A February Visit to Bodiam Castle

We decided to visit Bodiam Castle on a bright February morning. I had incorrectly thought the castle is in Kent and could not figure out why it took us so long to drive there. Turns out Bodiam is in East Sussex and closer to Hastings than Dartford, so that explains it. I love castles, so much so that I have a dedicated label on this blog especially for all my castle-hopping adventures. I prefer ruined castles slightly over intact castles and Bodiam is a very fine example of a moated-castle ruin.

Bodiam Castle was built in 1385 by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge. England was in the midst of the 100 Year War and Sir Edward built the castle (with the permission of Richard II) with the aim of protecting the area of East Sussex from a possible French invasion.

Unlike many castles in Britain, Bodiam was both completed and inhabited. It is reported that the Dalyngrigge lived in the castle for several generations before the male heir line died out and the castle passed by marriage to the Lewknor family.

By 1483, almost a century after the castle was built, Richard III of the House of York became king. Sir Thomas Lewknor had supported the House of Lancaster in the War of the Roses and so a force was sent to Bodiam and the castle surrendered. The castle was confiscated and only returned to the Lewknors when Henry VII of the House of Lancaster became king in 1485.

The Lewknor family owned the castle until the 16th century and by the start of the English Civil War, was in possession of Lord Thanet, a descendant of the Lewknors. Lord Thanet was a keen Royalist and he was forced to sell the castle to pay for fines brought against him following the Parliamentarian victory.

Bodiam Castle was purchased but dismantled and left to fall into ruin. It is only through the work of John Fuller (who bought the castle in 1829), George Cubitt and Lord Curzon that vital restoration work was carried out on the castle to deliver the ruin we know today. Lord Curzon left Bodiam Castle to The National Trust on his death in 1925 and the ruin has been open to the public since.

Bodiam Castle is unusual in that there was no keep built in the castle. Instead the castle was built in a simple quadrangle with chambers situated along the outer defensive walls and inner courts. A circular drum tower is located at each of the four corners of the castle and square central towers are located in the middle of three of four sides.

All of the towers are topped by defensive crenellations which highlight the castle’s defensive intent.

There are arrow loops in the walls and towers of the castle and impressive views of the surrounding countryside. The well in the castle has been preserved and possibly provided water for the castle inhabitants. They certainly weren’t using the moat as a water source for it is believed that is where waste water from the castle was diverted!

We were very lucky because the dark clouds that covered the sky for much of our visit did not break. It was also slightly warm in the sunshine but colder in the shade. By the time we exited to the castle to admire the sculptures, the sky was blue and the promise of spring was near!

Bodiam Castle
Bodiam, near Robertsbridge
East Sussex
TN32 5UA

Prices vary from £10 per adult and £5 per child off-peak. Click the link above for details.

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I was chatting with my Mum the other day and she complained that I don't post often enough here. I've always been a bit shy of posting too often. What do you think? Should I post more often here?

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A Visit to Illuminate - The Tonbridge Winter Light Trail

Seasons greetings! It's the most wonderful time of the year. Christmas is over for another year and we have a week between Christmas and New Year to relax. If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, short days and long, dark nights provide the perfect setting for bright lights and illuminations. This year, we headed to Tonbridge Castle in Kent to visit their magical winter light trail.

The last time we visited Tonbridge Castle was during the lockdown of 2021. I was delighted to see how the castle was transformed by light and sound on this very cold winter night.

The trail leads you around the ground at the foot of the gatehouse where you can see disco balls and fields of lights that change colours in time to music.

There were illuminations projected against the gatehouse and the ruined walls.

We followed the path down past this field of electric tulips to the river walk.

These glowing orbs constantly changed colour too.

As we exited from the tall arched walkway, I turned back and spotted these friends chatting. I couldn’t resist taking a photo – they were lucky to find themselves alone under the lights – it had been packed with people moments before.

A short walk later and we found a stall to serve us Baileys Hot Chocolate. It was delicious and a treat to warm up our hands and bodies.

We continued to follow the path past yarn-bombed trees, magical toadstools and floating jellyfish before meeting this handsome dragon. As we exited the trail, we headed for the food stalls to grab some bratwurst and churros to round off a perfect winter evening.

@mandyist A visit to the Illuminate Winter Lights Trail at Tonbridge Castle #winterlights #winterlights2023 #winterlightsfestival #winterlightsfestival2023 #tonbridgecastle #illumination #illuminations ♬ Tubular Bells - Pt. I - Mike Oldfield

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An Afternoon at the Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival

Every summer, in early July, the Royal Horticultural Society presents a celebration of gardens and flowers at the Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival. It's a magical collection and I jumped at the chance to catch up with my friend Bonny when she invited me to go.

We met bright and early on Saturday morning at Hampton Wick rail station and walked down Kingston Road and Hampton Court Road to Hampton Court Palace. On arrival, we pottered around the craft market and then made our way to the Floral Marquee where we saw the most divine array of flowers and plants.

The Floral Marquee at the Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival

Lilies

I took a long time to admire the lilies. I sadly can’t have lilies in my house as they are toxic to cats but I do like to admire them when I can.

Fuchsias

Fuchsias are one of my favourite flowers and will be the next purchase I make for my fledgling garden. My father was an incredible gardener but I am not and can count the number of plants I’ve kept alive in my garden (currently 18 with 3 cat mint plants in a critical condition due to every cat in the neighbourhood rubbing up against them).

Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea grew everywhere in Johannesburg. I miss the flora of South Africa a lot.

Dahlias

One of my favourite cousins is called Dahlia and I just love their spiky petals.

Alliums

I only discovered alliums this year but I enjoy looking out for them now.

Dahlia varieties

I never knew there were so many varieties of dahlias.

As you pass through, ask yourself, how do you feel today?

Clematis

Also known as Italian leather flowers for their big floppy petals.

Baby Sage

Also known as Salvia. I like these flowers a lot and think I will add them to my garden too.

A Break for Lunch and Pimms

It was hot and humid in the Floral Marquee and we stopped to enjoy a glass of Pimms and some lunch in the outdoor eating area. We were lucky to get a table and even luckier to do so undercover because it soon started pouring with rain. We met a fascinating couple who had travelled down from Yorkshire for the festival and who told us all about their lives, grandchildren and travels abroad.

The minute it stopped raining, we took the chance to admire the glorious show gardens. These were my favourite sights.

Show Gardens at the Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival

RHS Resilient Garden by designer Tom Massey

Oh, how I wish my garden was big enough to feature a walkways leading over a pond.

I coveted this giant apple sculpture a lot.

The Lunar Garden by designer Queenie Chan

I loved Queenie Chan’s homage to the Moon.

I loved this giant bee sculpture, dedicated to our bee population in the United Kingdom, although I did mistake it for a giant ant at first!

The Landform Mental Wealth Garden by designer Nicola Hale

This is my idea of a perfect garden layout with shade, seating and abundant greenery. I hope Ms Hale doesn’t mind if I use this as a blueprint for the future design of my garden.

Festival of Roses at the Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival

You can't visit the Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival without seeing the exquisite Festival of Roses. This small marquee featured scores of different rose varieties including several prize winner. It is not surprising that it was so busy!

Roses are my favourite of all flowers and I love the scent of them. Two of my plants are climbing roses and I’m delighted to say that Rose no 2 began to climb this year after a very reserved first year.

A Long, Beautiful Summer Day

It was a long, beautiful summer day out in London and to be honest, I’m glad it rained as it cooled down and otherwise hot and humid day. We arrived early in the morning and were among the last to leave in the evening and managed to walk over 18,000 steps by the time we got home.

Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival
East Molesey
Surrey
KT8 9AU

Booking opens in Autumn of each year. Our Saturday tickets cost £36.85. Entrance on Thursday and Friday was £28.85 for the public and RHS members pay £23.85 for weekday tickets and £31.85 for weekend tickets.

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I cannot believe this is only my third post of 2023. This year has not gone the way that I anticipated and I am trying my best to slow things down. In addition to being busy, I struggled to find my muse. I’m going to try my best to start posting on a schedule again but I also might dig into my archives and try tempt my muse into creating some exciting posts.

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A Sunday Morning in Corfe Castle

I'm full of British wanderlust today. I just want to find a little village and explore, take photos and eat cake to my heart's content. It'll be a little while before I can do that, so I'm reminiscing about one of my recent trips instead.

The day after the Bournemouth Air Festival, we decided to take a drive along the coast towards Tyneham (I think you're going to love my next post!)

Our first stop was the Dorset village of Corfe Castle where the ruin of Corfe Castle is located. I've wanted to visit this tiny village for years, since our trips to Cornwall and Lyme Regis, and I'm so glad we finally did so.

We parked off the A351 (exact details at the bottom of the post) and walked up the path past the ruin. We decided not to go inside on this occasion because Corfe Castle was not our final destination that morning but I'd love to visit again one day. We were blessed with wonderful weather for early September, it really did feel like summer was endless this year.

The village is so picturesque, with stone cottages and quaint shops.

We hadn't had breakfast yet that morning so we stopped off at the Village Bakery for coffee and Chelsea buns. We don't often find Chelsea buns that we like - they are huge in Johannesburg with just the right mix of cinnamon and icing - but these were yummy!

After our much-needed snack, it was time to carry on exploring. We left the square and walked past the St Edward King & Martyr Church...

... taking the opportunity to appreciate the views of the castle from the beer garden of the Bankes Arms ...

... before arriving at Corfe Castle Rail Station.

The rail station is a delightful step back in time, splendidly preserved with a nod back to the golden age of rail travel. The station opened in 1885 but was closed and very nearly demolished in the 1970s. It is a privilege to see it so lovingly restored today.

"From our picturesque station ideally located for the village you can catch the Swanage Railway trains to Harmans Cross and Swanage, as well as trains heading north to the Park & Ride facility and mining museum at Norden" - Swanage Railway website

The Swanage Railway Museum is located in the old Goods Yard at Corfe station and is open every day that trains are running through the station. You can check the monthly timetable here.

The station ticket office was absolutely charming and full of nostalgia, from the fireplace to the posters to the wooden bench. The ladies waiting area is located just off the ticket office.

We took the foot bridge over the tracks to the other platform. The view of Corfe Castle from the bridge is just incredible.

Located behind the platform to Swanage is the Boilerhouse Gallery, celebrating the work of local Purbeck artists.

All too soon, it was time to go and we took a long walk back to the parking area which really was conveniently located (and free!) as there is no parking at the station. Located just off the A351, next to Corfe River, the Plus Code is JWRR+G7C Wareham and the coordinates are (50.6413941, -2.0592499). There is also a paid parking at the National Trust car park close by, BH20 5DR.

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