Let Them Eat Cake

 

I had a sort out day yesterday.  I was determined to excavate the freezer, and it was just as well I did - a plastic container of chicken curry from 2021?  That was out the door onto the compost heap, along with some partly-used not-proper-food tofu pretend-chicken-in-breadcrumbs type meals that Emma had bought, so those were over a year old at least.  Not my sort of grub.  Anyway, in the sorting out I came across some grated carrot I had made up when I bought a big bag of carrots and they needed using before they had to be chucked.  So, grated to go in meals or in cakes. This called for a Carrot Cake - one with Honey Drizzle, recipe courtesy of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's book River Cottage Everyday.  I'm going to see my friend Pam today, and I always take them a cake as Pam doesn't bake.  Then it's Patchwork class.

The sorting out continued in the Utility room and I hoiked all the detritis out from the corner so I could get into what is the airing cupboard, but is full of camping stuff and odds and sods.  I needed to find my dehydrator, and did, along with the two books on dehydrating.  I found it, and there was a stack of old recipes and a floor plan of Ynyswen.  No good to me any more, but it has stayed for the moment, for memory's sake.  Then it all went back, minus a few things from the cupboard which can go to the charity shop.  The top shelf is stuffed with sleeping bags from our camping days.  Tam and I will decide their fate when she comes over next.  Dehydrator now all washed and ready to use.

I did get a shock though, going through the cupboard when I found an old well-worn Polo shirt of Keith's, which I had put there to be a polishing rag.  As I pulled it out, I burst into tears.  SO many memories of him wearing that - 100s of times.  He liked his polo shirts.  I was going to chuck it, but couldn't quite bring myself to.  Gabby said keep it for the moment, so it has gone in the wash.  

The opposite end of my stall at the weekend.  I would have thought that the painting of the dog would have sold straight away, it's so well painted, and an ancient note on the back states it is believed to be by Landseer's daughter.  A very talented artist, whoever it was.  On the windowsill you can just see the end of my spare fruit bowl.  I have two - and the other is a lovely riveted copper Art & Crafts bowl which is staying.  This wooden one is made of Jackfruit wood and has a lovely patina.  Below - I found a photo of the windowsill I took.  You can see it properly here. It didn't sell so is now back on the dairy table in the kitchen until the next Fair.  I wish the lovely galloping horse coat rack would sell as the mane and tail catch in my clothing every time I manhandle it. The French ship's light is one of two that went in the tall cupboard in the utility "out of the way" and forgotten about.  It's gone back there now!

I was so fed up of having a dressing on my finger by yesterday, but the edges of the cut were lifting and I was wary of catching them on something and ripping it open again.  I got some scissors and trimmed the edge, and then it lifted more and I gently got the whole top layer of skin off as new skin had formed beneath it.  Now I am dressing free but will be careful not to knock it as the new skin still a bit soft and vulnerable.  I was able to have a bath without wearing a washing up glove last night.  Triumph!

Anyway, 7.30 a.m. now so time for some breakfast.  Have a good day.

The Quiet Rhythm of Summer Days

 

Isn't this gorgeous?  It's called Princess Diana.  Perhaps my favourite amongst my Clematis plants.  They have all benefitted from a good feed of special Clematis feed this year.

The beautiful wild Mullein in the yard - I don't know how I thought it was a Hollyhock the other day as the leaves are nothing like!!!  Silly mare.

I am picking cherry tomatoes just about every day now.  Here is the first Cucumber too.  A Ridge sort, but grown in the greenhouse.  I have another (Telegraph) growing well and lots of babies.  Just found out I can use Tomato feed for the Cucumbers (AND the runner beans) so will be trotting round with that shortly.  Beans fed/watered.  Roses out back deadheaded - Belle de Crecy did exceptionally well too.  Lavatera flowering its socks off.

Raspberries still coming out of my ears.  Even a brilliant year for the wild ones and this was one picking of wild ones from up on the bank!  I like free food.

