Highcliffe Castle

I've had a lovely day today. I went with a neighbour (and new friend) to Highcliffe Castle near Christchurch. She was exhibiting some of her work at the ceramics exhibition and had to replenish stocks of sold items.

The vase in the foreground was my favourite piece. The blue was so striking and I love its irregular shape. There was also a textiles exhibition with some amazing pieces on display. I can't imagine the amount of work that must be involved in creating these masterpieces. This piece was embroidered paper and wire in the most lovely shade of pink.

The castle was built during the 1830s by Lord Stuart de Rothesay. It sits on the clifftop and overlooks Christchurch Bay and the Needles on the Isle of Wight (I'm not sure if you will see them but they are on the horizon in this picture).

In 1967 it was bought by three businessmen for £21,000 but just before this sale a fire badly damaged the Great Hall and another the following year caused more devastation. The weather and vandals caused the castle to become a ruin. In 1977 Christchurch borough Council purchased what was left of the ruin for £65,000 and in 1994 the council and English Heritage began a phased scheme to repair and conserve the building. With a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund much of the castle has been restored.

It is easy to walk down to the beach from the castle but beware of the hang gliders!

Aren't we having some wonderful weather? The only gardening I did at the weekend was to pick these flowers!