The Mosaic

Roll up! Roll up!

a marching band played

the crowds cheered

as Chapman's Great London Circus arrived in Cheltenham town

photo from Cheltenham News
One Spring day in 1934 three elephants were being paraded through Cheltenham town to announce the arrival of the circus. On smelling some interesting aromas drifting across the road from Bloodworth's, a local seed merchants shop, one of the elephants decided to pay a visit, closely followed by the other two.

The first elephant gained entrance, but the second became stuck in the doorway, the third was quickly caught and restrained by his keeper. 
Imagine the surprise of the owner standing behind his shop counter and suddenly seeing this giant shape looming inside the premises. Not only that, but an elephant that was busily helping itself to his seed potatoes, dog biscuits, and other tasty morsels
 

Yum - delicious

The spectators watched with amazment and some alarm

but finally peace and order was restored

so the wind musicians played on

the drummer banged his drum

and the parade proceeded out of town

This series of mosaics in an alleyway off the High Street in Cheltenham depicts a glimpse of our social history from over 80 years ago. It shows the style of clothing worn, including that of the police, and importantly the use of wild animals in a way that most would consider unacceptable today.

Knightshayes Court, Devon

Run fox run,  

Quick as you can,

Those hounds,

Are right behind you

In our garden we have spheres, cones, circles and an octagonal parterre made from Buxus semperviren - common box, but what a unique vision has been used here to create a scene in Yew hedging of hound dogs chasing a fox in the gardens of Knightshayes Court, Devon thus capturing the owner's passion for countryside sports.

William Burges - Architect & Medievalist

"He was the most dazzling exponent of the High Victorian Dream. Pugin conceived that dream; Rossetti and Burne-Jones painted it; Tennyson sang its glories; Ruskin and Morris formulated its philosophy; but only Burges built it."

extract from the High Victorian Dream - Cook

Knightshayes Court was designed by William Burges for Sir John Heathcote-Amory in 1867. Burges was a Victorian architect who re-established the architectural and social values of a utopian medieval England. He stands within the great tradition of Gothic Revival, his work echoing those of the Pre-Raphaelites and heralding those of the Arts and Crafts movement. Apart from architecture he designed metalwork, sculpture, jewellery, furniture, and stained glass. He was left a large legacy by his father which enabled him to devote his life to the study and practice of architecture without requiring that he actually earn a living.

The vista from the south terraces across the parkland to Tiverton where the Heathcote Amory's lace factory was situated.

A beautiful clump of Pulsatilla vulgaris (Pasqueflower) flowering profusely

Entrance door screen

A typical Burges touch for the exterior porch light.

Sadly Burges's elaborate interiors for Knightshayes Court were never fully realised; he had a rocky relationship with Sir John who objected to many of his designs on the grounds of cost and style. Burges was eventually sacked and replaced by John Dibblee Crace who toned down many of the existing and extravagant Burges designs.

No photos allowed showing any Burgess furniture - many of the pieces in the house are on loan from museums or private individuals.

The Burges coach house and stable block now houses a restaurant, a shop, and a wonderful plant centre.

The Kitchen Garden - more of Burges's ubiquitous medieval turrets, and even a little area with a duck pond and some hens for fresh eggs.

A monster brassica, 7 ft tall - Taunton Deane Cottagers kale, you can get a better idea of the height by looking at the wall on the previous photo.

"If we keep our eyes tightly closed, do you think he'll go away?"

Spring, the sweet spring

We have walked the valleys, 

breathed in the fresh-air, 

loosened our limbs, 

and dusted off the winter.

Refreshed,

we are heading

 southwest,

☀ ☀ ☀ ☀ back shortly ☀ ☀ ☀ ☀

Hereford

A small group of us were invited to Hereford to visit hidden corners of the Cathedral in and around the private cloisters not generally open to the public. A further invitation was extended to visit the first floor of Hereford Library to see the private Woolhope Library belonging to the Woolhope Naturalists Field Club founded in 1851. The society is named after the Woolhope Dome, an outcrop of Silurian rocks a few miles outside Hereford. Sir James Rankin, a wealthy member of the club, offered to pay for Hereford's Public Library and Museum, and that is the reason why the club has its own room within the building. The frontage of the building is decorated with stone carvings showing fauna and flora reflecting James Rankin's interests. 

The Woolhope library has floor to ceiling shelves full of beautiful old leather bound books on many subjects including archaeology, geology, and natural history alongside a number of early manuscripts.

 via

Medlars and pears

Since Herefordshire was and is renowned for its cider and perry, an early project undertaken by the club was to document and conserve local apple and pear cultivars. To this end, the club held annual exhibitions of fruit from Herefordshire orchards, inviting leading pomologists to help identify them. These fruits were painted over a period of 10 years during the 1880s by Alice Blanche Ellis, who was a gold medal winner from the Bloomsbury School of Art, and Edith Elizabeth Bull.

via

Several varieties of pear

They were published in a series of books known as the Herefordshire Pomona - copies of which were on display for us to look at. The books show over 400 paintings which have been reproduced as hand-coloured lithographs. Limited editions of the catalogues were produced and they now make very large sums of money whenever they come up for sale.

Pears in the Herefordshire Pomona 

via

Whilst in the room my attention was drawn to a large black cast iron fireplace with beautiful monochrome tiles. I know nothing about the tiles, or who designed them. They were obviously made towards the end of the 19th century in the Art Nouveau style. This is pure conjecture on my part but I do wonder whether the tiles were painted by Edith Elizabeth Bull (one of the women painters of the Pomona). To my eye they carry the hallmarks of a woman's hand, and her links to Woolhope Club were particularly strong being the daughter of the Clubs President. This is just a very small selection of the tiles - they are suggestive of feminist ideals that spread amongst the educated female middle classes at that period which also happened to coincide with the women's suffragette movement. 

Painting

Commerce

Music

Chemistry

Literature

Geography

Natural History

No time to visit Hereford Cathedral's Mappa Mundi (World Map) created in the late 13th century, nor the famous Chained Library. The 16th century Chained Library is the largest of its kind in existence. In the Middle Ages books were so rare and valuable that they were often chained for safe keeping. In 1217 Henry lll revised the Magna Carta. There are only four copies now known to exist, and one of them is housed in the cathedral library. There is also a very precious 8th century illuminated manuscript known as the Hereford Gospels, but all these must wait for another visit. 

Hereford Cathedral cloisters, gardens, and houses used by the Bishop, Dean, and clergy

The name Pomona refers to the Roman goddess of fruit trees, gardens, and orchards.