#Durlston Country Park

[dansnaturepictures]

Knapweed full of insects - Durlston Country Park 24th June 2023 

As sea mist began to lift and reveal the intense and hot June sun beating down on the emerald landscape, we were fixated by a patch of deep purple knapweed. These flowers acted like a nectar petrol station, hosting a vibrant array of summer insect life. Marbled White and Small Skipper butterflies, dazzling Six-spot Burnet moths and shiny Swollen-thighed beetle. The jewel of the crown, what most captured our attention, were Lulworth Skippers. Numerous Lulworth Skippers. It was a pleasure to spot several on these plants, a real wealth of this rare and localised butterfly species. A mark of identification, the gorgeous crescent of the females was a sight for sore eyes as these miniature butterflies glowed golden in the sunlight. A luxurious and thrilling wildlife encounter. 

The tranquil scene would be somewhat shattered as upon one knapweed up the stem did climb a giant. An enormous cricket which was striking to see and an instant attention grabber, a Great Green Bush-cricket. It commanded the purple flower head when it emerged, snapping at a Lulworth Skipper as if to hunt. A captivating few minutes watching this colossal insect which we had never seen before. These few minutes immersed in the wonders of summertime grassland was exceptional. 

All of the pictures in this photoset are ones I took yesterday of the species mentioned, however not all of them were at this particular patch of knapweed. The photos in order of appearance are of; knapweed, Marbled White, Marbled White and Six-spot Burnet together, Great Green Bush-cricket, five consecutive images of Lulworth Skippers and Lulworth Skipper and Six-spot Burnet. 

[exploring-the-uk]

Durlston Country Park - A Great Coastal Paradise

Durlston Country Park – A Great Coastal Paradise

Introduction ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4 out of 5. Durlston Country Park is a 320-acre National Nature Reserve, a designated SSSI and a popular spot for seeing bottlenose dolphins. The Park has a visitor centre in a renovated Victorian castle. There are plenty of activities for families to enjoy, and you’ll be able to learn about the local wildlife and plants. If you’re interested, there’s even a learning…

[furrina]

The Quest 🇬🇧 Location: Swanage, United Kingdom 📐 Area: 235m² (2,530ft²) 🏡 Architects: @stromarchitects 📸 Photographer: @martingardnerportraits 📆 Project Year: 2016 . Strom Architects has designed a replacement dwelling set on the heavily wooded site with a view over the Durlston Country Park. . “The house exemplifies our belief that simplicity and honesty of construction underlie good design. The initial concept and design drivers are instantly recognisable in the building, and we strive to retain this clarity of intent without adding anything unnecessary to the building. We think carefully about how we build our buildings and work closely with our engineers to ensure an architecture founded in such basic things such as structure, details, materials and order.” — Strom Architects . . . #architecture #architects #strom #stromarchitects #martingardner #thequest #thequesthouse #englisharchitecture #ukarchitecture #englishhouse #ukhouse #openplanhouse #whiteexterior #minimalisthouse #minimalistinterior #modernhouse #modernhome #contemporaryhouse #contemporaryhome #house #home #wowowhome @designstudio_mag Digital Architecture and Design magazine (presso United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/CNhX9IgLaf6/?igshid=peefln4plabs

[swampnymphs]

foggy meadows by durlston country park

[his-tori-an]

This post was inspired by a discussion started by a page I follow on Facebook. They asked what people thought about graffiti on historical buildings, and whether it should be accepted as an archaeological process or whether those responsible should be punished.

  To begin, I believe that graffiti is vandalism, it is a crime and I am fully against the act, especially at heritage sites and doubly religious sites. However, I’m fascinated by graffiti at heritage sites as an anthropological phenomenon, humans have always felt the need to make their mark.

As a kid going to Battle Abbey, there was one room behind a corner which was full of graffiti, mostly early 2000s but a lot from the mid 1900s if my memory is correct. It was amazing, so many people had been through there and written their names, the date, or about their relationship. I felt very much the same at Ely Cathedral, an even more grand site but still with a single wall filled with graffiti. Is it okay because someone has already written there? Is it okay because it’s only one wall? And further to that is is insensitive to heritage, to culture or to religion?

