Mottisfont, National Trust. A family Triumph.

A memorable day spent at this wonderful House and Garden that sits about ten miles North of Southampton. Ancient trees, bubbling brooks and rolling lawns frame this 18th-century house with a medieval priory at its heart.
Maud Russell made Mottisfont her home in the 1930s, bringing artists here to relax and create works inspired by Mottisfont’s past, including an extraordinary drawing-room painted by Rex Whistler.
The River Test flows crystal clear beside avenues of London Plane trees. Large rainbow trout patrol the chalk stream undisturbed.
The house is amazing; having its foundations on the much earlier 13th Centuary priory.

Rainbow Trout in the river Test

A day out to remember with William and Jane in Salisbury .
The evening highlight was watching the Finals of the British Ladies Elite Underwater hockey team play New Zealand Elite Ladies Team. The game (normally lasting half an hour)  was drawn 4-4 but reached the stage of Golden Goal decider and that had the world stage on its toes for a full hour, (including stoppages and time outs). Eventually New Zealand clinched it with the final goal, yet there was no real loss to GB, having played such a memorable match.
Daughter Sophia played well and enjoyed defending against the NZ team that she mentors as fitness coach.
Watch the game:  Here.

Like his brother Matthew, William enjoyes watersports of a more extream kind and is seen here deep into the wave;

William hopes to escape the jaws of a monster wave

Sugar Coated Bees against Veroa

Today three of my four hives underwent the Powdered Sugar treatment. A dusting of pure icing sugar gently shaken over each side of every comb. Plenty took to the air but generally they underwent the proceedure in good spirit without too much complaint.
Wearing my top tunic veil and Marigold gloves I was not stung at all but the heat was in the region of 30degC and I had to retire before attempting to dust the fourth and final hive.

I shall not count the Veroa drop 'till later tomorrow.

Several of the combs were quite heavy with honey

Some flying while others entering still well coated in sugar powder

The mouse guard has been in place all year on this hive

Plenty of brood and lots of drones

This design hive is quite easy to manage without upsetting the bees much

The end follower boards blank off either end - heat loss here is minimised by the use of a 3/16 balsa wood lining

Dartmouth early morning Jaunt

Another scorching hot day in the South of Devon so we venture out in the Morgan 4/4 to one favourite watering place looking its best.
An early start enabled us to miss the worst of the traffic and park up beside the river promenade.
Helen has some presents to buy for up and coming birthdays while I enjoy taking these photos to add to the growing portfolio of snaps.

Arriving here at 8am ensures ample free parking

A beautiful warm start to the morning

The inner harbour soon drains of the ebb tide

The Butterwalk - built in Tudor times has granite columns and intricately carved doorways

Low Tide exposes the mud

Cream Tea at the Castle

Mog AwayTo Finch's Foundry

The National Trust operates many a wonderful heritage property but this particular venue is probably our favourite one in all of Devon. Today the sun was beating down and the grass rapidly turning a parched shade of biscuit brown.  We enjoyed a gentle picnic in the Orchard Garden that slopes towards the south.
Finches Foundry lies in the middle of South Tawton just off the A30.  From the road it does not appear to be much of any significance, blending easily with the roadside cottages, local pub and is easily overlooked. But spare a moment and look closer; behind the row is a delightful tea garden and cafe alongside an ancient Quaker burial ground beside the river Taw. Within the building the old foundry and blacksmithy houses a wealth of machinery and collected tools that were made on this site.
Out of sight from the road A382 are the waterwheels that still operate below the elevated waterway which channels thousands of gallons every day into this power house of industrial archeology.
After our stop here our next stop was at the National Bee Centre in  Okehampton and then a pleasant drive over the moor via Grimspound and Widdecombe.  Had to reverse about two hundred yards for a 30Ton lorry - Enjoyed an ice cream to cool off.

One of several such water wheels

Above head hight the raised leat flows with the crystal clear Dartmoor water

This wheel powers air blower fans that generate heat in the blacksmiths forge

The shoot carries surplus water away down the leat

The forge and the anvil 

Off road parking where the 4/4 is quite safe

The ton and a half power hammers

Ancient timber gantry with pully wheels and belts overhead

Cogs and bevel gears hum and drive belts flap and flail

The teeth on the cog wheels lift the power hammer

The leat that powers the wheels underneath