Au Revoir IofW

The beautiful East window from St James Church, Yarmouth





Weather - more rain and wind!

After leaving the cottage we decided to go back to Compton Bay to watch the yachts in the Round of Island boat race, go a walk along the beach looking for fossils and for me a final chance of the Glanville on the cliff tops.

When we hit the Military (coast) road the drizzle became what I can only describe as sea fog!

You can see from the poor photos below how yucky the weather was - if you click to enlarge the first one you might be able to make out the yachts through the gloom.






Yet again there wasn't the remotest chance of butterflies being on the wing and no-one was keen on walking on the beach so we headed for Yarmouth where we were due to catch the ferry that afternoon.

Had a quick walk round the shops - there is a good second hand bookshop and a fossil shop but horrors the very good Tourist Information shop has now been downgraded to just a kiosk by the bus stop!

We decided to try and catch an earlier ferry and were allowed to join the queue. Whilst waiting I spotted a nearby church and reckoned that, as one ferry was leaving and it would be half an hour before the next, I had about 20-25 minutes to look round.

St James





It really was the most loveliest of churches and I will certainly make sure I visit next time we go over to the Island and allow myself a lot more time.

The present church buildings date back to 1614.

This beautiful memorial tablet was created in the style of fifteenth century Florentine Della Robbia.



Behind a barred gate was this incredible statue - the picture isn't good as in my haste I failed to get enough of the lens through the bars! According to the church guide book the statue was originally intended to portray Louis XIV of France but Admiral Sir Robert Holmes (Governor of the Island from 1668 to 1692) captured it together with the sculptor and made him substitute Holmes' head for that of the king!



Stained Glass











Pulpit dated 1873






Font also dated 1873 made of Caen Stone









Arriving back in Lymington



Spotted a little egret in Lymington - another species for the year

Despite the weather and the fact that we weren't able to do as much walking or looking for wildlife as hoped, it was a lovely holiday.

I managed to add 4 new species of bird (this was much much lower than I had hoped), 2mammals and 2 butterflies to my 2011 lists. Of the target species I was hoping to see I only managed one! But there is always next time!

Tomorrow I'll do a very belated moth post from last week's trapping session - managed several new species for the year and some completely new for the garden.