I was having a discussion with my Dad last week about the differences between our respective Countrysides, ie the landscape of South West Dorset that I grew up with (and where he still lives) and the landscape of North Yorkshire which I now call home. He described the Dorset countryside as being " gentle and soft", and I totally get what he means. The hills are generally smaller, with the fields divided by hedges as opposed to the hard dry stone walls of Yorkshire. And yes, it does give the impression of being Gentle. At this time of year, it's also amazingly green and lush looking too.
When we visit Dorset we naturally gravitate towards the coast, but there are a couple of favourite "must-go-to's" which are inland. The picture above shows the impossibly beautiful village of Abbotsbury, which is the starting point for a short, sweet climb up to an amazing place :: St Catherines Chapel. We were here on 20th April, it was a terrifically hot Wednesday as I remember, not a cloud in the sky all day.
There....you can see the chapel perched on top of the hill as if it's sat there waiting for us to arrive. I'm carrying Little B on my back in a carrier, just as I did six years ago when Little Lady was a weeny tot. Uh-huh, we've been coming up to this particular spot to picnic and admire the view for many years. We are regulars to St C's.
Abbotsbury gets smaller and smaller as we climb higher and higher...
...and the coast also comes into view. That little strip of water in the distance is part of the Fleet Lagoon, it's an amazing part of coastline that always fascinated me as a child.
Gorgeous views whichever way you look...if you take a quick squizzy here, you can get a better impression of the chapel's location in relation to the coast/chesil beach, it is totally stunning. I love it.
It's an impressive building, this one. It looks and feels beautifully ancient (it's over 600 years old) and makes me instinctively want to sort of hold my breath and tiptoe around it with respect for it's grand age and Holiness. The Little People do not get it when I try and explain this to them. They hurtle in and out of it's ancient doors, run hell for leather around and around the perimeter playing chase. They go inside and shout at each other to test the awesome echo. I shhhhhhhhhhhhhh them. I ask them to treat this ancient and holy building with respect. They eventually hush down a little, and I spread out a rug and we lean our backs against the old warm walls and enjoy a lovely picnic lunch. Which is precisely what we do every single time we come to St Catherines Chapel, it's another one of our little traditions. I'm sure next year they'll be doing the same sort of running/yelling (along with Little B who is just learning the delights of running and shouting) and I'll be doing the same sort of shhhhsssshing all over again. Then we'll all sit down to eat lunch and admire the view. It's the way it is with us at St C's.
The above picture is another one of our must-go-to places, I know I've chatted about this place before. We usually come up here to fly our kite, but since the kite mysteriously disappeared (not difficult in the chaos that is our cellar), this year we came up here simply to enjoy the light, space, height, views and the roly-polying possibilities.
It's early evening, about 5.30ish, and we are here to eat/drink/stroll/view/roll/toddle/play/sit. As always, I am simultaneously calmed and intoxicated by the sense of space, the scale of the landscape (quite high/expansive for Dorset) and the wonderful golden end-of-day light.
I am thrilled to discover so many cowslips growing too, I don't remember ever seeing so many here before.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh the beautiful Dorset countryside, in all it's soft, gentle, undulating glory!
There look, you can see where we chose to lay down our blanket and picnic for the second meal that day (our lunch was eaten in the photos above at St C's chapel, two picnics in one day, hows that for good going?). It's beautifully sheltered down in the dip between the ridges, and crucially it's safe for Little B who would most certainly not be safe on top of the ridge. Best keep his toddling ways confined to the dip.
After we've eaten, I leave J and the Little Peeps playing frisby and hunting down caterpillars, and off I toddle to enjoy a few moments to myself. I walk along the very top of the ridge and marvel at my own shadow. I reflect on the day, how long and glorious it's been, how many of it's hours we've spent outdoors (at least 8, getting on for 9 by now). I think how much the Little People seem to have enjoyed it, how Little B is growing into the family so beautifully (he loves picnic eating as it happens, the cold sausages, tomatoes, crisps and strawberries barely touched the sides, not to mention the chocolate). And for the umpteenth time this holiday I think how lovely it is that I can share this little patch of my Childhood with my own children year after year. How heart warming that they are growing to love it as much as I do, that my own childhood memories are being layered with theirs.
Sigh. Such happiness. Lucky, lucky me.
Tomorrow, one last chapter...see you then xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
This is a good place to sit back, relax and have the time of your life. A stress free place. It looks like you are in a paradise.
Posted by: Playmobil | August 04, 2011 at 02:34 PM
This is such a great place to visit. I miss our province. You can really see the difference between busy cities and fresh provinces.
Posted by: Double Glazing | July 23, 2011 at 06:38 AM
Makes me feel homesick for UK, left when I was 14. Forever ago. Have my own family now so can't go back. Australia is now home. Lovely photos. Thanks Jackie
Posted by: Jackie Grimson | June 20, 2011 at 06:38 PM
Your holiday pics are all so gorgeous. Thank you so very much for sharing it all with us. I love to read your holliday stories and before we go I will make a to do list and a to visit list on the basis of your stories.
Posted by: wedding photographers bristol | June 08, 2011 at 05:28 AM
I have so enjoyed all your wonderful posts on your recent Dorset visit. It's lovely to see how little 'uns can still enjoy simple pleasures. You got yourself some really lovely things.
Posted by: herbal tea | June 03, 2011 at 09:57 AM
Photography was awesome. Such a beautiful mosaic of pictures and such a lovely idea as a reminder of photographs you have taken.
