Michelham Priory - Sussex

Damp, dismal start to the day with low cloud sitting over everything! Forecast to clear this afternoon so there was no point rushing up hills this morning & we whiled away a few hours showering leisurely, reading & fiddling with photos!

With lunchtime approaching & something like a plan hatched for the afternoon we drove out to the village of Upper Dicker & 'The Plough'

Excellent lunch! Les not particularly hungry (lazy morning!) & settled for a jacket potato but I waded through a baked camembert followed by lamb shank - must admit I didn't feel like walking too far afterwards!

Beer of the Day: 'Kent's Best Invicta Ale' - a Shepherd Neame ale I hadn't tried before; reddish in colour, bitter but slightly maltier than I usually like. Liked this, though - very drinkable!

Michelham Priory - Augustinian Priory founded in 1229

Had vaguely intended to walk out to Michelham on Sunday before Asda, height-barriers & a couple of especially fine pubs waylaid us! Reputed to be one of the most haunted buildings in Sussex though I was more attracted by its moat, the largest in Europe & created by diverting the Cuckmere, & also the promised sculpture-trail around its extensive gardens

Discovered that on its return to the river water from the moat powers a 15th century working flour mill: there's also a working forge & a ropeworks museum off one of the courtyards... fascinating stuff!

Highlight of the Day: the sculpture-trail! Mostly a collection of works by local artists, designed to fit into the landscape &, naturally, for sale! One or two unexpected oddities en route, though....

Left:     

'Waiting' by Graeme Lougher
Right:
a young lady whose dishevelled dress suggests she's beyond the waiting stage!

Found her in the Kitchen Garden - she's not part of the 'trail'

Then there's the Augustinian theme

.... and then the ones that make you think a bit

 

'Temary Pass' by Teresa Martin
At least that's what the label says: lots of her work on her website, including other items exhibited here... but not this one!

'Holly Being' by Maria Albiez

Born & brought up in Germany: many of her recent pieces, like this, have been created from driftwood washed up on the Sussex coast

'Splitoak' - another piece by Maria Albiez
Particularly liked the 'Green Man' feel to this:  one of my favourites!

'Eye' by W.R.Lazard

William Lazard proved to be quite a tricky character to track down & I was surprised to find that his work includes the 2 monks photographed above
A retired teacher.... & much more!

Then there are the 'fun' ones.....

'Owlet with Feet' & (below)  '3 Owlets with no Feet', both by Abby Martin

From what I've seen these don't seem to be particularly typical of her work but it was good fun searching for these tucked away amongst the trees!

'Pigs' by Danny Manning

Based just down the road in Eastbourne, Manning creates lots of pieces from recycled materials

.... & not sure if this is part of the sculpture trail or not, but I like it!

Cloister Garden at Michelham Priory

Good day out in spite of the early weather & Les was impressed 'cos we didn't need to cook later - now that really is like being on holiday!

DVD Update: watched 'The Man Who Knew Too Much' - really rattling through these Hitchcock films!