Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty if only we have eyes to see them….
John Ruskin (1819 – 1900)
8 Comments CherryPie on May 8th 2016
A fortified manor house built in the late 13th century by Robert Burnell, Bishop of Bath and Wells, Chancellor of England from 1274-92, and for more than thirty years the friend, confidant and adviser of King Edward I.
When the king was staying at Acton Burnell in the autumn of 1283, he summoned one of the first Parliaments to be attended by the Commons as well as the Lords. It passed a Law for the protection of creditors which the king ratified here at the castle, and which is therefore known as the Statute of Acton Burnell.In the 18th century the ruins of the castle became an ornamental feature in the grounds of Acton Burnell Hall. *
In 1284, Robert Burnell obtained a licence from the king to fortify his residence. Work was probably still in progress when Robert died in 1292. The large first-floor windows of the castle suggest, however, that it never had a serious defensive purpose and was instead perhaps designed to impress.
The Burnell family of Acton Burnell held land in Shropshire from the 1180s, though it was a century later that Robert Burnell came to prominence. Entering royal service as a clerk to Henry III’s son Prince Edward, he rose to become Chancellor of England and Bishop of Bath and Wells when the prince acceded to the throne as Edward I in 1272.
The king’s military campaigns in Wales frequently brought him to Shropshire, and he stayed at Acton. His visit in 1283 assumed national significance when he held a parliament, according to tradition, in the tithe barn here. This was supposedly the first at which commoners were represented.
In 1284 Robert Burnell obtained a licence from the king to fortify his residence. Work was probably still in progress when Robert died in 1292. The large first-floor windows of the castle suggest, however, that it never had a serious defensive purpose and that it was instead perhaps designed to impress. Evidence of Robert’s building zeal may also be seen in the adjacent church, a fine example of Early English architecture. Burnell’s wealth and his position as bishop enabled him to employ the best masons.
By 1420, however, the castle was abandoned. It was allowed to decay while a new house, Acton Burnell Hall (not in the care of English Heritage), was built next to it in the 18th century. Thus saved from later alterations, the castle remains an impressive example of a medieval fortified manor house.
*From a signboard at the entrance to the castle ruin.
6 Comments CherryPie on May 7th 2016
I ascend unto My Father and your Father
2 Comments CherryPie on May 5th 2016
… to sit on the patio enjoying the early evening sun before dinner.
As part of the garden project the front of the house has also been tackled. The small island border has been removed and re-turfed. The euonymus has been relocated to the back garden and the daffodil bulbs are temporarily in a pot. I like the new look 
Whilst working on the front garden I noticed that we had a new neighbour. For a few weeks I had seen him flying around with two companions and was surprised to see that he had taken up temporary residence in what looks like a very uncomfortable position!
6 Comments CherryPie on May 4th 2016
There have been no major changes since my last photographs, but on the whole the garden is a lot tidier than it was. I have persuaded Mr C to help me with the Laurel at the weekend. I need the top cutting off before I go about tidying up the sides.
The next major task is to continue the wall around the patio area and dig out a border behind. This I will fill with low growing plant so that the the rest of the garden can still be seen from the bench I intend to put in front of living room window. This will give a nice line of view from the living room too. Part of this task is concealing two of the wheely bins, the recycling been will be relocated to the garage along with the other recycling boxes.
When this has been done we will tackle the shed, which up until last year was covered and sheltered by the branches of ‘My Oak Tree’. As you can see the shed is in a state of collapse and is to be replaced by a new one with a door on the side. At the same time we intend to extend the top patio slightly.
Well that is the plan for now, but all plans are subject to change 
The photos in this post are taken with a new compact camera that I treated myself to. I wanted something small enough to keep in my handbag for those unexpected photo opportunities when I wished I had my camera with me. Photographs taken with my camera phone are always disappointing. The camera sales man was not doing a very good job of selling me any of the cameras that I asked about, leaving me to figure it out for myself. I ended up with a good deal, but that is a story for another day
10 Comments CherryPie on May 3rd 2016
Filed under Art, Faith Foundations, Heritage, Holidays, Piran & Ljubljana 2015
Doorways to the Cathedral of St. Nicholas
In 1996, two enhancements were installed on the cathedral in the form of two large bronze doors, one on the west facade and the second on the south facade adjacent to Ciril-Metodov Trg. These were added to commemorate the visit of Pope John Paul II. The stunning west door is decorated with a raised relief schemes depicting 1,200 years of Christianity in Slovenia including scenes of the Crusades through to the independence of Slovenia, whilst the south door is decorated with the raised relief of the bishops of Ljubljana.
2 Comments CherryPie on May 2nd 2016
