Tag: Devon

Buckfast Abbey Exterior - B Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Buckfast Beasties!

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

Hello everybody, and I hope this new week is treating you well! Today we’re going to catch up with Paddy and Plunkett, who we last saw exploring the weird and wonderful environs of the Lost Gardens of Heligan.
A Narrow Escape for Paddy - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesThis time, they’re much less likely to have to save their woolly skins from prowling mud giants. Their wandering paws have brought them to this peaceful place!
Buckfast Abbey from Outside - B Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesThis is Buckfast Abbey, home to an entirely self-supporting community of Benedictine monks.

The original abbey at Buckfast was demolished in 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and the site became a quarry, then the grounds of a private house. But then, in 1882, the land was purchased by the Benedictines, who set about re-establishing a monastic community here.

Building work started in 1907, and took around 30 years to complete. And looking at what they created…
Buckfast Abbey Exterior - B Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties… You’d never know that this was accomplished with virtually no mechanical assistance. The monks borrowed a horse and cart from a local farmer for transportation, and their scaffolding was held together with tied ropes! And if you think that’s impressive…
Inside Buckfast Abbey - B Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties… The interior will take your breath away!
Painted Ceilings at Buckfast Abbey - B Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd outside the Abbey, the grounds also contain a farm, sensory garden, lavender garden and a working water mill. The atmosphere of calm and reflection here really amazed the boys – maybe that’s why they’re not gadding about in front of the camera as much as usual!

However, on the way out, they stopped by the Abbey’s produce shop…
Shopping at Buckfast Abbey - B Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties… To pick up a Beastie-sized sample of one of the monks’ most celebrated creations – Buckfast Tonic Wine!

“I think it’s important we support all the good work these people do, Plunkett. Now, follow me!”
Beastie Buckfast - CrawCrafts BeastiesFinding the perfect picnic spot isn’t always easy, but remembering that the monks built an entire Abbey using the most rudimentary equipment, the lads figured they could probably manage a short flight of steps.
Passing the Buckfast - CrawCrafts Beasties“Nearly there! Aha, this looks perfect!”
The Perfect Spot for a Boozy Lunch - CrawCrafts BeastiesOf course, Paddy was first to take a hearty glug from the bottle… I think we can all see where this is going.
Paddy Samples some Buckfast - CrawCrafts BeastiesThen again, Plunkett doesn’t look too steady on his feet either! This is potent stuff!
Plunkett, A Little the Worse for Wear - CrawCrafts Beasties“Paddy, you are my bessshhht friend…”

Uh-oh, he’s away.
Plunkett Falls For Buckfast - CrawCrafts BeastiesQuick, Paddy! Help him up! But carefully now, in case you…
Buckfast Takes its Toll - CrawCrafts Beasties… Fall over.

Oh well, I suppose we’d better leave them to sleep it off! There’s a lesson here about enjoying your fortified wines responsibly – especially if you’re only 5 and a half inches tall.

And how about you lot? Have you tried any interesting or unusual elixirs lately? Be sure to tell us all about it in the comments!

Paddy and Plunkett at Clovelly Harbour - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett in Lovely Clovelly!

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

Phew! It’s been a busy old day… Hence the slightly later than usual posting time! Fortunately, the subject matter for today’s post is a lazy stroll around one of the prettiest and most unusual places that Paddy and Plunkett have visited in a long time. Welcome to Clovelly, a village in northern Devon which has been privately owned since the 13th century! It’s built on a veeeeeery steep slope, and the houses almost appear to tumble down the hill into the harbour…
The Houses at Clovelly - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesClovelly is well-known for its beautiful cobbled streets, which are apparently made from stones gathered at the beach below. Paddy wanted to take a photo of himself with the sea waaaaay down at the bottom of the main street…
Paddy Admires Clovelly Harbour Below - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties… But then Plunkett commandeered the camera for a snap of the cobbles themselves.
Clovelly Cobbles - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties“Beautiful! Look at those nice smooth edges!”

Fortunately, Paddy was able to regain control of the picture-taking by telling Plunkett that there were even better cobbles further down the hill. Normal service resumes!
Plunkett admiring the Clovelly Cobbles - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesYou might have noticed already that these streets, as well as being very steep, are also reeeeeally narrow. And that makes Clovelly officially a car-free zone! In fact, using any form of wheeled transport is pretty much impossible – although I wonder how many runaway carts ended up in the harbour before they figured that one out?

