Herefordshire 2023 (9) - Part 1: Hatfield and Bromyard

 So back to Herefordshire for four nights.  Although the weather forecast wasn't good we had to be there for a boiler service and gas safety check with British Gas on the Friday. Also it was good to get away from thumping and banging next door and have lovely views from the windows and total peace and quiet. I am just so thankful we have this refuge to escape to.

We travelled on the Wednesday and did the usual click at collect at Morrisons in the afternoon for food shopping. The site was lovely and quiet with only one other car way up the hill.

I love the old British Rail County Posters but to be honest a poster sized reproduction of the one for Herefordshire would have been too large so I was thrilled to see this print in Rossiters - its a bit bigger than A4 size. I've found a place for it too - on the fireplace below the clock.

My favourite trees were looking very similar to the last visit.

Herefordshire Oak

Octopus Tree

The Constable Tree

The Campanula was a good buy as it just keeps on and on flowering.

I bought a set of these vintage style plant labels from Brigsty Vintage Centre and gave some to D for his birthday and kept a couple for myself.

The mini alliums I bought on the last visit.

D wanted a small barbecue to use at the caravan for one of his birthday presents.  They do have a lot of strict rules on the site but I checked recently and you are allowed to have them as long as they don't bother other residents. Well as there was no-one for 100 yards we had a small barbecue on the first evening.

The two bug boxes recently installed.  B has now planted some of those pink cranesbill geraniums that I call "strawberries and cream" in the base of the pot.

We planted a few wildflower seed mixes in the border under the hawthorn hedge at the side of the caravan and, despite damage by moles!, the seeds are finally emerging and starting to flower including Black Medick and Poppies and this purple flower. I haven't been able to identify it to be honest and am wondering if it could be a garden plant that was included as its good for pollinators?  If anyone can id it please leave a comment.

D's promised to lend me this book when he's finished reading it - apparently its very good.

We now buy our eggs from this Hen House at the site entrance - to be honest we only discovered this year that they do actually sell eggs although I think the sign is new.

Thursday was better than forecast so D and I went to Stockton Bury Gardens which I'll write about in the next post.  Friday was lovely too but the gas engineer was due between 12 and 6 and didn't turn up until 4.30!  So we could have gone out! As it was D and I paid a quick visit to Bromyard to buy some cheeses from the farm shop there. And D managed to get me a photo of the post box topper outside the post office.

On Saturday it rained all day and all evening so it was a day of reading and relaxing indoors. Sunday lunchtime we came home.  I really do hope one day we can stop for longer but at the moment E still hasn't moved full time into her flat and she doesn't like being at home on her own so its all rather problematical.

All photos taken by me and my son with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one I would be grateful for an email first - thanks.

Back to Herefordshire - Part 2: Bromyard Scarecrow Fest and St Peter's Bromyard

 

On Sunday the weather was not good - cloudy, cold and rain!  Once the rain stopped D and I decided to pop to Bromyard as we had seen a Scarecrow Fest advertised there that weekend.

Bromyard is near the River Frome and most of the building framework in the town centre is timber framed although many were refaced with brick in the 18th or early 19th century.

A little garden by the art gallery and heritage centre next to the car park.

Although the scarecrows had labels they didn't seem to match the figure.  We later discovered the idea was to work out which scarecrow matched which label. Doh!  There was a stall and we should have picked up the Scarecrow Trail Guide!

There were lots of Jubilee decorations around the town centre.

These 17th century almshouses were provided for poor women of good character from the ancient township of Bromyard. They were modernised in 1962 and seven houses were converted into four flatlets.

Most, if not all, of the scarecrows were in and around the town centre many in shop windows. I think we found about half and there were twenty in total.

Plants in Walls

Pavement Plants

We wondered up a side street as we could hear music coming from a pub garden. I was thrilled to see there were morris dancers - we timed it well :)

Continuing through the town centre

No idea what this is supposed to be!

The Falcon Inn where the timber framing with close studding on the lower two floors is 16th/17th century and the top floor timbering is 18th century and is not so closely studded.

I was really sad to see that Flowerdew's - a lovely tearoom which sold vintage items and old fashioned toys - had closed.  We had two lovely lunches here in the past.

Next door is the Time Machine Museum.  D and I visited there some years ago if you would like to see the post please see Bromyard Time Machine Museum

The Old Bakery which operated from the early 1700's until 1952.

The Bromyard Local History Society had a window displaying items associated with the Queen's reign.

*D

*D

*D

*D

St Peter's Church Bromyard is on the site of a Saxon minster. The present church is Norman and cruciform with a 14th century tower.

Stone baluster with sundial dated 1815.

Late Norman nave doorway with 3 orders of shafts with decorated capital and arches with chevrons.

Above the doorway is a panel with St Peter in relief and an encircled consecration cross.  

I didn't go inside this time but if you would like to look round the interior please see St Peter's Church, Bromyard

By now it was starting to rain again so we went back to to Hatfield to watch some football. Solihull Moors, a local home team, were in a play off game. Sadly, they lost but there is always next season.

Photos marked with D* were taken by my son with the Canon SX50 HS bridge camera and rest of the photos were taken by me.  If anyone ever wishes to use any of the photos in this blog I would be grateful if you could email me first. Thanks.

Reference: Pevsner The Buildings of England Herefordshire by Alan Brooks and Nikolaus Pevsner, Yale University Press, 2017