On a recent trip across the border into England, we visited RSPB Chapel Wood near Braunton in Devon.
It was such a beautiful and atmospheric walk. The remains of the Spreacombe Chapel and well date back to around 1250 AD (one of those dates that doesn’t seem quite real for this kiwi girl!). The remains of the iron age hillfort are much older still.
I was left in no doubt as to why Mr Barker (the chap who undertook the excavation) wanted his ashes, and those of his wife, scattered in the chapel grounds. The internet is a little vague on when the excavation took place, but it seems to have been in the 1920s. It was donated to the RSPB in 1951. In trying to track down the dates, I also found some discussion over whether it was Mr Barker or his wife, Lady Arthur Cecil, who was the driving force behind the excavation. Regardless, I’m grateful that someone had the forethought to preserve and protect this special piece of earth.
The slow trickle of water, the green canopy, mossy stones… During the course of my travels, I have been lucky enough to stand in a number of places where I have felt truly peaceful. This is one of those.
We didn’t see any of the birds that we had been hoping to photograph, although we heard many (including the taunting call of woodpeckers which seemed to be “just over there” from wherever we were standing.