Anyway, back in the day, donkeys did all the -ahem- donkey work of ferrying people and their chattels up and down the hill. But that’s a hard day’s work for anyone, and these days you’re more likely to see the donkeys taking it easy in the sanctuary at the top of the hill. So if you want to move anything, you’ll be using one of these!
Paddy Hitches a Ride to the Harbour - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesThese sledges are what locals use to bring home their shopping. After parking their cars up at the top of the hill, they load up the sledge and bring their deliveries to their front door on foot. At least it’s downhill all the way!

And as you can see, Paddy has found the perfect way to turn this system to his own advantage.
“Hop in, Plunkett! Let’s get a lift to the harbour!”

Their journey took them past some of the achingly pretty shops and houses on the main street…
Clovelly Shops and Houses - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties… And soon they could look right into the harbour from above!
Clovelly Harbour from Above - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesIt’s lucky the tide’s out, or Paddy probably would have tried to dive in! The lads decided to opt for a sedate walk down to sea level instead.
Paddy and Plunkett at Clovelly Harbour - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties“Ooooh! It’s beautiful!”

And the view behind them wasn’t bad either!
Clovelly From the Harbour - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesThe only thing they have to worry about now is how to get back up that hill!

We’ll be rejoining Paddy and Plunkett in a couple of weeks… Because now it’s MY turn to go on holiday! I’ll be taking a break from blogging while I’m gone, but I’ll be posting on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as I travel.

See you again on the 19th for fresh Beastie fun!

 

Paddy on the Train - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett – A RAIL Good Time!

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

Paddy and Plunkett, Wandering Beasties - CrawCrafts BeastiesWell, these two certainly don’t hang around in one place for very long! After exhausting the entertainment possibilities of their own attic a couple of weeks ago, Paddy and Plunkett decided that the time was right to hit the road again.

Next thing I knew, they were sending me pictures from Devon, in south-west England! And it looks like Plunkett was in charge of organising their first day out, because they began their explorations at the historic Babbacombe Cliff Railway, just outside Torquay! Plunkett has a bit of a thing for trains.
Paddy Photobomb 1 - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesUnfortunately, Paddy has a bit of a thing for jumping in front of the camera.
“Paddy! Sit down!”
Paddy Photobomb 2 - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties“But look! There’s another carriage coming up on the other side!”
*Sigh*

Plunkett finally got his first Paddy-free shot when their Beastie-sized funicular train reached its destination – right to the seashore at beautiful Oddicombe Beach. As Paddy dashed off to skim stones over the water, Plunkett looked back up the tracks…
The Tracks at Babbacombe Cliff Railway - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties… Then took a few steps back to watch as a fresh carriageful of visitors were delivered right to the water’s edge.
The Babbacombe Cliff Railway in Action - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesThe car really does look very strange when you view it from the side!

The idea for the Babbacombe Cliff Railway dates back to the 1890s – those Victorians loved a good seaside gadget – but it wasn’t completed until 1926. The 720-foot-long track saves people a very irksome uphill walk at the end of their day at the beach, so it’s little wonder it soon became a popular attraction – records for 1935 say that 192,000 people made the trip that year!

But more recently, the railway fell on hard times. Following a significant breakdown in 2003, it closed for 6 weeks… and although services did still run occasionally after that, it was in need of hugely expensive repairs that the local council simply couldn’t afford. Luckily, some enthusiastic locals set up the Friends of the Babbacombe Cliff Railway group, and made it their mission to promote the railway and raise money for the repairs. Thanks to their hard work and the sale of St Marychurch’s Town Hall in 2005, the funds were finally there – so the railway got its much-needed overhaul. Everything got an upgrade – cars, cables, rails and control systems! By the end of winter 2006-7, the repairs were finished and the Babbacombe Cliff Railway was back on track!

So, with some nice clear photographs and a brainful of information from the visitor centre, Plunkett rejoined Paddy for a walk along the shoreline. This beach is on Devon’s Jurassic Coast, so the steep cliffs are made from stunning rich red sandstone – you can see them a bit in the photo above. The main attraction for the boys was this waterfall… Complete with Beastie-sized viewing platform!
Paddy, Plunkett and the Waterfall - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesBut they couldn’t dawdle here all day… Quick, you’re about to miss the last train home! And walking up that hill will be no fun on little short legs!
Plunkett Admires the Babbacombe Cliff Railway - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesFortunately, they juuuuust made it in time. And after catching his breath on the journey back up, Plunkett felt brave enough to clamber up on a railing to get one last look at the train!

Are there any weird and wonderful attractions near you? Be sure to tell us all about them in the comments – perhaps Paddy and Plunkett will come to check them out on a future visit!

Oh, and also… Welcome to May! The latest Beastie calendar page is up in the shop and ready to download, if you haven’t already! You can find it here.

We’ll be back on Friday with more Beastie fun and games – see you then!