I've been trying to prepare for the new academic year, but have completely failed. I still have materials to order and home-ed groups events to finalise. I've also been chained to the computer dealing with my books business, PreLovedBooks. And I haven't finished that, either. And then we're off to Devon in a couple of days for our annual beach/surf holiday and I am utterly unprepared for that too.
What with all that failure on my shoulders and my family getting phytophototoxicity too, I needed a break. So we went up to Brill Hill for an evening walk. See if you can guess what this is.
Yes, you were right. It is a windmill! No longer in use, but nicely preserved. Standing underneath it, it was easy to imagine the canvas sails whirling round and round.
There are deep gouges in the hill from where the local used to dig clay for rooftiles.
Isn't that splendid?
I'm sorry, I just couldn't stop taking pictures of it.
This is the hill where all the local christians come on Easter Sunday before Sunrise for a wonderful, inspiring open-air service.
It's certainly a beautiful spot.
Apart from the electric fence to keep the sheep in. The hill where the windmill stands is common land, which means it belongs to everyone and can't be fenced or enclosed. But the undergrowth on the common was getting too wild and sharp, so the parish council have allowed the use of sheep in parts of it to keep it all under control.
It was getting a little dark by this point, but you just about see all the features of an English village centre in this photo. A green, a phone box, a lamp-post and a war memorial with flowers growing around it.
Oh and a notice for the village fete!
Back to the windmill. I like it.
See the great big millstone outside the door?
The kids have had enough walking and lead us in the direction of the pub. The lure of coke and crisps prove to be very strong.
Grace's face recovering from the nasty weed attack.
Jack's, apparently, hasn't.
The coke must have gone to his head.
Time to go home, I think!
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10 comments:
Dorothy, I just love the countryside you share. It is so beautiful and so....ancient looking.
By USA standards, our area is about as old as it gets as far as settlements and what not, but it is still nothing compared to the 100s of years of history in your neck of the woods.
Thank you for sharing it.
PS-Don't forget to wave now when you be to the shore!
What a beautiful windmill! I wish I had started blogging in Miami. We had some really pretty things there. It's boring here.LOL
Wow! Great pictures! I love the windmill pictures and oh how I love England. Also, the picture of your daughter is just beautiful and your son is so funny- I bet he has a wonderful since of humor.
oh, I love love love those pictures of the kids -- those are definitely worth framing!
Grace looks like she's got something on her mind that getting ready to pop out at any second. Jack is making people snort on the complete other side of the ocean. Quite an accomplishment, I'd say.
Dorothy, I was inspired and made certain that I blogged after our Friday field trip. I must say downloading pics is time consuming but it's the only way to share our adventures with family and friends
Keep that boy off of coke. ::snort::
Fantastic photos of the windmill and the mill stone. I loved the village centre.
What's a crisp?
We are quite jealous! Faith is looking over the pictures and saying, "I wish WE could go!" We are firing up our own blog at http://teamnowlin.blogspot.com/ See you there??!?!??!?
Friends in Christ-
The Nowlins
I love the windmill and the scenery! What a beautiful area. Thanks for taking time to share all of the pics with us.
I think you deserved a break! So glad you could get away for the evening.
Oh, Dorothy, lovely photos. Thank you for sharing the narrative too. The most exposure I've had (before you) to the English countryside is reading James Herriott . . .
I love all the windmill photos! I had such a fabulous time when we came to England so long ago. We only had one very young son then (who stayed home). Every time we look at the album of photos they ALL ask (three) "When can we go?" ::sigh:: Someday again I hope!
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