Main crop.  I have frozen them for the moment but need to gird my loins and go into the Utility room cupboard - which means moving LOTS of stuff which has been Bunged in the Corner, so I can open the door.  I remember putting my dehumidifier in there and want to try my hand at fruit leathers. UPDATE: I've been good and had a clear out and found the dehydrator.  A bit less dross in the cupboard but lots of camping stuff I don't need, and Tam's food processor and steam cleaner, which I also don't need . . .  It's cheered me up no end to do a job that really has needed doing for ages.  I've been into the corner to look for stock, but now know what I have in a box there and that can go next time - it's been there about 3 years (covered over with detritus.)

I got given some courgettes, and had tomatoes to use up so threw together a pizza sauce and made 4 individual pizzas for the freezer.  One, the mince one below, used up a couple of spoonfuls of mince and onion and made a very tasty tea with some Hunter beans.  Cost - about a pound for all four I should think. Biggest expense the cheese grated on top.

I had a walk in the cool by the River Wye yesterday, down on the Groe in town (park).  Umbellifers and the soft blue-purple of Tufted Vetch, perhaps my favourite wild flower (if only for the colour).

These summer days pass by slowly, and I dead head roses and cut back the Hardy Geraniums when they are down to one flower per stem, hoping for another flowering.  I am going to have a slow walk up the hill (it's hot already) and see if there are lots of wild raspberries on the canes where the lane splits.  Waste not, want not.

Lots of butterflies about - only one or two of each sort but I have had Small Tortoiseshells, Ringlets, Red Admirals, lots of small Whites, Meadow Browns, a Peacock.  Several big dragonflies too, over the pond.

No bats last night - I tucked a towel under each doorway to make sure that they couldn't creep under and into the towel. I haven't seen the Hornets flying around lately but doubt they have gone away.  I think they may nest under the roof slates too. 

The badger(s) returned and there were dead red-tailed bumblebees by the entrance to their nest, so they must have been successful on Sunday night.  Such a shame, but I guess they have to eat.

Isn't this cute?  Part of a bigger embroidery.  May try this for a little picture for Rosie.

I finished Elly Griffith's The Frozen People last night.  I think she struggled a bit with this - it certainly doesn't flow like her books about Dr Ruth Galloway (nice to have the archaeology link too).  We will see if Ali Dawson is her new heroine, and where she may time-travel next . . .

It was a three bat night . . .

 When I pulled the landing curtains, one nearly-dead one fell out. Then I noticed another two steps away on the stairs. I fetched a small towel and scooped them up and let them out of the window.  One fell and didn't move so that must have been the one from the curtains.  As I came into the top hall again, dang me, there was another one by the mirror.  I scooped that one up but it wouldn't let go of the towel.  So I hung the towel out and shut the window.  It's still hanging there (batless) so I had better retrieve it.  Tam, when told, thought she had left just in time!!  One bat is one bat too many.  She also thinks there is one in the sink of the bath as it wouldn't empty properly when she had her shower yesterday.  I need to put eco drain unblocker down the sink so shall do the same with the bath in a moment.

I have a load of washing to hang up now, then I will finish the recycling and take it along to the end of the track. Then 2nd load of washing to go on whilst it's dry and windy.  I will do a walk today as it's cooler and pollen levels lower now, though the strong breeze will blow around what pollen there is.

It was lovely having Tam, Jon and Rosie here for the weekend.  We all went up to the little sports afternoon at Maesmynis, and met a few neighbours.  They had an ice cream van in attendance and everyone dutifully bought an ice cream.  I had one with white chocolate - gosh it was huge!  Rosie benefitted from us all of course :)

I have just persuaded the one tendril of rampant clematis Montana rubens to climb up the rose arch, so that's three I have starting to grow over it.  In a couple of years it will be smothered.  More raspberries to pick today, and I have to dig up a David Austin rose which has barely grown in the 4 years it has been planted on the bank, so is clearly very unhappy about its position - all rocks underneath I suspect.  I collared Jon to dig me a new home for it on the bank.  Whilst we were doing so I noticed that there was a little Badger track and a hole dug - trying to get to a colony of red-tailed bumblebees, who were in evidence.  Half a dozen flying around but not aggressively, just guarding their territory.  They are under a brick and rubble, so haven't been dug right out by the Badgers yet.  I need to get my strimmer back from Tam so I can cut the grass properly in that area of the bank, and try and keep it tidy.  

Sorry, slightly blurred, but you get the idea.

