Bookshops, Cake, Castles, Church and Birds

I gave Trish a few options where to go today and it is a lot of places you've seen many times before (last year for a start!). Still it was nice for her to see them.

Given all the rain down south it was dry as we set out to......? Hay-On-Wye!

The journey was very scenic!

And so we arrived at Hay......

The river seemed high

One or two of the more eccentric locals don't like the Kindle (perhaps if they opened their shops.....).

We arrived at Croft Castle for lunch. This was intended to be soup (nice) but the cake of the week (lemon Drizzle) looked nice so..... it was lovely!

Lunchtime guests.....

And a walk around the garden....

We wandered down to the small lake/large pond....

where we saw a moorhen, Little Grebe with chicks and.... a Spotted Flycatcher!

Alas no pics inside :( It's a liveable house!

The afternoon cake was carrot and Lemon with poppy seed. Nice! and we were joined by...

It had started to rain lightly so we headed off. I had intended to stop at nearby Mortimer Watermill but Trish was on the phone and I missed the turn by the time I  had a a chance to turn back I saw a sign for somewhere else and thought ah ha!

Shobdon Church is next to Shobdon Court and some factories reached down a lovely tree lined avenue it looks normal

inside however.....

The church was  rebuilt in the Strawberry Hill Gothick style it's certainly striking and unusual but my first thought on seeing it over 10 years ago now was it looks like a tarts boudoir! The old church must have been amazing if the font and nearby arches (arcades from the old church). are any guide.

Like time I was this way I tried to get into Old Radnor church and failed today however......

However I had a secondary reason because last time I was here the churchyard was chock full of birds one of which was a Redstart and today?

Actually we saw a youngster!!

Cracking result!

We move tomorrow and may not have wifi......