Tuesday 10 February 2015

Welcome to Clovelly

Come tumble down the cobbled streets of Clovelly with me today-

a village in North Devon, England.

This summer we went to look at a few universities in the UK for my daughter who will be finishing school soon. A road trip with a purpose turned out to be an exciting adventure. 
Friends of ours who are avid walkers and hikers recommended a few gems to be explored, 
which we did.

Clovelly is one such gem.

Put your most comfortable shoes on and come along. 
Mind the cobbled stones and the steep descent.


I saw this a bit late. We had brought our two teenagers with us. 
So, there was no escaping them:)


No wheeled traffic can cope with the steep 400 feet descent of the main street down to the pier- so it's all pedestrians and 
SLEDGES ( for goods) 
and donkeys. 
How cool is that?

Stunning white 16th Century cottages 
(mostly wattle and daub- a 6000 years old building technique) 
hug the rocky clefts. 

Here are a few shots from my 'stop-shoot- tumble' walk 
down to the pier.









Son: " Mum, how do they get their furniture in? Do they build it all inside their homes?"

I: " I don't know! We'll ask someone."





There's no greater joy than peeping into a lovingly tendered garden- summer bliss!



Even a Victorian mangle (used to wring the clothes out) became part of the garden design.






Suddenly, she scurried past me. I managed a shot...

and another...

And then she posed for real.

Time for some sweets.

How quaint is this ?
























The green mossy pebbles were challenging to walk on, but that's what made it exciting. 



The pebbles from the beach were used to create the cobbled high street of Clovelly. 

Here's a quote I found on :
http://www.devon-online.com/towns/clovelly/Welcome.asp

"Suddenly a hot gleam of sunlight fell upon the white cottages, with their grey steaming roofs and little scraps of garden courtyard, and lighting up the wings of the gorgeous butterflies which fluttered from the woodland down to the garden." A quote from author Charles Kingsley from over 150 years ago and since then the village has hardly changed.

It is exactly like it says.

I wish more places in the world were preserved by the people who live there. 

We made our way back up the steep high street.

The courtyard at the top houses Clovelly Pottery.
I had to go in.

The potter's wife was in the shop.

There were too many pieces I would've liked to buy but I settled for just two-one for me and one for the friend who had recommended Clovelly.

I asked the potter's wife my son's question.
"Oh! we get furniture delivered to the top of the road- even Ikea- and then we manage the rest with sledges or sometimes,
 land cruisers.

More about the pottery can be found here:
http://www.clovellypottery.co.uk/

One thing is for sure- living here would keep you fit with all that climbing up and down every day.

Here is the adorable website where you can explore more of the village from the comfort of your home and start planning:
http://www.clovelly.co.uk/  

Three pebbles came home with us. 
I hope  they won't be missed!













17 comments:

  1. If I ever tumble and fall it should be in lovely Clovelly!!!

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    1. I know Ketaki. You'll love this village. xx

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  2. Lovely, simply lovely. Great shots - I could feel the gentle spirit of Clovelly. Thank you Arti.

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  3. oh my dear arti! i am so so amazed by every photo you shared here! this place is just incredible!! how are all the flowers blooming in all the planters? must be the rain! thank you for taking me on a such magical tour! LOVE!! xo

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    1. I know Ananda. Those blooms are just awesome! I hope to copy the baskets' planting scheme in Doha. Thank you:) xx

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  4. Such a lovely place...the houses and their gardens with apt sculptures awed me.Some how the place reminded me location for Doc Martin UK series!

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    1. Yes Seema, Clovelly has the seaside feel of Cornwall where Doc Martin was shot. I'm glad you enjoyed the gardens:) xx

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  5. Love the pictures! Good luck with picking the right college..

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    1. Hi Ish. Welcome:) Thank you for reading and commenting and also for the wishes. Inshallah! as they say in this part of the world. Hope to see you more often.

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  6. Oh my dear... each picture you captured made my heart skip a beat! cottages, walkways, those stone structures, their pottery and those super cute and adorable gardens! Every entryway of these cottages has this inviting feel with their gardens and it reminds me of a saying which says there is nothing to beat English Gardens!
    BTW, Best wishes in picking right college for you daughter!

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    1. Thank you Prasanna for your wishes. English gardens and the English countryside are unbeatable on a sunny day:) Watch out for the next post- a coastal path with a sweet surprise. BTW, I bought 3 terracotta pots from Ikea today to 'copy' your rangoli idea. xx

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  7. Arti, what a post, man. Blew me off totally, in fact made me tumble down like Alice in Wonderland. Truly amazing. I love floral posts but this one had so much more to it. The flowers are gorgeous, almost surreal, the red petunias in those hanging baskets...uff ! And even the mix of flowers hanging there was breathtaking....the blue boot planter with ice plants in them, the cycle rickshaw stand with pink flowers...I love them all and I'm so jealous you were there to witness it ! Thanks for sharing and please do continue sharing such posts. Love and hugs :)

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    1. Thank you for your sweet comments Reshma. I have been told that snowdrops and crocus are having their moment in the sun these days in Clovelly. With your love of gardening and plants, you'll love this village. xx

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  8. Awesome pictures. This must be a great place to visit.
    The flowers, the cottages, the pebbled beach, the hanging
    basket, various pots and planters, the cat, so picturesque
    and story book like. Love the rains and the bounty that comes
    with it.
    We too would like to see the IKEA pots with rangoli.:)
    Basking in the texas heat.

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    1. Clovelly is a must viist village in Devon- it's beautiful.
      And those pots I bought house white and pink dianthus these days- I still haven't got around to even buying the paint-let alone making Rangoli! Procrastination comes easily to me Anony:)

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    2. spelling error above...visit...my spelling OCD wil not let me rest!

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