These are what I ordered when I joined the Mortimer Society.  The book covers all that interests me in churches in our area.  I can recommend it.

There are three other volumes to add to this.  I also get the latest one as part of my membership.  The articles are very readable and I am slowly learning about the Mortimers and other Marcher Lords.  The prize winning essays are submitted by the likes of the Assistant Professor of Medieval Irish and English History at Trinity College, Dublin . . .  Of course, they have access to learned papers, medieval documents etc that I don't, and so anything I research and write will be on a much lesser level.  I will try to get something down on paper though, even if I never submit it.  I was reading articles from these on Saturday at the Fair, although to be honest, there was a steady flow of potential customers all day long.  

Right, this won't do.  Onwards and upwards.  I'd best get that towel that's hanging out of the window in case neighbours think it's a cry for help!

I appear to have lost a bat . . . and photos from the Fair

 The flying sort that is.  When it gets really hot up in the attic (which is a usable space and storage area for me) bats manage to squeeze out from under the roof tiles where they have a brood roost each summer, getting too hot for comfort, and so far this week we have had two baby bats (who didn't make it, though I put them outside - too small to fly) and last night an adult.  That's been rattling round a couple of nights as Jon said he could hear the girls hurtling up and down the hall all night on Friday, in hot pursuit of it.  I saw it last night but it got off the carpet and flew up by the bookcases, then behind a pipe and the girls lost interest.  It's not there this morning and can't find a corpse.  It will doubtless turn up again tonight.  UPDATE:  I found it, in the sink - when I poured out the washing up water it began swimming round, so I rescued it and put it outside under some dark bushes.  I mean - I should have thought SINK!! straight away really . . .

The Fair was busy yesterday, and an old dealer friend has the stall opposite me now.  He has small pieces of lovely antique furniture and had a really good day (no-one else selling furniture).  His little coffer bach was soon snapped up by some old customers of mine from the days when Keith and I did the Botanic Gardens every month.  They came over for a natter and it was lovely to see them again. 

Some old friends amongst the stock there too.  The Indian temple toy (behind the Sylvac bunnies, also pre-Covid) is one that Keith got me to buy when I was about to walk away as the dealer wouldn't drop his price.  It was £60 and I shall be lucky to get my money back, though it's quite rare.  I shall probably E-bay it to move it on.  People like the Sylvac bunnies but it's the three p's - pick up, put down and push off.  The little butter stamp is a gorgeous one that I have had on my dresser for many years, but being practical, I don't need it and can live without it. Ditto the dark figure next to it which is a Victorian match-holder from my mantlepiece.  I had hoped it was bronze but it's cast iron. It is a copy of a bronze sculpture of a Dieppe fisherwoman with a wicker creel on her back and very detailed.  I have put the Foxglove picture out to sell as it annoyed me (!) and it balances out the red and pink flowers on the Provencal jug which, because it is damaged, no-one wants.  If it wasn't damaged it would be a big chunk of money and not with me!  I am happy to keep it as it is so beautiful.  

A lovely stand, one of the ones downstairs.
 

This tattered old quilt is on a friend's stand, used as a backdrop.  Paisley and all hand-sewn but in shreds on the back. Definitely shabby-chic!

This is the same stand, above and below.  Beth has lovely taste and a good eye for layout.

On paper, financially doing this Fair is pretty well a waste of time.  I make only a little over what it costs me to do it (£30 or £40) but from a social point of view I am amongst our friends.  People who remember Keith fondly ("he was so cheeky") and we chat about what's on our stalls and I am away from my four walls which, lovely though they are, need escaping from sometimes.

Anyway, this won't do.  I am Rosie sitting and later on have to unload the car.  Have a good Sunday.

Hope you enjoyed the walk around the Fair.

Did you hear me scream?

 I got the car back this morning and went straight to Llandod to do my grocery shopping - fridge bare and family arriving tonight. Tesco had clear storage boxes on offer, so I bought one and decanted some of the old jugs in it.  There are still two big boxes from my dresser at Ynyswen, up in the attic, and I really should have a cull of the dresser top ones here. Easier to carry having smaller boxes. Then when I got back I began to load the car - I was up at 5.15 again so had plenty of time to sort out what was going, just after breakfast.  Lots of old things from Ynyswen (and released from imprisonment in the attic these past 4 yrs), stuff popular 15 years ago but now coming back into style again!  Old stock too and a couple of newer things I've bought recently.  I was a bit shocked by how much I still have to clear (and because of Covid we had 2 years where we couldn't even put it in auction).  Below: there are jugs behind the front row too.

