St Peter’s Church, Hayling Island, Hampshire & A Russian Princess

On a visit to Hayling Island in June, 2017, we visited this ancient 12th century church, which had a lovely sign with the magical words…..Church Open…..that makes me so happy.  St Peter’s is the oldest church on the island and is situated in the north.  Built in 1140 and is a grade 1 listed building.

The font, like the church, dates back to the 12th century.

A little history for you……..The church was originally built in about 1140 by the monks of Jumièges Abbey not as a parish church but as a chapel of ease, Northwode Chapel, to serve the people of North Hayling for whom going to their parish church of All Saints in the south of the island was not convenient. The original building probably occupied most of what is now the nave, and was apparently built without foundations; the central pillars rested on large sarsen stones (boulders probably deposited by glaciers during the Ice Ages). Buttresses were added later to help support the walls. In the early 13th century the building was expanded to its present dimensions, with the porch being added later. It is believed that St Peter’s three bells are one of the oldest peals in England, on suspended wooden axles and half wheels. The tenor bell has been dated by the Whitechapel Foundry as from about 1350.

 

The church is partially surrounded by a ditch, and has a substantial graveyard. Among those buried there is Princess Yourievsky (1878-1959), a natural daughter of Tsar Alexander II of Russia who was legitimised by her parents’ marriage and who spent the last 27 years of her life on Hayling Island, dying in relative poverty.

 

 

Portland Bill Light House, Isle of Portland, Dorset

This is the last of the three lighthouses at Portland Bill.  Portland Bill Lighthouse is located on the Southerly tip of the Isle of Portland, in Dorset.  It is now the only  functioning lighthouse at Portland Bill and the lighthouse and it’s boundary walls are Grade II Listed.  We were in luck the day we visited in August 2017, the sun was shining with beautiful blue skies…. at the moment here, in the Fens in the east of the UK, it’s a little windy, we are getting the tail end of Hurricane Ophelia, unfortunately other parts of the Uk are getting a nasty battering.

You can now climb the tower, but on the day we visited, many other people had the same idea, and there was a waiting list of over an hour, so we just had a walk around the base and took some photos. 

As Portland’s largest and most recent lighthouse, the Trinity House operated Portland Bill Lighthouse is distinctively white and red striped, standing at a height of 41 metres (135 ft). The tower is approximately 114 feet. The lighthouse was completed by 1906 and first shone out on 11 January 1906.  Portland Bill Lighthouse guides passing vessels through these hazardous waters as well as acting as a waymark for ships navigating the English Channel.

 

 

BT Tower, London

To me the BT Tower will always be the Post Office Tower, mainly because an uncle took myself, and my younger brother up in the lift to the top, in 1966 just after it opened in October 1965.  This really was quite scary, the lift went from the top to the bottom and then bounced back up two levels and then back down with a thud…….have never felt the same about lifts since.  But I have always thought it was an amazing building, and still is.   There is to me, something very space like about it, like a rocket about to take off. 

I took some photos in 2016 and forgot about them, but while sorting I have just come across them, and thought that I would look a little into the history.  The BT Tower, formerly known as the Post Office Tower, was opened to the public in 1966, despite construction having been completed in July 1964.

The British Telecom Communication Tower in London’s West End was the first purpose-built tower to transmit high frequency radio waves, and it serves as a functional telecommunications centre designed to relay broadcast, Internet and telephone information around the world.

Costing £2 million to construct, the 189m (620ft) cylindrical tall tower is made from 13,000 tonnes of concrete, steel and glass, and at the time of opening was the tallest building in London. It’s shape was designed to reduce wind resistance and gave it stability and style.

St George, St Andrew’s Church, Holt, Norfolk

While visiting St Andrew’s Church in Holt, Norfolk, I found this splendid St George stained glass window.  At the bottom of the window you can see a little of the dragon, with a couple of claws, or maybe teeth.

A nice one for my St George Series.

Dog Mobile

This lovely dog, who I shall name ‘Henry the Basset Hound’, loves his owners small tractor, especially for all the trips around the shows they visit.  Well he does only have little legs 🙂

Taken at one of the many country shows we visited in 2106

The Beauty of the Iris

No…..is ok, I’m not going to start taking photos of plants, I diversify too much as it is, but I do love my garden, and one of my garden favourites is the majestic Iris, and followed closely by the Day Lilly.  I have about a dozen Iris and add to their number each year.  This is achieved by visiting a beautiful Iris Nursery, just outside of Kings Lynn in Norfolk.  I could spend hours just choosing which Iris I want next.   So the last time we were there, I decided I would take some photos, so I could choose for next year, but I still can’t choose, it will have to be chosen on the visit.  I wasn’t going to post them, but they are so beautiful, and someone else, might just like to look at them 🙂