It's been overcast, warm and very humid today. I've done a lot of general housework as well as raking up the last of the gravel in the yard and using it to level out the drive. I also cleared out the top airing cupboard in the bathroom. As well as a lot of dust there were 2 straw hats (kept one and binned the other), a feather duvet that had gone thin in the middle (in another life I would have used the feathers to make some cushions but into the bin it's gone) and a sheepskin coat that looks like fur. I've put that on Gumtree but if nobody wants it I might make a very fancy cover for my tatty computer chair.
And so back to Lundy, after our picnic on Friday.
After a break for a picnic we followed the south coast with the church in the distance until we came to the Marisco Castle Keep . It's only the keep left now which has been restored to provide more accommodation. There have been many buildings on Lundy but naturally each set of builders plundered earlier buildings for ready cut blocks of granite so all that remains are the foundation stones.
There are 3 properties in the keep but they only seem to have windows looking into the central courtyard but there is a little cottage for 2 on the side which has a big window looking out over the sea. It would be lovely to stay here .
Down in the ruins of the old castle wall I recognised an oven. However Peter was able to inform me that it wasn't for baking bread but for heating up pieces of metal until they were red hot. They were then fired at enemy ships. When the hot metal embedded into the wooden ships the crew only had 2 minutes to locate the metal and douse it with water before fire would take hold and the ship would be doomed.
Sentries in the castle would have had excellent views of anyone trying to land in the bay. The rest of the coastline is deep and rocky and littered with the wrecks of many ships which is why a lot of people come for the diving. Also the waters around Lundy are a marine reserve and home to many species of marine life including basking sharks the second biggest fish on the planet.
From the castle it is a short walk back to the village. We passed a herd of the wild goats with their patriarch who is known as Wingnut because of his twisted horns. The goats roam freely and on other visits I've seen Wingnut grazing contentedly on almost vertical rocks with the sea 400 feet below him.
1 comment:
Thank you for answering me. I so enjoy your Lundy comments. I shall never walk this lovely island except via your excellent posts. I do read and enjoy the history you share as well as the magnificent views. That 'cottage' would be so lovely -- it's rather grand with the large window. Ticks...I, too, would be careful. Thank you for sharing your adventure.
Post a Comment