I polished the big 1 gallon copper harvester jug - one which dressed the kitchen at Ynyswen.  I truly have no room for it here as it could only go in the kitchen and that is already crammed.  It was last checked by Weights and Measures back in the 50s as it has ER stamped to replace the previous GR.  There are two earlier ovals where the lead was melted off, so it would have started life back in Victorian times.  They first had Imperial measure stamps in 1836, just before Victoria ascended the throne, and then in 1879 it was made properly official and measures like this, which would have been used in a pub for beer or cider, had to be stamped as legal measure, and then checked again down the years and restamped.  Lord knows what I paid for it all those years ago, but it will show a profit now!

The colours are actually bolder than this and I like it.

I have decided that the Foxgloves picture is going.  When I put it up on the mantlepiece it soon began to annoy me as the Foxgloves were dotted about like Chickenpox, and not growing close together in groups, as they are wont to do.  So I have put up a nice little oil of pine trees, with a soft patchwork of fields behind it, and this is more pleasing.

So, this afternoon I have been going flat out in the kitchen.  Having had to pay £200 out of my current account for the car, things were looking threadbare as I don't like it down below a certain level although it will look healthier when my pension goes in on Monday.  My food shop was the bare minimum and at the speed prices are going up for meat, I shall soon be going veggie at this rate.  Mince has shot up in price - nearly the same price as rump steak!

So, I set to with some mince I had already defrosted (a pack to replace it was the only meat I bought this week).  I browned it off, ditto some onions, and one portion is the topping for a home-made pizza tonight, and the other portion went with onion, rice, mushrooms*, mixed peppers*, mixed vegetables* (* all from freezer) and Cajun Spice and Worcs Sauce to make Cajun Dirty Rice - plenty for all of us.  I also got a small tub of home made pasta sauce out of the freezer and that is the topping for the other pizza.

I boiled up a bag of new potatoes too.  Then went into the garden and got a picking of Rhubarb, past its best, but will cook up into a crumble nicely.  That's stewed up now.

I also made Raspberry Muffins with most of the Raspberries I hadn't frozen and they will be gorgeous.  I can take a couple as part of my lunch tomorrow.  As I still have some stewed apple I defrosted earlier in the week I am going to quickly throw together an Apple Gingerbread cake for puddings.  Good to see a little room in the freezer - there will be a lot more as I intend to eat my way through the contents before buying more.  Must save some money so I can pay off the chunk I put on my credit card paying for the heating oil.  It's a balancing act.

Then I went outside to move the car.  It wouldn't start.   I couldn't believe it - a new starter motor and it wouldn't START!  It was turning over but that was all.  In a panic I phoned the garage and the boss came out with his gofer and they checked it - would you believe it started first time?!!!  I was mortified and apologised profusely.  Don't know why it didn't start but perhaps I am having one of those days as I went to pour some water out of a bowl earlier and picked up a fork and tried to pour from that, not the bowl!

Family here later, so I had better dry all the washing up and make the cake.  Have a good weekend.

A day in Llandeilo

 

The view from the Bandstand up in Llandeilo park.

I haven't heard from the garage yet.  She knows I am desperate for it as I have the Fair tomorrow.  They'd got it on the ramps on Wednesday, presumably taking the old starter motor off, then they had to wait to get the new one - hopefully delivered yesterday.  Fingers x'd.  I will get the boxes sorted this morning and ready to load later.  I have to do a grocery shop too as Tam and Jon and Rosie here tonight and over the weekend and we need some edibles in for them.  I will try and make a batch of Raspberry Muffins too (they are scrummy) to use up some of my bounty.  Rest in freezer.  Rosie made inroads into them though!  and the wild strawberries.  

