We finished our second night booking at the Guest Hotel in Penzance and once again went next door to the cafe for breakfast. Our Inn was second down on the little narrow street or alley next to the Thai Moon. We all had a good laugh with the showers there ... they were very small, room for standing only. We were grateful that there was liquid body soap and not bar soap, as if a soap were to drop in the shower it would be impossible to bend over to retrieve it! The rooms were lovely and provided a good laugh too with these small showers! The green building is where we had our wonderful breakfasts both days to begin our day!
We walked across the street and strolled to walkway fronting the English Channel before starting our day. We really enjoyed Penzance and all that we did while there. Memories!
Our favorite planners and guides (Sandra & Ray) had The Tremenherre Sculpture Gardens as our first visit for the day. The land at Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens here in Cornwall was owned by the monks of St Michael’s Mount until 1295, when it was bought by Michael De Tremenheere, an established tenant farmer. He began a lineage of 600 years.Then the Pearce family farmed the land for four generations. In 1997 Dr. Neil Armstrong acquired the core valley, beginning the development of Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens. From the gardens we can see St. Michael’s Mount in the bay that we visited yesterday!
The Greeting Center at the Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens
We had a magnificent walk through the gardens admiring all of the beautiful flowers, greenery, bridges, streams and artwork ... no rush, just absorbing all of the beauty!
Some of the views of St. Michael's Mount that we saw from the gardens.
Whimsical art in one of the flower beds.
There are observation decks made from granite stones for wonderful views.
Restless Temple
Temples are usually made of stone, stand still and glorify mortal and immortal power. This temple has hollow columns. It's uncertain how long the temple will ride the storms and survive intact. Any decay is seen as part of its journey. Hopefully it will have time enough to attract plants, mosses and lichens.
Lanhydrock House is a country house and estate in Cornwall, now part of the National Trust, and was our next visit. The great house stands in extensive grounds above the River Fowey and it has been owned and managed by the National Trust since 1953. Much of the present house dates back to Victorian times but some sections date from the 1620s. It is set in gardens with formal areas.
The parish church is dedicated to St. Hydroc and stands in the grounds of Lanhydrock House. Parts date back to the late 15th century. Eight bells date from the late 19th century and are regularly rung. The ninth bell dates from circa 1599 and is only rung infrequently for tolling.
This is a view of the Lanhydrock property from an aerial picture hanging in the welcome center.
We had a beautiful stroll up the lingering path from the welcome center to the estate. When the house comes into view, it really does take your breath away! Simply spectacular!
The Wisteria growing on the house was stunning. The picture really does not do it justice.
Every room in the house is perfection! To have these well-preserved pieces is a feat in itself. Lanhydrock House is a museum in my opinion as well as an estate and home! The value has to be unknow with all of this wrapped up in the package.
The Long Gallery
There are two great treasures to be found in the Gallery. The decorative ceiling is a masterpiece of the plasterer's art and dates from the late 17th century. Each scene depicts episodes from the Old Testament Book of Genesis.
The library includes no fewer than 25 incunables or, rather, books printed before 1501.
The house goes on-and-on! Look at the pheasant in the kitchen waiting to be dinner! The stove, the pots and pans, the dishes ... all just goes on-and-on!
We loved the baby crib/bassinette in this bedroom!
There were so many rooms, so many furniture pieces and so much beauty in each one that photos just can't do them justice and there would be hundreds of photos if we tried to capture them all!
With the day over we retuned to Yeoford where The Duck Pub had our take-away order for fish and chips ready for pick-up as we had requested. Even though the picture does not show it, the bottom of the box was loaded with crispy chips! We all enjoyed these tasty treats for dinner.
Saturday mid-morning the 13th we left Owls Retreat to visit Powderham Farm Shop in Exeter. Once again it was our "coffee and cake" time. We found a nice, covered table outside to enjoy our treats. As a great surprise, both Linda (Sandra's sister) and Joanne (Linda's daughter) came to join us. When John Semcheski and I holidayed in England while we were in the Navy and met the family for the first time, Linda and her John had just married the week before ... that was 52 years ago! We saw Linda in 2010 and Joanne in both 2010 and 2013 while on those vacations in England. Unfortunately both John and Jamie were under the weather and Imogen was involved in school so the three could not make it. A good excuse for another English holiday in my book!
As part of the Powderdam Castle Estates, we could look over the trees and see the top of the castle!
