Autumn ?

It has been quite autumnal today with strong winds blowing and sudden rain showers. Going out for a walk we needed fleeces as well as jackets. Today's walk was very different as we were high up on the moors over the iron rich red sandstone cliffs near Heddon's Mouth (Lorna Doone country). We are always drawn to Morte Point and have forgotten how wild and beautiful it is up on the moors. We plan to make a few more trips in that direction this summer as not only are there free car parks but there are fewer tourists. Our walk was on Trentishoe Down (hills are frequently known as 'downs' ) which we can see from the top of our drive. We didn't walk down to Heddon's Mouth and Hunters' Inn as we planned to have lunch at the Station Inn at Blackmoor Gate.
Typical moorland scenery with the heather just starting to come into flower.

Looking back along the path the sky was blue but overhead grey clouds loomed.

Peter had taken the precaution of booking ahead so that we would have a table by the window as he knows if I can't be outside I at least, like to be able to see out. The Station Inn is well known for its Sunday carvery and today it lived up to its reputation. We were lucky to get the last (enormous) portions of beef otherwise it would have probably been the roast pork. They are known for their pork from their own Gloucester Old Spot pigs which can be seen outside. I let Peter have my Yorkshire pudding and then you help yourself to the vegetables - boiled & roast potatoes, carrots, cabbage and broccoli. I had no room for a dessert even without any breakfast and we don't need supper either. The beef was so tender you could 'cut' it with your fork and we thoroughly enjoyed it. At just under £9 each it was the same price as the roast dinner we had at Mortehoe and much, much better.

I don't feel too comfortable taking pictures with the public in so I snapped off one just to give a feel of the place.

On the way home, driving through the narrow lanes from East Down I had to reverse a long way to allow another car to pass. Nothing unusual in that but when the car went past us it had Lithuanian stickers in the windows. That was unusual.

I'm on schedule with my decorating. Today I painted the areas of the ceiling that had marks on. Mostly water stains though Mr Greenslade, the farmer who lived here before the people we bought the place from, told us that one set of stains were from a failed (or too successful), chemistry experiment carried out by their sons about 40 years ago. The stain cover paint is very thick and had to be applied with a brush because of the textured surface of the ceiling so that job took quite a while to do.