Avebury Stones - and much more

We had a good summer and it has been a good September - still warm, with just enough rain to keep everything looking fresh.  

DH and I did not venture very far in the heights of the summer, our little garden was the best place to be, but now is a good time for days out.

Few days ago we visited  Avebury Stone Circle, some 45 miles from us.
Perhaps little less know than Stonehenge , it is actually much large; the stones are not as high as Stonehenge, but there many more of them, covering much larger area; in fact it is the largest stone circle in Europe and probably predates Stonehenge.
 It is believed that first stones were erected about 6,000 years ago, and the rest over a period of next 2,000 years.

I can never get my head around these numbers!

The Stone Circle is now looked after by National Trust and English Heritage.

The picture below is by English Heritage; the village of Avebury is to the north of the circle.  

National Trust is also taking care of the 300 years old barn, which now houses a museum.

You can see many more pictures here .

Just a short walk away from the Museum are Avebury Manor and Gardens , dated back to 16th century.
It is also looked after by the National Trust.

The property was leased out for a time and when returned to NT, it was of course empty of any furniture.
Unlike Barrington Court (which the NT decided to keep unfurnished), Avery Manor was furnished in the collaboration with BBC.
Each room in the house reflects a different time in the life of the house, and because none of the furniture are museum pieces, you are encouraged to explore, to touch and sit on chairs and beds.

The dining room was my favourite - the wall paper is hand painted.

Outside are walled gardens - it is dahlia time.

And few pictures from the village itself.

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2016 

another season is here

September - autumn is really on its way, but we are enjoying mild and mostly dry days.

The garden is beginning to look tired, but there still is enough to pick for the house.  

Last week I made another batch of jam, and although it is September, I still called it "Summer Jam" - a mixture of strawberries, raspberries, apricots and plums.

This combination really works, it makes a delicious jam.

Another lot of "sunshine in the jar", to be enjoyed during grey winter days.

 

Last weekend's baking were biscuits, thin and crunchy - with dry cranberries, white chocolate chips and oats. 

They keep well in the jar.

DH and I went for a long walk in the woods; we did hope to find some mushroom, but this was the result of our foraging, rather a sad and miserable show. It has been very dry this summer. 

This is a managed forest and there has been a lot logging going on this summer; places, where we would very often find something, were disturbed; it will take some years to get back to normal.

But of course, we don't come here just for that, the walk itself is a pleasure and interesting.

Not much stitching going on, but I did finish another block (no 15) for Les Fleurs du Mardi,

 Quiltmania's BOM quilt.

©pleasureinstitching.blogspot.co.uk 2016