As a surprise not only to us but also to Sandra, Ray made our next stop at The Parish Church of Saint Andrew in the Village of Kenn. One of the most beautiful churches in Devon. The present building has roots that go back a thousand years. The fabric of the building has absorbed the hopes and prayers of its congregations over the centuries and St. Andrew's is now a very special and calming place to worship in this modern age. St. Andrew’s Church exemplifies the quintessential village Church set amidst glorious countryside in the Kenn valley and is surrounded by an ancient graveyard which is a picture, carpeted in the Spring with primroses, snowdrops and daffodils. The graveyard also contains an ancient yew tree. There is evidence of Norman origins but re-building was carried out in the Thirteenth Century and further enlargements in the Fifteenth Century. Much internal refurbishment and re-ordering was carried out by the ‘Tractarian’ Rector in the latter part of the Nineteenth Century.
Yew trees are commonly found in churchyards in England. The reason for this association is not clear, but it is thought that yew trees were planted on the graves of plague victims to protect and purify the dead, and also in churchyards to stop “commoners” from grazing their cattle on church ground as yew is extremely poisonous to livestock. Yew trees were also used as symbols of immortality, but also seen as omens of doom. Some historians suggest that yew trees were planted in churchyards as a safe source of wood to make English longbows. This Yew Tree is one of the oldest in England … believed to be 2000 years old! The sign should be read by all .. increase the size of the picture and see what you think!
This is the Church in which Ray and Sandra were married almost 60 years ago and daughter Sarah and David 35 years!
The historic church door of the Parish Church of Andrew in Kenn.
Inside the historic St. Andrew Parish Church.
The church school children's drawings of their new King Charles III to celebrate HRH recent coronation on May 6, 2023.
In the square of the road outside the church stands this war memorial for the fallen soldiers.
Across the road from St. Andrew's is the Ley Arms pub. We had a delightful lunch as we reminisced about the church and the wonderful morning of conversation with Linda and Joanne.
The sign inside The Ley Arms telling the guests about their dogs Bertie and Reggie. It must have been nap time for them on our visit as we didn't see either one of them!
Off we were to Buckfast Abbey. I found this most interesting history online that simply fascinates me!
The first abbey at Buckfast was founded as a Benedictine monastery in 1018. In 1134 or 1136 the abbey was established in its current position and later became a Cistercian monastery. Following the conversion to the Cistercian Congregation, the abbey was rebuilt in stone. In medieval times the abbey became rich through fishing and trading in sheep wool, By the 14th century Buckfast was one of the wealthiest abbeys in the south-west of England. It had come to own "extensive sheep runs on Dartmoor, seventeen manors in central and south Devon, town houses in Exeter, fisheries on the Dart and the Avon, and a country house for the abbot at Kingsbridge". The Black Death killed two abbots and many monks; by the mid 1300 there were few left to maintain the buildings, some of which collapsed. By the mid 1400s however, the abbey again flourished. By the 16th century, the abbey was in decline. Only 22 new monks were tonsured between 1500 and 1539, and at the time of the abbey's dissolution in 1539, there were only 10 monks in residence.
The gardens are beautiful, serene, cultivated and true works of art. The Sensory Garden is based on designs from medieval pleasure gardens. It is an area for contemplation and peace.
The Arbour has many fruit trees that enhance the garden.
The Buckfast Abbey also has a Physic Garden. All of the plants were available before 1539 although the varieties may be different. The garden has been divided into four sections containing household, culinary, medicinal and poisonous plants.
There is a lot of gold in this abbey! The stone sculptures, golden alters, stain glass, mosaic tiles and more make this a spectacular sight to explore. We really enjoyed our time here at Buckfast Abbey!
The grounds are large with beautiful buildings from the outside, both the Abbey and the Monastery Quarters for the Monks. It was delightful to walk around and take in all of the history. A cute aspect we only saw here were their signs "Please do walk on the grass"! Something we have never seen before!
On our way to dinner, we stopped at the South Devon Railway in Buckfastleigh to see the station and catch a train going through. Marvelous old train station!
We finished our day at the wonderful Cridford Inn in Trusham just outside of Exeter in Devon. We are never disappointed with the meals in the UK. The food was suburb with company that cannot be beaten! The Cridford Inn dates back to 825 A.D. Ingredients are sourced within two miles of the inn.
The complete photo album can be brought up at this link.
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