I wonder, if we had, in our public spaces and places, more benches and seats on which we could rest and think, would we become a more contemplative race?
Less than 2 ½ miles from the Georgian kiss-me-quick of Tenby is Caldey island (pop. 40 with a varying number of Cistercian monks). The Cistercians first arrived from Belgium having bought the monastery off Anglican Benedictines in the late 20s. An ecclesiastical Rightmove? - They ‘found their happy’* and now share it with us.
On Caldey Island there are many benches and seats on which to sit and soak up the magic of this place.
You arrive by boat, runs every 20 minutes which runs throughout the summer from the quayside in Tenby. The island’s population actually dates from the middle Stone Age and its first Celtic monastery was a set up in the Middle Ages.
The current abbey, which to my mind looks like some Sound of Music schloss, is said to be one of the best Arts and Crafts -style buildings in Britain.
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The new abbey: And Arts and Crafts treasure |
Carpets of thick with flowers under a high sun grace open fields and cliffs. The latter are home to countless migrating birds. Red squirrels were introduced very successfully in 2018 once the rats have been done away with.
Caldey is lovely place to visit and my immediate thought when getting off the return boat, Tenby quay, which when can I go again.
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| Leaving Caldey |
*Rightmove helps home-movers find their happy in new campaign - Drum Magazine APRIL 22, 2014
Two weeks later after the trip: To the Caldey Lighthouse: oil on paper 30 x 40 cm
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Thank you very much for your comments - Tim