The Clock Tower Tearooms

in Coggleshall. Our first port of call after leaving the car park. Today it will be for morning coffee.

One can enter through the back entrance straight from the car park

We watch the passers by while drinking our coffee and enormous home made scones with jam and butter

The view from outside with the ancient clock tower

And the plaque over the door which says

Clockhouse 14th and 15th century

rooms were leased here 1787-1859

to educate children of the poor with money bequeathed by

Sir Robert Hitcham

Returning back out into the garden through the side entrance

As you may have realised by now

the back tea garden is also a small garden centre and this is where I bought my new rockery plants

A nice place to have coffee, lunch or tea

inside or out depending on the weather

Weaned Onto Catfood!!

Here's little Grand daughter Rebekah with a broken arm at 16 months but still managing to pull the cat food out of the cupboard

And the squirrel who thinks he is a bird

and my new little rockery garden in place of the two dead shrubs I just pulled out

back to Coggleshall in next post

A Browse Around Coggleshall

Here we are leaving the car park on our way to a favourite tea room in Coggleshall last week. We will visit the tea room for coffee in my next post but first I will take you walking with me around the town.

Coggeshall, is a small attractive town once based on trade in wool and cloth, it is full of Timber-framed houses and has over 250 listed buildings

The wool trade was started by monks in the 12th Century, and the remains of the abbey, a chapel and the Grange barn can still be seen. The town was also once famous for its lace.


The BBC's Lovejoy series was filmed in the area


It is said that ley lines - energy lines linked to the earth's magnetic field - actually cross in Coggeshall, creating friction, and strange events.

Alan staring at the old fashioned sweet display

The sign over the door says 1560 AD

The post man gets back onto his bike

Peeping into someone's back yard

The Woolpack Inn

Will be having our lunch later at Marks Hall

Hope you enjoyed your walk and got a flavour of the town

Prayer Walking

Last week I was taking part in a prayer walk  that encompasses the perimeter of the Borough in which I live. Day one had to be abandoned due to torrential rain for most of the day.

Day 2 we were on our way and managed to accomplish about 8 miles.

I have to say that I did not walk the following day as I was really feeling the effects of such a long walk, having not walked this distance for some time.

Tomorrow the walk continues but the weather forecast is not good.

Having had such dry and hot weather we are now experiencing lots of rain and quite cold winds. The forecasters say this will be the pattern mostly until November!!

We begin in good walking weather,warm but not hot, dry and with a light breeze. It is about 11.30 am. Before setting out we spend an hour in prayer and soaking up the Lord's presence together, ending up with communion.

We startle the deer who were lying resting

A couple of nicely placed tree trunks in this park remind us it is time for lunch

I love the sense of peace looking across this field of wheat

then over the brow of the hill and we see it is not as isolated as it seems

At this point we join the 'London Loop' for a while. This is a footpath that skirts the whole of Greater London

A ditch to cross

This horse was determined to walk with me

The view to the north of our neighbourhood

but not going home yet, I enjoy the Redwoods as we walk through a local country park

and the sun shining through the trees

The London skyline on the horizon as we near the end of today's walk