She's a funny little soul, and can be a fussy eater, but when she likes something she stuffs it down.  We went to Llandeilo yesterday as Tam had the Dentist for a checkup.  She (Rosie not Tam!) had a melt-down in the toy shop.  I needed to buy a birthday present for one of Tam and Jon's friend's little girl, who I know quite well.  Rosie didn't want to go out of the confines of the car seat straight into her "child restraint" reins!!  But Llandeilo has very narrow pavements and lots of busy and large traffic as there is no by-pass, so no option.  We sat in the little garden end (with seats) of the churchyard on this side of Rhosmaen Street, but the wall on the road/pavement side is just a sheer drop and no built up wall so we were constantly fielding her going over that way.  Lunch was - me, Lemon tart - an underwhelming one.  Tam and Rosie had a lamb and mint pasty and a slice of cherry and rhubarb cake. Rosie had double handfuls of the pasty - she's a pastry gal - and loved the cake too.  When we got home later, Tam prepared half an avocado for her - nope, didn't want - but when Tam added garlic and had it on crusty toast, Rosie ate half a slice!

Large ceramic Fallow deer in one of the craft galleries in Llandeilo.  It's got quite trendy these days.  Lots of individual traders.

Anyway, we decided that Rosie and I would have some free-range time up by the Bandstand in the park, so we walked up there whilst Tam was in the surgery.  Rosie loved it and it was very peaceful.  The acoustics of the grandstand were amazing and I was playing around singing scales (badly!) when I suddenly noticed a couple had sat down below us on the bank, and well within earshot!  Ooops!!!  We had ice cream on the way back - great shop in Llandeilo.  We both had the Mango and Tropical one and they were HUGE and really good value for £3.20.  Poor Pam paid £4.50 for an ordinary Mr Whippee at Malvern (captive audience).  Rosie of course, was like a little bird with her mouth permanently gaping for more ice cream :)   She did make me laugh when it was time for them to go home.  Tam had popped her in the front seat whilst she loaded the boot up, and Rosie was stood up "driving", using indicators and pressing buttons and going Brrmmm-Brrmmm!!!  My goodness, that child doesn't miss a trick :)

By the same artist I imagine, a Park White cow and calf - these are to be found at Dinefwr Castle, in the parkland there.

A gorgeous owl too.

Tam, Jon and Rosie are here for the weekend as they are meeting up with their friend Sean and his lovely American wife, and their little girl (whose first birthday it is).  There is a little birthday celebration at their house near Hay.

Sorry, you can't see it very clearly, but I loved this painting.  The row of houses is the bottom of the hill Llandeilo, as it goes into Ffairfach, but they've made it like a harbour with boats.  Beautifully painted.

Well, this won't do.  I am waking at 5.15 every morning recently, so as I have been up early, time to use that extra time and get stuff sorted out for tomorrow.  Plus a meal for tea for us all tonight.  Have a good weekend, all.  Here's another one of Rosie and her Gram . . .

I CAN FLY!!

 Saw the GP this afternoon and asked if being on Apixaban would stop me flying, and said I had been planning to go to NZ.  He said nope, you can fly anywhere without any risk of blood clots . . .  What a relief!  Have to finish the course of antibiotics and wait for the blood test results from today to come back and then I will need an ECG.  Got the nurse to take my dressing off and then I came back and soaked the sticky strips off and just have a good plaster on it now.  I cancelled tomorrow's early appt. at the MIU at Llandod.  Had to, as I my car decided it wouldn't start when I nipped up to Co-op this morning for some apples and a cucumber.  I had to call out Green Flag, who checked it and pronounced a dead starter motor, and bump started it and followed me to the garage where I pleaded them to fit it in as I was going to a Fair on Saturday.  Despite dire prognosications of them being flat out and having no room but they would "try",  it was on the ramps when Gabby and I drove past so I hope it will be finished tomorrow.  It is clearly getting to the stage where I need to think about changing it, but since half of the components are now new I will hold fire a little longer. Still waiting for the £7,000 the Tax Office owe me . . . That would buy the replacement.

For some reason we always called this nickie-noses when the kids ere little - she really scrunched mine!!  LOVE her to bits.

A satisfying day

 I was good yesterday and rested.  I decided to go to the Library in the morning, and got these books.  I had put in a request for the Elly Griffiths last time but forgotten about that.  It was cool enough to sit out in the garden and read.

