Bideford Bay Beachcombing

Wind Chill Factor Westward Ho! -3rd January 2010. All photos,articles copyright P. M. Adams North Devon Focus all rights reserved. It’s freezing cold but dry and sunny so perfect for a New Year stroll on the beach at Westward Ho! At the slipway we move aside for three horse riders taking advantage of the two mile stretch of firm sand and a rare opportunity to enjoy an uninterrupted gallop. The tide is a long way out thus exposing the hulk of one, of two, rarely visible Westward Ho! wrecks. Took some photos from different angles but my hands were so numb with the cold that I couldn’t actually feel the shutter button. As I was testing a new lens, I decided to take close up shots and made my way up the beach, head down searching for interesting sand formations, sea creatures, seaweed, shells and pebbles on the lower and middle shoreline moving towards the strandline and the Pebble Ridge. Even after recent storms this is a wonderful clean beach worthy of its’ Blue Flag status. We spent about an hour beachcombing and saw plenty of razor shells, periwinkles, whelks, mussels, tiny crabs and other crustaceans, kelp, wrack, sea urchins and lots of sea potatoes. Sea pototoes or heart-urchins are, weirdly, heart-shaped and covered in fur! They are normally hidden beneath the sand and only appear on the surface when washed up after stormy weather. Suddenly the noise of the wind and crashing surf was completely drowned out by the loud thundering hooves of the horses as they galloped back down the beach from Sandymere. Only three horses, but the sound carried some distance so one can only imagine the sound of the 500 horses in the Charge of the Light Brigade. The beach is still practically deserted, a few dog walkers, one lone hardy surfer and one kite buggy circling far off beside the sand dunes. Northam Burrows Country Park is beyond the Pebble Ridge at Westward Ho! on the Atlantic Heritage Coast. The Northam Burrows Country Park, at the mouth of the Taw Torridge Estuary, is a designated site of scientific interest and forms part of the United Nations Biosphere Reserve. If you can identify any of the shorelife in these pictures please let us know.

Peppercombe Chronicles

Peppercombe Valley - 1st January 2010 
Photographs and articles copyright Pat Adams (all rights reserved)
A stroll down to the old stables and back to see what’s new in Peppercombe Valley. It’s dark, cold and lifeless, or is it? (Note to myself not to wear fingerless gloves.) There is quite a bit of ground frost but hidden underneath are definite signs of plant growth including the huge pale green leaves of a Foxglove, fresh green moss, lichens, algae and fungus. The frost covered ivy makes an interesting winter picture. The only sounds are the cackle of a pheasant and the fast running stream. The birds are particularly active and it’s good to see a robin, blackbird and willow tit flitting back and forth across the track. I am passed by several groups of walkers and families offering friendly New Year Greetings. Easy to see which direction one party had come from as they were covered from toe to knee in the thick red Portledge mud. Water cascades down and under the bridge by the Pink Cottage and by the old beech trees. Spring Beauty leaves are frost bitten but visible on the grass verge opposite the old stables. Down by the meadows the first yellow buds of a lone common gorse bush make an early outing and two buzzards swirl and swoop on the wind aloft. It’s quite muddy on the track beside the meadows by the South West Coast Path steps. Looking back up from here the tree tops are bathed in golden sunlight in stark contrast to the gloomy valley below. My attention is drawn to the colourful ivy clad branch covered in grey and rusty lichens. As I make my way back a tiny Robin is tree hopping ahead of me, always keeping tantalisingly out of focus. Took picture anyway but its amazing how small a robin looks in a woodland setting as opposed to the garden. Back at the top blue skies as the sun emerges at last bathing the knarled branches of the old leafless trees in umber hues. Finally caught sight of another Robin and three blue tits in the hedgerows as I reach the final stretch of the trail.

Rosemoor Scents and Sensibility

27th June
Glorious day so we had breakfast in the garden with the family then off to RHS Rosemoor near Torrington. The brochure promises you will be “spellbound by the spectacular display of 2,000 roses to stir your senses”. Well this magical garden lived up to all expectations. It was a hot and sultry June day perfect time of the year to see those famous roses in all their stunning glory. We were given a map at the entrance and proceeded to take a “tour” around the garden donated to the RHS by Lady Anne Berry in 1988. We set off along the winding path beside the wild flower meadow, towards Rosemoor House. Along the way we saw the Stream Garden and Rock Gully, the Mediterranean Garden and Stone Garden. Rosemoor House, a delightful period property has now been converted to luxury apartments. The Wisteria Room, aptly named, is open for tea and coffee. We continued to explore Lady Ann’s original gardens then sauntered back up the long sweeping lawn eventually arriving at an incredibly picturesque olde English Cottage Garden with a thatched shelter. An abundance of traditional English flowers, climbers, shrub roses and flowering bushes bordered the winding circular paths. Rosemoor is now licensed to hold Civil Weddings and Civil Partnership Ceremonies so this area makes for a truly romantic setting, the perfect backdrop for those important wedding photographs. From here one picture perfect garden followed another as we strolled through the formal borders. We were met with an explosion of colour and fragrance as we finally reached the Queen Mother’s Rose Garden. After tea and cakes in the Restaurant we continued to explore the Bog Garden, the Stream and the Lake, a tranquil place where damsel flies danced above and upon the water lillies. Nestling in a sheltered wooded valley, the garden covers 65 acres in all including the Arboretum and surrounding woodland. There is much to see so you really need to make a day of it. A new attraction for 2009 is “The Brash” a pretty picnic area on the edge of the woods where the kids can have a fun time spotting birds and learning about beetles and badgers. There are events running throughout the year including Family Fun Days in August. The layout and easy access makes it enjoyable for all, there are lots of benches in strategic places for those wishing to take a breather or merely admire the view. Wheelchair Access: Steps are clearly labelled on the Map. Elsewhere some gentle slopes may be encountered and surfaces could be soft in wet weather.
Photos copyright Pat Adams All rights reserved Click here to see more Rosemoor Garden Photos on our main site