Therefore all seasons shall be sweet to thee,
Whether summer clothe the general earth
With greeness, or the redbreast sit and sing
Betwixt the tufts of snow on the bare branch
Of mossy apple-tree, while the nigh thatch
Smokes in the sun-thaw; whether the eave-drops fall
Heard only in the trances of the blast,
Or if the secret ministry of frost
Shall hang them up in silent icicles,
Quietly shining to the quiet Moon.



Monday, October 15, 2012

Home Again

I'm back home again after spending five weeks in Suffolk. Happily my son is recovering well and as long as he's sensible and does his physio exercises all should be well.

East Anglia is very flat so it's a marvellous place to see sunsets and sunrises. This was taken one evening from one of the lanes near my son's home.

Autumn is on its way but not as advanced as it is here a couple of hundred miles further north. In Suffolk there are still lots of wild flowers growing in the grass verges along the lanes.This pretty pink flower is field bindweed.

The hedgerows were thick with blackberries and they were really sweet too - I tested a good many during my daily walks:)

Suffolk and Norfolk are still very rural and the farming is largely arable. The farm next door to Neil and Cesca grows wheat, rape and sugar beet which is in the foreground of this photo. The fields further away have been recently harvested but not yet ploughed and I think it was wheat growing there.

The September Harvest Moon when it was new - a beautiful sight.

The huge acorns of the Turkey Oak with their long mossy bristles. It took me a while to discover what type of oak tree this is as I've never seen one before.

Shaggy Ink Cap mushrooms growing on the grass verge outside Neil's house.

I think these are White Bryony berries twining round the tree.

There were lots of lovely seedheads along the lanes,Cesca made a lovely arrangement using these and some Chinese Lanterns - I didn't think to take a photo of it though!

The highly poisonous but very beautiful berries of 'Lords and Ladies' - it's proper name is Arum maculatum and it's a common plant in the woods and hedgerows of England and Wales.

In the later part of my stay when Neil was able to walk a short distance we took the boys to Thornham Walks which has a lovely play area, lots of interesting woodland walks and plenty of places for Neil to sit and rest when he needed to. Gabriel and George love this Leaf Chair.

The local church is one of the round tower churches that are found almost exclusively in Norfolk and Suffolk.

Sadly St Andrew's was heavily 'restored' in the Victorian era so there is little of interest inside in spite of the fact that the tower and nave are Norman and there is mention of a church in this village in the Domesday Book. One of the few remaining medieval features is the 14th century piscina in the chancel.


This is the south aisle which had been recently decorated for Harvest Festival I think, this is by far the most attractive and interesting part of the church. On the left is the shaft and lower half of the bowl of the 15th century font which has now been replaced by a far less attractive modern version. Behind the font are the rood loft stairs. Since they start quite a way up the wall it rather looks as though either the floor levels have altered since the Reformation in the 16th century or, more likely in this case I think, there may have been a wooden stage giving access to the stairs.


There were two gravestones in the interior of the church one hidden by a piece of carpet, this one I found interesting as it is written entirely in Latin which seems to me to be quite unusual. My Latin is distinctly rusty but the grave is the final resting place of John Hobart born 3rd July 1605 and died in 1673. I rather think that his parents Sir John and Lady Barbara Hobart are buried in London in the church of St Botolph Bishopsgate - as it happens a great many of DH's ancestors are also buried there!

The view from my bedroom window - this was ploughed and harrowed during the time I was there and will now be sown probably with winter wheat. Hopefully I shall get round to commenting on blogs during this week and be back posting regularly. Thank you all so much for your concern and good wishes for Neil, it was greatly appreciated.

20 comments:

Lynda (Granny K) said...

Good to hear that Neil is going on well and that you are back with us in 'blogland'.

Diane said...

Gosh I hope he will be OK Rowan, I have thought about you often over the last few weeks. Your photos are very Autumnal and very lovely. xxxx

valerietilsten59.blogspot.com said...

