Train Daze - Swanage Railway

SR 2-6-0 U Class No. 31806 

Swanage Railway

Beltain Wickerman Burning .. pt. 2

Beltain Wickerman Burning .. pt. 1

end of crafting day 1

end of crafting day 2

all dressed up for the burning

St Augustine .. a Medieval Church, Brookland, Romney Marsh

"I dreamed I saw St. Augustine alive as you or me,
Tearing through these quarters in the utmost misery.
With a blanket underneath his arm and coat solid gold,
Searching for the very souls whom already had been sold."

Bob Dylan

I have to admit that my favorite version of this song is performed by Joan Baez at Woodstock singing "Joe Hill". I remember staying up late as a teenager - to watch the film Woodstock on television. My mother briefly put her head around the front room door, whilst Joan was in full song. The look of confusion on mum's face was priceless because at the time I was in full-on NWOBHM mode, and this delicate song was far from what I was expected to be listening to / watching at the time. Anyhow, I digress.

Having left St Thomas Becket I drove to Brookland to visit St Augustine complete with it's impressive free-standing wooden bell-tower.

St Thomas Becket a Medieval Church of Romney Marsh

The day's tour started with a visit to St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield. On arrival a Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) was quartering the fields, before heading away up and over the hedgeline. A Great White Egret (Andrea alba) was noted as it stalked along the length of a drain.

Collecting the Church Key from where it hung on the garden wall of the nearby house, I crossed the wet mud and sheep sh*t covered field to the small bridge over a drain which allowed access to the higher ground upon which the Church stood. Having taken my boots off at the door, I proceeded inside to explore.

Upon leaving the Church I met a Stome Mason who was also visiting the Church for the first time, I handed him the key to the door, and in the course of our conversation about understanding the wider vocabulary of church architecture he recommended the book "Rice's Language of Buildings" (see reference below). Back at the car whilst taking a coffee break I proceeded to order the book online.

References

Campbell, J., and Campbell, D. (2012 ) The Medieval Churches of Romney Marsh Romney Marsh Historic Churches Trust

Ricde, M., (2018) Rice's Language of Buildings Bloomsbury Publishing PLC London

The Sound Mirrors .. a Dungeness walkabout ..

A circular walkabout - from Mistral to Dungeness B Power Station, to RSPB Dungeness, to The Sound Mirrors then a return via Lydd-on-Sea to The Mistral Walking in what can only be described as a completely bonkers landscape comprising of shingle, a huge sky and endless vanishing points.

After taking evening refreshments at The Pilot Inn venturing out again for a short beach comb and a visit to what is probably the most photographed house on the shingle.