Cerne Abbas and its Giant

June 15, 2015

When we were in Dorset at the start of the year one of the things on my list to see was the Cerne Giant, an ancient naked figure sculpted into the chalk hillside above the village of Cerne Abbas. I'd worked out it was about thirty minutes from where we were staying and as I'd not seen a chalk hill figure close up (seeing one from the car as we drove past doesn't count in my book) one chilly day we made our way to Cerne Abbas.

We drove through the town, and although it's most likely a lively hubbub of tourists during the warmer months, it seemed pretty sleepy on the day we visited so we headed on towards the Giant.

I'd read that the best view was from the car park, not the one shown on the map - although we did go there first and realised it was the wrong one so drove on - there's one directly opposite the giant too. And that information is right we did get the best view from there.

The Cerne Giant is Britain's largest chalk hill figure, The Times says it's quite possibly the most authentic and the National Trust says it's their most controversial. And as with any controversy there's plenty of theories about its identity and purpose. These include a classical image of the Greco-Roman hero Hercules, a mockery or up-yours to Oliver Cromwell or as local folklore says an aid to fertility.

Whichever it's an amazing sight and the earliest recorded mention of it dates to the 17th century. And the National Trust have quite a job keeping him tidy - on their website they say that involves a giant haircut using a streamer as well as re-edging the online using spades in a similar way we'd keep the edges of our grass tidy. The chalk is also cleaned and vegetation removed and is done annually, plus there's the repairs to the rabbit proof fence which surrounds the Giant. That's quite a beauty routine!

We knew we wouldn't be able to get up close to the Giant (because of that rabbit proof fence) but we headed off down the green dotted line you can see on the map above and towards Giant Hill and for a closer look at the surrounding area.

It was a pretty chilly day and Giant hill was pretty steep. It was a bracing countryside walk (read very cold!) and we didn't hang around for long. Had it been warmer we'd have been tempted to take the river walk towards the village but instead we headed back to the car park for a last view of the Giant.

It's definitely worth stopping the car and having a look!

The Old Post Office at Tintagel

June 13, 2015

Yes, I'm taking you back to Tintagel as promised at the end of my second post from our visit to Tintagel Castle, this time though we're in the village and visiting the Old Post Office which is one of the National Trust's properties. It's tiny - or as the Trust more diplomatically says "unusual and atmospheric" and it's appeal - and wavy roof - is immediately visible as you approach it.

The old post office Tintagel Cornwall.jpg

It dates back to the 14th century and is a yeoman's farmhouse which the National Trust acquired in 1903 and the first room you visit is the Parlour. As well as this beautiful vista with the light streaming in on the day we visited there's plenty of samplers to admire, some of them worked on by girls as young as nine.

Each of the samplers on display are intricate and neatly sewn - and more importantly finished. The cross stitch I rediscovered last year, still isn't finished... ahem!

We headed upstairs - thankfully just a spiral staircase and not like those above, which I'm sure would be problematic for many visitors - and into the South Bedroom. There were more samplers here but it was the bedspread that really was the star of the show, well alongside the wooden beams and oak bed.

Then we headed back down the stairs, yeap these ones and into the cottage garden. And despite just being off the busy high street, it felt a world away. There was a large noughts and crosses set and a dressing up box and plenty of "garden rooms" to explore.

We stood back to admire the wavy roof and the typically cottage garden type plants and after a while we felt as if we were being watched. We turned and discovered we were!

So we popped over and said hello!

I said before that the Old Post Office is tiny, the same's true for its garden, but both pack a lot in and for such small spaces there's lots to see. Even a model in the garden...

And if you're wondering about the Post Office part - the name comes from the Victorian period when it briefly held a licence. Today though, there's still a post box.

And all in all another fantastic National Trust property to explore.

Sun on Saturday: Paternoster Square

June 6, 2015

I was in town on a sunny May day and with glorious weather and enough time to walk between appointments I found myself looking up at St Paul's Cathedral on the way towards Paternoster Square.

Paternoster square is according to wikipedia "an urban development" and one owned by the Mitsubishi Estate, and not as I'd assumed by the Corporation of London. In recent years it's seen a total redevelopment from the Paternoster Square I remembered. That older version was of 1960s descent and well, it was pretty grim and it seemed not liked very much.

I remember it more for the lunchtime netball games we played there for many years, which were always followed by a dash back down Cheapside in our netball kit to get back to our desks on time. And our bright yellow bottom-skimming netball skirts caused quite a stir back in the City back then.

So it was nice to have time to explore and experience the 2003 version with its central piazza, shops, offices and walkways which do suit the area so close to St Paul's so much more than before.

The Paternoster Square column is 75 ft tall is a corinthian stone column topped by a gold leaf covered flaming urn and sometimes called the 'pineapple'

At the other end of the square is the bronze Shepherd and Sheep which was commissioned for the previous Paternoster Square complex in 1975; for this latest redevelopment it was placed on a new plinth. Which explains why there was something familiar about it, not that I'm sure I had time to stop and admire it during those netball matches!

And you might already know but Pater Noster is Latin for "Our Father" and being in the shadow of St Paul's it's aptly named. But did you know that the area takes its name from Paternoster Row which was the centre of the publishing trade and was devastated by bombing during the Blitz. No me neither. Today it's the new location for the London Stock Exchange which moved from Threadneedle Street in 2004 - that I did know!

Just a few streets away is the building of the Worshipful Company of Cutlers - one of the ancient Livery Companies of the City of London and represents the knife, sword and utensil makers. Like many of the City Liveries it no longer has a close association with its trade, which mostly relocated to Sheffield but remains a charitable institution administering educational initiatives such as scholarships and awards.

The building though is pretty and ornate. It's facade is decorated with a terracotta frieze which shows the process of knife-making as you'd expect. And while the frieze was special, for me it was the ironwork that caught my eye.

Walking further down the street I spotted some wisteria in full bloom. I'd not expected to see it here in the City of London just a stone's throw from the Cathedral.

And with a whiff of wisteria I was back in the slickness and often greyness of the City - and this rather smart car and sculpture caught my eye and I felt needed to be snapped.

Then I noticed the street name - Ave Maria Lane - and I'd just walked past Amen Corner too - and with that I was back within sight of Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece. I've walked this way often but not until now had I spotted those street names - another reminder that we should all look up more often!