Intriguing. And exciting. Not to mention interesting. But I'm sure the archaeologists should be baffled, they usually are, but not here...

On the way home near Taunton is a trimmed oak tree. It's directly underneath some power lines (one is visible in the photo), so we're very grateful it's been cut back rather than cut down. I've been meaning to take a picture of it for some time, and this evening I did.

Today in the lane, a holly for winter. As the Sans Day Carol, first collected in Penzance in the early years of the last century, has it: The first tree in the greenwood It was the holly

A solar eclipse—except with Earth instead of the Moon passing in front of the Sun—captured on 70mm black and white film by the crew of #Apollo12 during their return from the Moon on November 24, 1969 (original image # AS12-53-7931) forallmankind.de contactlight.de

The effigy of Bishop Thomas Bekynton in Wells Cathedral who gave water to the City of Wells in the medieval period. Every January at Bekynton Sunday Evensong thanksgiving is given to him and flowers are laid on his tomb in the Quire. #MementoMoriMonday

"Instead of unbroken golden sand, the shoreline is littered with millions of tiny plastic pellets – bio-beads – spilled into the sea by Southern Water and now washing up in waves. They are a chilling reminder of how fragile our environment is, and how carelessly some treat it." Worth a read ⤵️

Want!

Laid down like fine wines in a wine cellar...

So COP has ended with NO mention of fossil fuels and just ONE mention of deforestation. What a farce. So I’ll just repost this.

Norwich Cathedral for #SteepleSaturday.

The singing of the selkies... You can see/hear how the stories arose... I am a man upon the land I am a selkie in the sea And when I'm far and far from land My home, it is in Sule Skerrie

Reform are always saying how patriotic they are. Now we know for which country. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c8...

Word of the day is ‘quockerwodger’ (19th century): a puppet politician whose strings are pulled entirely by someone else.

Nature isn’t a “blocker” – it makes our lives better. Our coast, countryside, heritage and wildlife underpin our food, water and health and put millions of pounds into the economy. The Government must not weaken the laws that protect them.

Plans to remove early C20 buildings (a carpentry workshop, toilets, and plant room) built against the north-western base of the mound (a contemporary of Silbury Hill) and reinstate the original curved profile of the mound. Exciting!

Stirling Castle. Modern inhabitant for #PigeonSky

Early entry for #AdoorableThursday: Stirling Castle. Internal door in the gatehouse.

Such a beautiful church and a lovely article. Well worth a read.

A walk through the stone defences of Mither Tap, Bennachie in Aberdeenshire for #HillfortsWednesday I believe occupied in the early Middle Ages, don’t know how far it goes back? Whenever it was, I hope it was less windy than now.

I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight www.cityam.com/the-british-...

Crindledyke lime kilns, Northumberland, for #WallsOnWednesday. Three limekilns approached by a massive ramp. Really impressive structure.

Fifteen years of ideological choices to strangle & gut the public realm - NHS to schools to social services to local museums - is what underlies the anger "tearing our country apart"; immigration is simply the scapegoat that the far right are pushing people toward. Why can't Labour just say this?

Zack Polanski with the truth.

First Mummers Play rehearsal last night, our 36th year. It's somehow wonderful to hear and speak the familiar words (and ask the usual questions, like 'How did we do that last year?') Once again St George is killed and resurrected by extraordinary means...

Duddo Five Stones for #StandingStoneSunday on a cold and overcast May day. Rather unromantically they reminded me of old teeth. They were definitely worth the walk, the views were great, and kudos to the farmer for creating a permissive path.

Utterly vile policy.

This cloister is wonderful. I had no idea it was even there...

It's a beautiful item, but I understand the dilemma the almshouses are in. How do you keep it safe? But it must be one of the very few pre Reformation artworks still in its original location.

A couple of days ago in the lane, when it wasn't dark, gloomy and raining hard. The banks either side are partly hollowed out of the bedrock and partly built up. There's quite a network of these holloways, up from the combes onto the hilltops and then along.

If human rights don't apply to all humans, they're not rights but privileges. And who decides who will have privileges, and who will not?

Wellington Somerset. Post box cover. (Not my photo, taken by a friend.) Possibly the famous Winkie herself! #PigeonSky

Tiled roofs in Chauvigny, Poitou, for #TileTuesday (I may have just made that up). A town of two fantastic churches, five castles, and a complete lack of available information about any of them in French let alone in English...

Thou art moss and unto moss thou shalt return

Emma Haworth, Walkers in Autumn, 2024 UK painter #Womensart

LLAP #DorsetMuseum Something very satisfying about doing this...

Fine them. Put the directors in jail. The privatized water companies have failed us all.

Did Hobbits ruin the Shire? Listen to this Rohan Beacon podcast hosted by Grima Wormtongue to learn the shocking truth!

India: 67th poorest country in the world UK: 160th poorest country in the world India: 100% rail electrification is affordable, and we have achieved this in 2025 UK: anything more than 39% electrification is unaffordable, and we will never achieve 100%

This is utterly shameful.

Is the replacement arch slightly on the huh? One of them is!

Five months after moving in the first bookcase is sorted! This is Suffolk and Somerset. (Excluding the books on the railways of the counties, there wasn't room for them!)

This sort of thing seems to be quite popular at the moment...

Just dropping this here so the Webster people can see a nice live example when they adopt my new word

The surprise pleasure of turning the car radio on and unexpectedly hearing an episode of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.(Had to sit in the car until it ended even after getting home obviously.) The episode about the Golgafrincham B Ark, if you want to know.

Sharing the final version of my Ceffyl Dwr for #FolkloreFriday. Absolutely loved making this needle felt creation and getting really into the wire frame modelling

So this year will be the third hottest year on records - stretching back 176 years…big deal - but the first and second hottest years in that 176 year period are last year and the one before. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, with a 19% average decline in species abundance since 1970 and nearly 16.1% of species threatened with extinction.

It’s William Stukeley’s birthday 🎂 His landscape views are often just as interesting as the drawings of monuments - here’s his Prospect of Kits Coty House in Oct 1722

St Michael's, Raddington, Somerset for #AdoorableThursday Medieval door (Pevsner: C15, listing: C15) in an arched doorframe of two massive oak baulks. The ironwork is original; Pevsner describes it as 'a firework of foliage' (steady on Mr P!) A beautiful, unspoilt church in a beautiful location.