Summer Holiday Part Four

We love visiting a ruined Abbey. There's something about the fact that these Abbey and Monastery buildings somehow survived the violent suppression from Henry the Eighth and then 500 years as a ruin and are still with us today. Many of the ruins are beautifully preserved and charming, often with dramatic views and snippets of thier former glory on show.

So it was surprising to discover an Abbey that is not only working, but thriving and in one piece. Yes, we were visiting Buckfast Abbey. You'd think it would be full of hustle and bustle, but it was beautifully quiet and peaceful. The Abbey itself its rather charming, and has a very Gothic feel to it, but at the same time feeling bright and airy. What perhaps makes it even more interesting and visit worthy, was that the current abbey church sits on the foundations of the original abbey church, and its been rebuilt as close to the original as possible. They stated building in 1907 and was completed just before the start of the second world war.

You know I love a good waterwheel!

The beautiful herbal gardens

Inside the Abbey church

The very modern style of stained glass from one of the newer parts of the Abbey complex.

The delightful marble flooring, with its wonderful intricate patterns and contrasting colours

There was also an interesting little exhibition in one of the rooms of the complex that gives you a taste of what life is like in the Abbey for the Monks that live there. There's also a little gift shop and café/restaurant where we grabbed some lunch and sat looking over the wonderful herb garden which was brimming with lavender is full bloom, and full of busy bees flying about the place. Something else I thought was fun, was that the Abbey has a conference room, so if you're in need of a large room for a meeting, the Abbey might just be the best place for it. Proof that even religious entities in the UK are economically diversifying! 

The contrast with Jamaica inn was quite stark. Where Buckfast Abbey was light, airy and interesting, Jamaica Inn was dark, depressing and boring. I was looking forward to going to Jamaica Inn, having been interested in the place since I saw the TV adaptation of the Daphne Du Maurier novel (Side note, I have the book, it is currently in the massive pile of books to read that seems to grow in height almost daily). It also felt very tacky, the place seemed to sell itself as a smugglers haven and a haunted premises, but the only thing I found frightening was the price of the tat they were selling in the gift shop. It was a bit of a disappointment to be completely frank.

We then headed down to Charlestown, a fun little fishing village on Cornwall's Southern coast. Its a charming little place, that is now a sought after filming area for period drama's such a Poldark. (I will confess, I have never watched it, but all the ladies at work were always raving on about it). We had a nice little wander around the portside, where we even got to explore one of the boats that was used in filming, called the Kajsamoor, hailing from Tallinn, Estonia. Its beautifully preserved, and you could even stand by the wheel wearing a pirates hat for a photo, which James dutifully did!

All aboard and muskets at the ready! Pirates spotted!

In Charlestown, there's also the shipwreck treasure museum. Its a fun little museum that feels like someone's personal collection of shipwreck treasure they have found. (Makes them sound a bit like wreckers, considering we are in Cornwall, its probably quite likely!) Entrance starts at £8.50, and while its not a must visit, its good for a spare hour if you've got some extra time left.

Perhaps the most famous shipwreck treasure of all time?