26th November, 2012- More flood misery!

We were woken up at about 2am with the wind howling outside, and the rain pounding against the windows, so Steve Hillman got his camera after we had gone to school at 8am, and recorded the state of the Abbey after another soaking night. It doesn't look good!

 

But there is a little light at the end of the tunnel (so to speak!), as this little guy was spotted for the first time, clinging onto the side of the Abbey!

And a Steve Hillman 'arty' shot to finish!!

25th November, 2012

It's raining down here today, but nothing like the torrents of Thursday. There are a few people powerwalking and dog walking, and the Abbey Mill cafe looks inviting, with it's woodsmoke and neon sign welcoming you in.We didn't stop for a cup of tea because Frankie was quite muddy, and wanted to get home!

We walked around by the dilpidated Abbey Tavern today- it's such a shame that the building has been left to rot. I bet it is soaking inside.

Abbey House looks great though- the Christmas trees are up, and outside the back, it looks like Narnia!!

The Abbey Fellowship group are holding an event outside the Abbey Mill Cafe next Sunday, and there will be sword-fighting I am told , so that should make for some interesting photos! Look out for them next Sunday.

We walked along the Red River on the other side of the railway lines today, and that ground is truly saturated- the river was even higher today than yesterday.

Doesn't matter what the weather is like, it's still a fantastic place for a walk and a think...!

24th November, 2012

It's very quiet down here today, calm after Thursday's torrential weather. A watery sun is peeping through the now bare trees and the rotten leaves are strewn everywhere, looking like they have been deliberately scattered. You have to wonder how long the Abbey can stand if it's foundations are saturated, which they must be by now.

We managed to photograph one of the blue- jays that nest down here, and also this poor woodpigeon that looks fed up of searching for food. We have six of them that feed off our small bird table at home, although they struggle to hold their flight whilst they manoever from perching on the bird table roof onto the flat bit underneath. They like peanuts, and seem to tell all their friends to come if we put some out!

There is a skinny tabby cat that is always hanging around the railway cottage (maybe it lives there) and it moans at us every time we cross the railway lines. It looks hungry, but you never know with cats... there are plenty of small birds around for it to snack on.

The Red River level is still extremely high today and there seems to have been more slippage onto, the railway line from the banking up by the second gate. It looks like the coucil have been up here on Friday and put up a barrier to stop stuff shifting, but it looks like there will be a major problem if it rains again tomorrow...?

22nd November-DELUGE No.2!

We are at school today but Steve Hillman had to get out-and-about with his camera and capture what happened at the Abbey this afternoon, as the heavens opened!!

We were all safely tucked up inside, watching the weather through the window, but these BT guys didn't have any choice but to try and work in it. I wonder if it flooded like this in the twelfth century?

I hope it has improved by Saturday....?!

18th November, 2012

It started off as a sunny, crisp morning when we set out to do our Sunday 'chores' at 10 o'clock, but by the time we got to the Abbey at midday, the skies were darkening and the drizzle was forming into proper rain.

It was very busy down here at lunchtime. Someone pulled up with a horse and horsebox to do a bit of riding, and there were loads of people having Sunday lunch at the Abbey Mill Cafe, as well as families and dog walkers- the pathway from Roose is very popular.

We climbed up as high as we could on the other side of the Abbey today, and you get almost a 'birds-eye view' of the footprint of the building. The octagonal base of the kitchen is really clear from high up, I do wonder why it was built in that particular shape??

We spotted this bird of prey circling over the railwaylines today- not sure what it is, but there are often birds of prey of different types hovering around- they nest somewhere high up I think.

We always think of that scene from The Railway Children when we look along the lines with the cottage here- the scene where Bobby has to tear up her red flannel petticoat and wave it to stop the train from having an accident- I think the banking has slid down onto the lines. Frankie says I won't have long to wait until I watch it again because it's on every Christmas and I watch it every Christmas. I'm sure Bernard Cribbins lives in this cottage!

17th November, 2012

A mellow Saturday afternoon in Autumn, away from all the hustle and bustle of Portland Walk!

The trees are looking rather bare down here now, and it is very wet and muddy underfoot. The temperature was about 11 degrees whilst we were down here today, which is quite mild for late Autumn. We met Tom Burrows when we came down today (AKA Percy the Park Keeper according to Frankie!). He visits most weekends and is a mine of information about the site because he was groundsman here for *** years! Here he is enjoying a cup of coffee and admiring HIS Abbey!

There was also a group of people being shown around the site by Iain McNicoll, Tom thought one of the guys sang in the Mystery Plays performed here in the '80's. The Red River is very high at the moment, but still no sign of the heron!

Last of the fungi and even a Michaelmas Daisy hanging on before this 'worst winter for 100 years' that the newspapers are predicting! We're okay because we have the Land Rover now!!

The sun was actually going down when we left at three o'clock today, and this scene looks different again!