8 Comments CherryPie on Jun 18th 2014
Woodhenge was built in about 2500 BC and revealed by aerial photographs taken in 1925 to be a leveled henge.
The bank and internal ditch enclose a circular area about 50m (160ft) in diameter with a single entrance facing north-east. Shortly after its discovery the site was excavated by Maud Cunnington Her work revealed that within the interior lay six concentric circles of pits, varying considerably in size and having originally held large upright oak timbers. Because of the similarity of this plan to that of Stonehenge, the site became known as Woodhenge. Woodhenge did gain some stones, assumed to be sarsens, late in its life, but they were subsequently removed.
From the ground plan, these timber circles (like those at Durrington Walls) are difficult to interpret. The upright timbers may have stood in the open air, either plain or highly decorated. They may have been linked together by horizontal beams to create a wooden version of Stonehenge or may even have been the framework for a huge building.*
*From English Heritage Guidebooks – Stonehenge, step into England’s story, published 2013
14 Comments CherryPie on Jun 17th 2014
Rather than go out for a meal yesterday we took my father in law out for the day. He decided on the National Trust property Berrington Hall. We decided to surprise him with a little detour on the way and stopped of at Westonbury Mill Water Gardens. It is delightful garden with interesting follies which I knew he would love. Since the last time we visited I knew that the latest folly, a water powered cuckoo clock had been completed.
We strolled round the gardens and ended up at the cuckoo clock just before mid-day and waited to see the cuckoo emerge. There was a noise like a toilet flushing followed shortly after by birdsong although there was no sign of a cuckoo. At this point I saw the reflection of someone (who looked like the owner) behind me on the other side of the water but when I turned around there was no-one there. All of a sudden the garden owner was standing next to us saying ‘I am not sure there is time to rescue it’. He went up the stairs and did some adjustments and the Cuckoo finally decided to make an appearance. I thanked him and then he left, leaving us to enjoy his creation. We then continued on the garden tour ending up enjoying lunch sitting outside in the sun before making our way to Berrington Hall.
We were in for another treat when we got to Berrington Hall. There was a display of ‘Georgian Jousting’ taking place just outside the front of the house. After the spectacular display we visited the house before making our way back to our respective homes.
After freshening up my in-laws came round to ‘chez nous’ and we all enjoyed salmon and boulangere potatoes that had been prepared by Mr C earlier in the day. A good day was had by all 
12 Comments CherryPie on Jun 16th 2014
What Is A Dad?
A dad is someone who
wants to catch you before you fall
but instead picks you up,
brushes you off,
and lets you try again.A dad is someone who
wants to keep you from making mistakes
but instead lets you find your own way,
even though his heart breaks in silence
when you get hurt.A dad is someone who
holds you when you cry,
scolds you when you break the rules,
shines with pride when you succeed,
and has faith in you even when you fail…Unknown
12 Comments CherryPie on Jun 15th 2014
After breakfast we checked out and Mum got chatting to the receptionist. The topic of her broken leg cropped up and it turned out that the receptionist who was from Brisbane had been working as a physiotherapist before taking time off to go travelling. Her travelling has currently paused whilst she is working in Salisbury.
We said our goodbyes and set off on out return journey. On the way we stopped at Snowshill Manor where we had lunch. Mum was astounded by the number of pieces in Charles Paget Wades collection. She also thought the use of space was a waste of a house. I am not so sure… His love of collecting has ensured that some very interesting objects have not been lost. Everything he chose for collection had to incluce colour, design and craftsmanship.
When we had finished enjoying the house, its collections and the garden we continued on our journey back home. After unpacking and freshening up after the journey, the three of us went to a local pub for an evening meal. We chose with care, it is one of the places that serves a Sunday roast in the evening as well as at lunch time. The place was buzzing and it turned out the reason for this was that the landlord was throwing a party for his daughter’s 16th birthday.
The landlord was worried that they were being too noisy (they weren’t) and offered us a glass of champagne after our meal. A perfect end to a perfect weekend away 
6 Comments CherryPie on Jun 14th 2014
After breakfast we walked the short distance to Salisbury Cathedral. I enjoyed my visit to the Cathedral and I wasn’t disappointed after waiting so many years to venture inside. One of the first things we saw as we entered was a Live Video Camera scenes of Peregrine Falcon chicks feeding. They are nesting high up in the bell tower. Whilst at the Cathedral we had morning coffee in the cafe and browsed in the shop where I picked up a couple guide books.
One of the interesting things we learned was that the Cathedral is only built on four corner foundations and silt. When the silt begins to dry out water has to be introduced from the river in order to keep the foundations firm. The recent flooding had been a worry because the water level became extremely high. One of the Cathedral guides showed us how they checked the water level through a small covered hole in the Cathedral floor using a marked wooden stick (a depth gauge).
We then departed towards Mompesson House which is a grad II 18th-century house located in Cathedral Close where we planned to have lunch. Along the way Mr C flexed the plan and announced he was going to go into The Rifles Berkshire and Wiltshire Museum which we just happened to pass on our way to Mompesson House. It was to close to lunch time to venture very far so Mum and I elected to visit the museum too. We each enjoyed different parts of the museum. I enjoyed the section on Afghanistan and the garden with its memorial stones and a fine 200 year old Copper Beech tree.
We eventually made our way to Mompesson House for lunch, which was slightly delayed whilst we waited for a family to stop dithering and milling around in front of the counter. They were not quite making up their minds on what they wanted to eat and drink. We waited (almost) patiently standing behind them in the queue having already chosen what we wanted. After lunch we strolled round the garden and house which is currently exhibiting a collection of strange modern art which seems to be the craze everywhere at the moment.
Next we visited the Salisbury museum where I expected to see architectural exhibits but found only textiles and ceramics (not quite my thing). The museum’s temporary exhibition was a biography of Cecil Beaton in words and photographs. This was very well done. When we had finished looking round the museum we sat in the garden eating tubs of ginger ice cream whilst enjoying the view of the Cathedral. I found out today that the architectural wing of the museum has just opened!! A few days too late for me to enjoy
When we returned to the hotel I had a long soak in the bath before getting ready to go out for our evening meal. The meal itself was a disappointment leading to an earlier than usual return to the hotel for a nightcap. The barman found us a rather nice delicate Rose wine to finish off the evening with.
10 Comments CherryPie on Jun 13th 2014