Some ideas for Tam in the Toddler meals book, and I got the Eppynt book out again, as I want to dip into it further.

I'm enjoying this.

These are my personal books.  The churches book is very good and has lots of markers in it for churches I plan to go to.  In my Mortimer/marcher lords research I went off on a tangent when I was focusing on the Templar church at Garway, and am going to have a jaunt soon to take in Skenfrith/White Castle/Grosmont castles/churches, as well as Orcop, Llanrothel and Michaelchurch.  The latter two churches I have not visited yet and it's years since Keith and I stopped at Orcop. I will visit Garway again as they are all in the same area. I spent several hours doing research yesterday.  

I have joined the Mortimer History Society and need to order a couple of their MHS Journals.  I've put in an order anyway for the two most recent ones. I also went to Abebooks to find the cheapest edition of "Decorated in Glory: Church Building in Herefordshire in the 14th C" by Nigel Saul.  Had to be done - this book will be a really interesting addition to my Library.  I will try and be good and get rid of some other books apart from the ones on Lace Making and Tablet Weaving which are going to the Charity Shop this week.  I need to harden my heart and get rid of lots more.

This is the raspberry harvest - I picked solidly for 20 minutes. It reminded me of my soft fruit patch at Ynyswen which grew prolifically. I will confess to not staking and wiring my raspberries, but even so was amazed to go up there for the first time in a week and find that the canes were bowed half way to the ground with the weight of the fruit.  I came indoors with my nose running, despite my prescription anti-histamines as the waist high grass surrounding them was the sort I am most allergic to the pollen of. . .  I will try and remedy that next year with cardboard and grass clippings.  I need to go to the garden centre for stakes but hopefully will be able to do that on the way back from going to Llandeilo with Tam and Rosie tomorrow.  She has the dentist so I have to keep Rosie entertained.  There's a garden centre near Llandovery.

One of those lucky days - not much of a challenge!

My new neighbour came round and we had a good natter.  My brain seems to be functioning again and I surprised myself at how erudite I was!! He bought me some salad from his garden, and I had some for a late lunch.  The brightly coloured Nasturtium flowers formed part of the meal - not eaten them before, and they were a nice addition.  Looked lovely on the plate. I have the courgette he bought to use for a meal this week, and the huge Blackcurrants went into the first baking I've done for a couple of weeks - Apple, Almond and Blackcurrant muffins.  

Here's the recipe:

This mixture made ten muffins and I had to add a little milk as the almonds made the batter drier than usual.  The sharpness of the blackcurrants is lovely.  I had one last night to test them (!) and took 3 down to my neighbour as a thankyou, and had one for breakfast.  They are scrummy.

Just as I was coming back into the yard from putting the plate of cakes down at his cottage, I heard hooves so turned round and a farmer on a lovely chestnut roan Section C mare came up the track and stopped to talk.  We had a really lovely chat.  He was breaking the little mare in and giving her a chance to see some traffic.  He was from the next village over, and was going back up over Moelfre, the REALLY steep hill behind us.  The mare was in a muck sweat already so she will have been glad to get home.

So all in all a really nice day.  Now I need to make the bed up fresh and hang out the bedding I've just washed.  Then round with the vacuum as it's cat hair central here with them moulting at the moment.

The Priory church of St Mary, Abergavenny - Part I

 Well, I survived the night but do not feel at my best and came downstairs at 5.30 feeling hot.  I have a handful of pills to take at breakfast time - antibiotic, antihistamine, blood thinners, Vit. D, etc.  Good point is my lungs don't feel clogged (managed to get two a/b's down me yesterday, one at teatime and one before bed, and they are 3 a day.   Hopefully I will feel a bit more with it tomorrow when Tam and Rosie arrive, though "Aunty" Gabs will be here to hold the fort too.  She sent me a link which showed that AFib can be caused by a bad infection and then go.  We will see.

A nice Berlin wool work picture from Malvern

I got my paper earlier and a loaf of good granary bread from the bakers.  I only get a paper on Tuesday and Saturday and may give those up.  My appetite is back (boohoo) and I succombed to an apple turnover full of cream and fruit.  In my defence, for four days I hardly ate a thing and my body was saying it needed apple turnover today!!

