RiO, Ottery St Mary, Devon

RiO (standing for Recycling in Ottery) is a rather fabulous and quirky place where people can donate their unwanted stuff and/or buy more stuff - the proceeds for charity - and which the staff have made into something rather special. Great for a wander around, I visited several times with a friend a few years ago. And inevitably once setting off I couldn't help but sing that we were going down to Rio (the song by Michael Nesmith), lol.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnpcTsy10dE

As well as the wonderful gardening droid, above, there was also the incredible Toaster Man built entirely from old toasters...

And a rather strange iron beastie behind the golf clubs.

Some of the displays are also enhanced with unusual donations which have been used for decoration rather than for sale, such as the mosaic picture and papier mache fish above, plus a rather sad looking polystyrene fish among the plants, below.

Below are some of the displays of goods on sale inside. A really good place with lots to browse through and a huge choice of interesting and useful things.

At a later visit I took loads of photos on a soft, showery day, followed by a further visit when it also rained.

I couldn't get enough of this table full of glass, especially as they were all misted from the damp. Then more on the following visit, below.

In the photo below I tried to catch water dripping into the yellow bowl but I wasn't quick enough!

Beware of low flying witches...

...and Fly Navy instead! ;)

This young lady looks as if she's slumped against the table along with the remains of a  party that's just ended!

A few general photos, below...

 ...taking care to beware of the spider!

And some more of the garden plants.

 

 

At the entrance, some garden lights, hanging baskets and wind chimes.

A large pinwheel by the gardening droid.

And finally, a view from the gate.

And there we have it...a fab place to visit with lots of quirky oddities and all for good causes. :)

 

Conduit Heads & Stream, Beer, Devon

 

The name of the village Beer comes from the Anglo-Saxon word Bearu, which means 'grove', as Beer was once surrounded by woods...and nothing to do with the alcoholic beverage! ;)

However, it does boast a small stream within a conduit running all the way down one side of Fore Street. Near the top of the street, at the bottom of the Causeway, is one of two conduit heads (see above left photo) which was used to regulate the flow of water. 

Coming directly from the start of the stream around the corner, the conduit channels the water through the head from where it runs straight. Prior to the conduit being built, fishermen used to gut their fish into the open stream running down the road, where it would eventually be carried down to the sea. However, the smell was so bad that the wife of the Lord of the Manor, Lady Rolle, ordered the conduit to be built in order to keep it to a narrow stream at the side, presumably making the flow faster to carry the refuse away quickly instead of lingering in the shallow water in the road. 

Built circa 1700, the conduit heads are listed Grade II. A simple square ashlar pillar with a brick base, they have pagoda tops with a ball finial and moulded cornice. Unfortunately, I didn't get any close-ups as I only had a short time in which to grab a few photos...

...apart from this one, below. Pointed out to me by a friend who lives in the cottage next door, the signature L.T. A was carved into the stone by the builder. 

And a view from the other side of the street, with the name Causeway ignominiously plastered on a Grade II Listed edifice, lol.

Interestingly, there has been a public responsibility towards supplying clean water since the Roman times in Britain, when aqueducts were constructed. Conduits were often built to bring water into towns during the Mediaeval period, some running along the streets whilst others were built underground. The city of Exeter was one of the latter, with the wonderful 14th &15th century underground passages, which are open for tours to the public.

The other conduit head is situated about halfway down the street, opposite St Michael's church. This one isn't in such a good condition as the other one but it's still delightful to see, though.

And lastly, if you happen to stumble into the stream then you're in good company, because it is said that you aren't a proper Beer boy or girl unless you've fallen into it at least once! ;)
 

 

 

St Michael's Church, Beer, Devon

 

Someone once told me that Beer was nicknamed 'The Devil's Own Village', although I've only ever heard it from that one person. Even so, I think it's rather apt that the Archangel who threw Satan out of heaven should be the patron saint of the parish church! ;)

I'd been meaning to visit the church for some time and the opportunity to do so came on a cold, windy, rainy Sunday in the middle of January 2011. It was my birthday and I wanted to go out somewhere, but I had to rely on the restricted Sunday bus service and all my first choices were shut for the winter season...so Beer it was. A couple of hours here, a picnic lunch in the shelter of the gardens on the cliff overlooking the village, then a very wet and blustery walk back home across the cliffs and down into Seaton. What else could a girl wish for on her birthday! ;)

Lovely blue doors - the left one inside the front porch and the other outside on the right of the building - really stood out brightly on such a grey day.

Although this specific building was erected in 1877, a previous chapel had existed on this site since the 16th century and was subsequently demolished to make way for the present one. It is thought that another, earlier religious building may have stood here since 1122 AD, when Beer and Seaton belonged to the Abbey of Sherborne. Deeds show that nearby vineyards were tended by monks of Sherborne and a 13th century inventory stated that the village had to provide an annual supply of fish, salt and a tythe of wine from the vineyard for the Abbey. 

It was also reputed to have been used as a safe place to store contraband by the local smugglers. It's interesting to think that the famous local smuggler, Jack Rattenbury, may well have attended the chapel that stood here before this one. 

Originally the tower had a spire with lucarnes. I had to look up the word lucarne, as I hadn't come across it before. Basically, it refers to a dormer window - a gabled opening - especially set into a roof. In Britain it's also particularly used for small windows into unoccupied spaces such as attics or spire spaces. Anyway, the spire was eventually demolished and the top part of the tower was built upon as we see it today.

A Grade II Listed Building, consisting mainly of coursed stone and built in the Early English/Decorated style, it's a large church comprising the nave, low north and south aisles with north and south transepts. 

The east window in the chancel consists of five lights in the decorated style.

Contemporary furnishings include the choir stalls, stone pulpit (seen above) and font (below).

The walls and most of the tower consist of Hoole Head blue limestone and the columns which support the nave arcade are of Devon marble.  

The lovely multifoil round windows above the arcade are an absolute delight.
 

The photos below show close-ups of the marble topped with beautiful foliate carvings and a carved head stop where the two arches converge.

Two of the stained glass windows, below; a two-light window from the chancel and the three-light one from the north aisle, also seen below the others.

I don't know why but I've never been very good at taking photos of stained glass windows! Probably because I'm overcompensating the light settings and unable to get a decent focus. I think I'll have to take a film of just windows and experiment until I've got it right, lol.  

This is a delightful, friendly church with lots of interesting artefacts.  The old clock is displayed amongst a second-hand bookstore shown in the above photo, the workings of which can be seen below.

Also an old street lamp on the windowsill beneath the tower. 

Above the West door, below, is the Washbourne Light. This was the old harbour light which used to be situated upon the cliffs, used to guide the fishermen back to Beer. Unfortunately, I didn't get a decent close-up of the lamp but you can just about make it out above the entrance at the bottom of the nave, below.

I really enjoyed the time spent here as the atmosphere was very welcoming. The exterior was particularly interesting and I just managed to take several more photos before it started to rain in earnest...

...then off to my wintry picnic, walk across the cliffs and the descent down into Seaton. :)

And finally, the last photo taken on a different, much brighter, day.