Bickleigh Castle - Lynne Pearl

IT’S AUTUMN:

OUTING TO BICKLEIGH CASTLE

(with Honiton Carers: https://www.honitoncarers.co.uk/)

Blog by Lynne Pearl

It’s autumn already, we have had summer and there wasn’t enough time to get in the sea and swim.

We went to see Bickleigh castle a whole coach load of us, in a small coach that was full with twenty adults out for the day. Our kind driver drove us first of all to Bickleigh Mill, where there was a long stop for a leisurely lunch. It was a cloudy day with puddles everywhere but it was crowded and warm inside.

When everyone had eaten their fill, we set off again, this time to cross the river by that wonderful old stone bridge that inspired Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘Bridge over Troubled waters’ so evocative of faithfulness and loyalty. We weren’t going to explore the inside of the castle but roam the grounds.

We parked and entered by crossing first of all what had been a moat long ago. There were the remains of stonework and iron gates. Nearby was the roaring river which was high as it had been raining for days. There was a small bridge over the river to the fields on the other side.

The first area of the castle grounds was a courtyard with a cottage with an old thatched roof, followed by more cottages with thatched roofs. Then we came to an area that had been stables for the horses that would have been part of the way of life. Beyond the clock cottage, (so called because of the large ornamental clock on its roof ) was the castle proper, built in red stonework. At the front door was a green plaque stating that this settlement had been entered in the Domesday book.

We continued walking to admire the main entrance a grand archway with two towers, the tower on the left was damaged, stones were piled nearby.

Through the archway was an open area of garden with more of the house of a different era, white walls with black woodwork. Back through the archway there was another garden, a pond and beyond that autumn trees in full colour.

Returning to the coach we found the original walled garden and orchard, apples fallen everywhere. It was beginning to rain so we made our way back and drove back over the river to the village, where we explored the ancient parish church which was begun in the 1300s. It was dark and made of local red stone worked to perfection. Either side of the front porch were two carved heads.

After exploring the church, we waited outside for our coach back to the Mill for a final cup of tea and visit with the peacocks before we started back home for the evening.