Exploring and a bit about Pembridge Castle

At breakfast, I checked out the little Monday auction and there were a few things that took my interest, and decided on a drive out later on.  The sun was shining and scarcely a cloud in the sky.  

Swans and cygnets on the lake at Llandod the other day.

It was nose to the grindstone before I left.  I made myself do a few jobs which had been hanging over me for far too long.  I got busy with the paintbrush in the guest bedroom and did the dado rail and the skirting board (I know - these should have been done before the papering, as they were on the first two walls).  Anyway, that's done and there's just a little bit of touching up on the walls (I'll wait until one of the girls is here) and I want to finally (after being here 4 years) hang some paintings, which will tone down the green a bit.  When it is finally finished, I will stage it and take some photos.

Then it was into my sewing room where I laid out and measured the last long side on a quilt which has been far too long in the making.  I sewed together two strips of lovely soft cotton batting (so much better than the hideous nylon stuff we used to have to use), and then sewed two strips of white backing, and pinned it together, ready to hand-quilt in the evenings.  

Then down to the kitchen, to make the pasta sauce for my evening meal before I left.  It's the work of minutes to chop an onion and some peppers and courgettes, and fry them up with a tin of chopped tomatoes added.  The other half will be a pizza topping tonight.

The separate belltower of Pembridge church, with wildflower meadow beside it, and below, a close up of the Yellow Rattle (now largely gone to seed) which is an indicator of ancient meadowland.

Below: I made sure I walked round to the South side of the church this time, to check out the castle remains (overgrown motte and bailey).  Here is the precis of the archaeological dig they did here.  The castle was originally held by the de Pembrugge family (Henry de Pembridge was disinherited after backing the wrong side at the Battle of Evesham - he backed de Montfort).  In 1265 it became part of the Mortimer estate and was largely used as a Dower house.  Mathilda (also known as Maud) de Braose, widow of Roger Mortimer, lived there following her husband's death. HERE is an excellent link about the history of Pembridge.

I got SO HOT walking from the auction up to get an ice cream and a cold drink at the lovely half timbered village store by the church, and sat on my coat on the grass, in a shady bit by a hedge in the auction car park, waiting for the couple of things I was interested in to come up.  I was the under bidder on one, and decided not to bid on another, and two other things I'd seen were 100 and 200 lots further on and it was already half past four (it doesn't start until 3.30) so I decided to take a different route home, via Gladestry, by Offa's Dyke and Hergest Ridge, so that I could check the church out . . .  That will be my next post.