There are no photos of the outside, as a wedding was about to take place and there were guests milling around.  I had to be quick inside too.  I will go again and stay longer and walk right round outside.  It truly is a splendid church and historically very important.  The focus is on the unique and iconic 15th C wooden Jesse figure (originally part of the Reredos behind the main altar where it would have been a full Tree of Jesse) which is truly amazing and survived the Reformation because of the Priory Church's strong Tudor links. Yet the important collection of alabaster and stone tombs in the Herbert chapel take some beating too.  

This Grade I listed building was founded in the late 1080s/early 1090s by the first Anglo-Norman Lord of Abergavenny, Hamelin de Ballon, who also held Abergavenny Castle.  It was almost certainly a Romano-Celtic place of worship so the line of continuity is vast. It has been called the "Westminster Abbey of Wales" due to its size, and the many high-status tombs within it.  Marcher Lords associated with it were the de Braose, Hastings and Herbert families.  The priory buildings were to the South of the cruciform-shape church, and the Tithe barn remains (Grade II* listed) and is now a restaurant.

It was through the donations of William de Braose in the late 12th C that the Priory grew to house 13 monks.  However, fast forward to the early 14th C and the monks have dwindled to 5 and they were Rather Naughty Monks at that, given to "leaving the cloister, gambling, breaking the fast and trying with women" My thanks to the Ancient and Medieval Architecture page which is worth visiting.  I love the way simple facts like these bring history alive.  The then Prior, one Fulk Gastard, was accused of perjury and fled with as much of the Priory's valuables as he could get his hands on . . .  I bet that got the gossips going!

There was a disastrous fire in 1403 during the Welsh rebellions led by Owain Glyndwr, losing all its fire-perishable documents and books and valuables. It remained ruinous until 1428, when Pope Martin V gave monies for it to be rebuilt.  

Like Tewkesbury, strong links to the Tudor crown meant that it became the parish church rather than being at the mercy of the Reformation.  Thank heavens for that.

The unusual Norman font - I don't recall seeing that rope twist design on a font before, or the looped border above it.  It is believed to have originated from another church. The base is later - from when it was restored in 1897.

Large brass lecturn and pulpit behind.

"

This is the unusual carved wooden effigy of Sir John de Hastings, 1287 - 1325.  He is believed to have been responsible for the priory's 14th C rebuilding. The base of the tomb chest with the niches filled with sculptures of his relations.  T J Hughes, in his excellent book, "Wales' Best 100 Churches", says this of him:  He was "one of those Border lords who had to ride the sudden moods and shifts of power under Edward I. He took the surrender of Llewellyn Bren, and was part of the force that laid waste to Glamorgan in the effort to destroy the base of Hugh le Despenser."

The side chapel with the Jesse figure, which is just superb.

The beautiful stained glass window behind the Jesse carving. Here is what the church web page has to say:  The figure lies below a 21st century stained glass window, depicting the descendants of Jesse to Mary and Christ, with Welsh saints featured in the tracery. Designed by Helen Whittaker, it was made in memory of the late Very Revd Jeremy Winston, vicar of Abergavenny for 18 years, and installed and dedicated in 2016. It is probably the most important stained glass window created for a church in Wales for over 70 years.

I'm not sure who these are the effigies of - it was difficult to get close enough to take a decent picture because of furniture in the way.

Well, here endeth today's lecture.  For those who aren't so interested in history, (scant!!) apologies - but where would we be without history?  Buildings would have no meaning, no interest, no intellectual integrity, but would be just walls, windows, rooves and doors.  Prehistory would just be rocks, not links with our past and imbued with meaning, and the people of the past would disappear as if they never existed. History is after all, about people and what they did. We need history, as it brings the past alive, and we need to learn from it (present Prime Minister please take note)

Well, in "taking it easy" today, I shall now return to the long list of video links given by the Mortimer History Society.  Tam has faithfully sent me the heads up for the next Mortimer Society Essay competition and is encouraging me to get going and enter.  (This on the principal that I have a good brain and should be using it and my BA Dissertation won a good prize.) I have no real excuse this year but need to get my angle on what to tackle.