Posted by: London escorts | June 03, 2011 at 04:18 AM
just moved to Tasmania although we are now into winter , looking forward to spring very much like yours beautiful photos makes my day Enid
Posted by: Enid Stephens | May 31, 2011 at 04:58 AM
Thank you so much Lucy for the time and effort you put into your blog...a hard thing to keep up, and you are so generous with the time and the wonderful pics. I feel that I have visited the area too. It's wonderful to see the countryside from the other side of the world. How special is it sharing your childhood memories with your own children.
Cheer, Gloria
Posted by: Gloria J W | May 30, 2011 at 09:08 AM
So green, so serene, so beautiful.
Posted by: Zosia | May 28, 2011 at 01:54 PM
What stunning countryside! St Catherines Chapel looks amazing sitting ontop of the hill. Its wonderful how you are sharing your love of Dorset with you children...lovely holiday memories. from Jenny (Australia)
Posted by: Jenny McH | May 27, 2011 at 04:23 AM
Lovely pictures. I live in East Dorset and feel very lucky to live in this part of the world. My children love the countryside too - paddling in the river just outside our house and walking in the woods at the end of our road. I didn't realise that you hail from this area too!
Posted by: Alison | May 24, 2011 at 12:30 PM
Two picnics in one day - now that's impressive. Must be something about wonderful chapels and Dorset. Our special chapel is at St Aldhelm's Head near Swanage and we go there every time we visit Dorset. It's a truely magical place but I can just imagine that in a year or two Frederick will find it a great place to run around!
Posted by: Fiona | May 23, 2011 at 09:44 PM
St Caatherines looks a lovely place to visit, you really should be on commission for the tourist board promoting all these lovely places!
Posted by: Julie | May 23, 2011 at 06:59 PM
Lucy such beauty in your photos and the way you explain each and every one I can feel your love for this place. I can certainty see why! Traditions are so wonderful and such fun to be able to relive over and over with new hearts. I love all that you show us, it brings a smile and peacefulness to me too. Thanks for the lovely visit to Dorset! xoRobin❤
Posted by: Robin | May 21, 2011 at 12:12 AM
Thank you and greetings from a long way away in Australia. Your pictures brought to life the countryside near where my mother grew up in Wyke Regis in Weymouth. Many of the old 1930s family photos were taken by my grandfather on Chesil Beach - usually they were standing on or in his boat, or holding up the best fish of the day. It was lovely to see what an enjoyable holiday you and your family had near your own home town. I look forward to travelling to Dorset again, and will certainly add St Catherine's Chapel and Abbotsbury to the list of places to visit.
Posted by: Sally | May 20, 2011 at 11:40 PM
Lovely post! Interesting that Dorset is a softer landscape. I am from Northumberland and I think Yorkshire is a much softer landscape! xxx
Posted by: Andrea at Apples and Pears | May 20, 2011 at 10:27 PM
Hi Lucy! I'm Christine from New Zealand, I'm a fulltime mum to 7 kids. I've just learned to crochet and am absolutely loving it! I found your blog last week and have been busy reading every post you've ever written lol!
What an amazing blog, my absolute favourite! Your photos of your travels are stunning. Cant wait to get over there! (in about 3 years).
Your crochet is gorgeous, a real inspiration!
Looking forward to reading more!!
Posted by: Christine R | May 20, 2011 at 07:59 PM
So pretty! I love that cowslip photo, it is amazing! Thank you for sharing your beautiful country with us!
Posted by: Bonnie | May 20, 2011 at 06:58 PM
We stayed in Dorset last year and visited a tropical garden at Abbotsbury - such a beautiful place.
Funny, but I was only thinking recently how different your countryside is to ours (Cornwall), particularly the hedges. Ours are brimming over with wildflowers at the moment (making the narrow backroads more dangerous than ever!) The dry stone walling has its own beauty too, so carefully constructed.
Hope you get out and about to enjoy your countryside this weekend.
Becky x
Posted by: Becky J | May 20, 2011 at 06:49 PM
Lost your kite? You must make a new one! I'm sure that it won't be hard for you, being the creative and crafty person that you are.
A quick Google turns up this database of designs:
http://www.kiteplans.org/
Posted by: Serena | May 20, 2011 at 06:29 PM
Lovely words and beautiful pictures. Both Dorset and Yorkshire are amazing places - you are very lucky to enjoy the best of both! x
Posted by: PinkCatJo | May 20, 2011 at 05:49 PM
What a lovely walk, its made me take deep breaths here sitting in front of my computer imagining I'm breathing in all that lovely country air! Thanks Lucy!
Posted by: Sally | May 20, 2011 at 04:43 PM
Beautiful photos ♥ Thank you for sharing them along with your lovely adventures.
Posted by: Louise | May 20, 2011 at 04:39 PM
Ahh, more Dorset loveliness! I wonder, when you went up to St Catherine's Chapel, whether you passed by the door of the Lazyhill Gallery which is owned by my dear friends and where I work on a Monday?! The friends who own the gallery actually got married in the chapel last September, on a day not unlike the one when you were there - blue skies and green undulating fields all around.
Posted by: Justine | May 20, 2011 at 03:12 PM
Your travel posts are stunning, always! I very much want to visit the UK countryside, and have a question.
It seems as if there is a lot of open public-access areas, is this truly the case? Is the land privately owned, but landowners just a little more lenient about hikers/day visitors?
In California, where I grew up, there were vast areas of public land to explore, but even much of the private land was accessible if treated with respect. I find in Oklahoma, where I live now, everywhere is fenced off, and landowners are likely to shoot at you if you don't ask for permission to explore first.
Posted by: Kat | May 20, 2011 at 03:11 PM