Friday 19 August 2016

Buildwas Abbey

I found this impressive ruin,  Buildwas Abbey a Cistercian Abbey, as I drove following the Satnav in an attempt to find Sunnycroft. The entrance to the site was via a short lane in a wooded setting above the South bank of the River Severn.  Parts of the ruin had fallen from the main structure and were kept in a locked damp underground storage area which I found a bit spooky because it felt more like a vault.  I was told by a curator auditing these stone ruins they were a source of interest  to thieves.  The chapter house had an impressive rib-vaulted ceiling. As I left the site I could not resist walking into a field to capture some of the harvested bales.

 
 




Thursday 18 August 2016

The Dingle, Shrewsbury

The Dingle can be found in the Quarry, a parkland in Shrewsbury. The Dingle was a former stone and clay quarry and today, it is a sunken landscaped garden. Between 1324 and 1588, it was known as the Wet or Water Quarry as it was liable to flood. The ornamental garden was first opened in 1879 and today it  is funded by the Shropshire Horticultural Society. The statue of the Goddess Sabrina was presented by the Earl of Bradford in 1879. Sabrina was a nymph who drowned in the River Severn. Beneath the statue is an inscription based on a poem by John Milton.