Hello Dear Rowan,
Welcome back.. although I knew that we would see you sometime.
This is a lovely post. A very interesting part of England.The weather looks somewhat the same as we have here in the month of october.
I am so happy for you, that your son Neil is on his way to recovery and can now walk.. That must have been a shock to you all.
Thank you for sharing the church ..
val

Jan said...

Welcome back-so glad to hear that your son is recovering well. The pictures are lovely!

Unknown said...

Some lovely pictures on there and good to hear Neil is recovering well. Shame he isn't up in Sheffield when Sheffield United are at home. You'll be pleased to know I started reading to Kaitlyn about the planets and moon this evening - and they loved it. Going to be doing 'tree research' next year, identifying and logging all the African trees - starting with those on campus. Fun times ahead.

Dog Trot Farm said...

Rowan, I am so happy to read your son is making a complete recovery,remember, slow but sure wins the race! How nice to be of help and spend time with your grandchildren. Welcome back to the land of blogging, I have missed you and your lovely posts! Greetings, Julie.

Victoria said...

Yay..Welcome Back! ow..such totally stunning photos..such magical places and beautiful moments to treasure!
Thanks for always sharing such gorgeous adventures!
Hope your son is ok! Wishing you and yours the best always!
Blessings and Bright sparkles
Victoria

Roy said...

Good to hear that your Son is on the mind D.
You have obviously had a good taste of Norfolk and the blackberries.{:)

Mary said...

Phew! What a relief to have you back, and with good news of Neil's recovery. I was really concerned when I discovered about the accident.

Lovely, lovely pix Rowan - a beautiful part of England. I've never seen acorns like that either...... we are being inundated with gigantic ones this year - I have bumps on my head to prove it!

I'm trying to catch up with my overdue Australia posts - due to an unexpected health blip, I've been in the slow lane here for a few weeks!

Happy for Neil, you and the family - may all continue to get better for him each day.
Hugs - Mary

Rosie said...

Welcome back, Rowan! So glad to hear that your son is recovering well. You have taken some lovely seasonal photos whilst you've been away:)

WOL said...

Hope that Neil's recovery is short and complete. Welcome back.

Gracie said...

Glad to know everything is ok again, and thanks for the nice photos, as always.

Mac n' Janet said...

Rowan, missed your earlier post and wondered why you hadn't posted in a while, Sorry to hear about your son, but glad to hear he's doing better.
Welcome home!

Bovey Belle said...

Welcome home. I've been thinking of you and hoping that Neil was making a good recovery.

Lovely autumnal photos you have taken and shared with us. We have the distinctly soggy version this far west!

Jenny Woolf said...

Thank you for these lovely photos of one of my favourite counties. I am sorry that your trip was necessitated by your son's problems, but I am very glad that he sounds to be on the mend.

Witchcrafted Life said...

What beautiful glimpses of the UK in the fall - they whisk my memory straight back to the two years I spent living in Ireland immediately after Tony and I were married. Those blackberry brambles in particular evoke strong recollections.

Sending healing wishes to your son,
♥ Jessica

George said...

Glad to have you back, Rowan, and I really enjoyed these photos of East Anglia. I'm rather fascinated with the church with the round tower. I don't think I've ever come across one of those in my visits to the U.K. Glad to know your son is recovering well.

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

Fabulous photos. Our bindweed here is the brightest pure white - I like your pink version too. The blackberries are amazing - this year we had a low yield - not sure why, because we had plenty of rain in the beginning - but the berries never plumped up and got sweet. I didn't even get to taste one - thanks to a badly torn ligament in my left hip - kept me indoors most of the berry season.

The leaf seat is so darling, with the darling boys in it. Thanks for the tour of the church, I learn so much about your history from your blog.

Sarah Head said...

So pleased to hear Neil is doing well and you've been able to return home. Have been thinking of you all during your time away.

Nan said...

Such a wonderful post, with such excellent news! My gosh, he lives in a beautiful place. To see that out one's bedroom window - I just can't believe the beauty.