Hidden away

Hidden away in the Streamer Point nature reserve, just a few meters back from the cliff edge, are two ornamental ponds...I'd imagine they were once part of Highcliffe Castle's gardens. For years these ponds languished neglected, although through the work from volunteers they're slowly being brought back to life. Tranquil nature oases like these are essential to both wildlife and us alike.

Highcliffe Castle

Highcliffe Castle. An early 1800's Gothic Revival mansion, created from stone recycled from a French Château, the Grand' Maison des Andelys and the ruined Benedictine Abbey of St Peter at Jumieges. Home to a lord, then a Marchioness. Visited by royalty, Edward VII and Alexandra. Kaiser Wilhelm II convalesced here for 3 weeks. Home of Harry Gordon Selfridge, famed of Selfridge's, who's buried in the local churchyard. A children's convalescent home. A Roman Catholic seminary. Burned and left derelict for nearly 30 years. A dangerous forgotten ruin to explore...which we did. Then in the 90's a phoenix, metaphorical and actual, it was restored and reborn... it has to be said, the restoration is quite impressive. Today, open to the public for visits and events, the castle continues to be renovated. All that in under 200 years (1831 to present), not bad.

Steamer Point

We wandered along Highcliffe beach this morning, amongst the dunes that are developing below Steamer Point. You'd imagine that the name Steamer Point may refer to a location you'd catch a steamer from. Well, nearly. There once was a Streamer here, although it wasn't going anywhere...it had reached it's final destination. When the nearby Highcliffe Castle was being built, a steamer was beached and then hauled aways inland where it was wedged in place between two large trees and used as the site office. Afterwards it remained as a beach house until around 1900.  Later during the war Steamer Point was home to a secret military establishment researching radar and communications, post war SRDE developed Britain's first satellite communications system... locally famous for it's distinctive white golf ball like dome which housed a satellite dish. Today although the steamer's long gone (the military too) the name remains, and the site is now a wildlife reserve with a section of undeveloped beach below it. Nice spot. Historically the premier location for beach parties...before the banning of fun.

Nice light

There was a nice light today.

Highcliffe

Seeing Highcliffe Castle today you'd never imagine that by the 1980's is was a wrecked shell, after fires in the late 60's had left it derelict and years of neglect had led it to ruin. I remember in fenced off, covered in brambles and invasive shrubs, a fascinating and very dangerous place to explore. Now look at it. Restoration works have been going on since the 90's, with a huge proportion of the building either restored or in the process of being restored. The conservators eye has now fallen on the wider grounds. Between the castle and Steamer Point a parcel of woodland was inaccessible for years, a dense jumble behind fence and gate. The area has now been opened up, much over the overgrown shrubs removed and a series of different level paths exposed and restored. I imagine it would've been part of a romanticized woodland walk which would have extended into what is now Steamer Point nature reserve (the path depressions and low banks continue into there).  How the other half lived, and still do.

Headless dragon

Sometimes you can be left with more questions than answers when exploring historical/archaeological remains, trying to understand their original form and context can too often be obscured by time and its ravages. Take this piece of decorative stonework on Highcliffe Castle (a fancy house rather than a real castle), beautifully executed, though sadly damaged, possibly during the devastating fire of 1968, if not surely during the subsequent 25 years of dereliction and neglect; for whatever reason, now damaged we can only speculate on the head of this decorative dragon woven into a tree of life. We do have some information though on the stoneworks possible provenance, we know that some of the carved stonework of the castle was pillaged and reused medieval stonework from the Norman Benedictine Abbey of St Peter at Jumieges and from the Grande Maison des Andelys, both in France, and we know the context of the buildings construction by 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay in the 1830's; though that doesn't help us necessarily know what the dragons head looked like. Neither can I find no pre-dereliction images of this archway. So, we're just left to wonder and use our imagination as to the dragon heads appearance; until that is I discover a relevant photo, of which I'm sure one exists......somewhere. Anyway, for now I'll just enjoy the opportunity to explore French medieval stonework on my doorstep.