This week the Church Explorer sows some of the Many Church memorials he has come across in his visits. Some you will find are very old others more modern and many very elaborate in design. The memorials shown here were taken in the Old Church at Nunham Courtenay