Graffiti at Ely Cathedral

Graffiti at Ely Cathedral

Graffiti at Ely Cathedral

Graffiti at Ely Cathedral

One of my favourite examples of archaeological graffiti is in St Mary’s Church, Battle. There is a singular crusader cross carved into a pillar in St Catherine’s Chapel. This was done as a tribute to God, a crusader asking for protection before leaving for the holy land. I think it’s incredible the personal narrative this adds to the heritage site- maybe this is a counter to my point that graffiti could be insensitive to religion, it is instead a prayer, a pledge.

Medieval crosses carved into a column at St Mary’s Church, Battle

Honestly even when doing exams in school the desks had dates back to “2008” carved into them, I thought that was pretty cool, it showed just how many people had been in that position using that desk. (Is that weird? Or just some attention to detail.. I suppose you can’t judge me for getting bored during an exam.)

In the loft of King’s Manor, York, there is a beam with “1960” written into it. Now that’s weird, the manor was used as a school for the blind until 1958 then acquired by York City Council before being leased to the university. Who got into the loft in the meantime?

Also at King’s Manor there is graffiti in the Huntingdon room, which is now used as a conference room, where schoolgirls from as far back as 1745 had etched words into the windows, their names mostly, but also heartwarming sentiments of love towards their friends and teachers. Personally, I think that these sorts of stories are much more incredible than the physical remains, but buildings archaeologists may disagree.

Graffiti in the windows of King’s Manor. (Source)

The graffiti at Kenilworth Castle is beautiful, featuring dates from 1760 to 1950 (so at least they did that to be kind to future archaeologists). I saw it suggested that maybe this graffiti is so much nicer because when it was made, the act wasn’t illegal- it didn’t have to be a quick “i woz ere”, it could actually be art.

Graffiti at Kenilworth Castle. (Source)

Although I have been reminded of the graffiti at pompeii that says “I had sex with a girl by this wall” etc. Is this appropriate? Bit explicit, but it’s amazing now, it’s a real story of the actions of a person, not just physical remains.

“Persons anxious to write their names will please do so on this stone only” at Durlston Country Park. (Image credit Alix Lucas)

It’s a complicated issue, and like I say, graffiti is a crime, but equally it’s a fascinating study, and it gives a personal narrative to heritage that might not be so prevalent without it.

Discussion: Heritage Graffiti This post was inspired by a discussion started by a page I follow on Facebook. They asked what people thought about graffiti on historical buildings, and whether it should be accepted as an archaeological process or whether those responsible should be punished.

[suitcasetales]

Will There be Dancing at the Ledge?

Day one of hiking! No blue skies and sunshine when we awoke but no rain either so we weren’t complaining. We could breakfast as early as 7:30 and then all hikers were to gather by “the boot room” at 9:15. In muddier times, you were supposed to store your boots there, never wearing them in the main building. The hotel provided an outdoor bottle-filling station, trash and recycling bins, a hose, an outdoor sink, stiff brushes and one of those heavy duty boot scrapers to clear the crud from the sides and bottoms of your hiking footwear. Once we were all ready or otherwise accounted for, we just had to walk down to the bottom of the town parking lot where a private coach (a big bus, not a “short bus”) met us to take us to our respective starting points.

We were dropped off in the small village of Worth Matravers after the bus driver performed an impressive three point turn at a y-intersection in the center of the village. Before stepping out on our 9-mile trek, we visited St. Nicholas Church, built around 1100 a.d. and its churchyard, significant due to the grave of Benjamin Jesty. In the early 1700’s, he injected his own wife with cowpox, after noticing that milkmaids did not get small pox.

From the village, we simply walked an unpaved road for a mile and a half, passing by Coast Guard housing, farms and a quarry. I was always lagging behind the group because I was stopping to admire or photograph wildflowers and other interesting things along the road. I wasn’t there to race; I was there to take it all in. 

Just short of the coastline, we visited St. Aldhelm’s Chapel, with evidence of it being from the 13th century. There were some early dates sketched into some of the stone archways — simply amazing it has survived so long being that close to the sea and exposed to the coastal winds.

St. Aldhelm’s Head is the most southerly point on the Isle of Purbeck. (I had no idea we were hiking on an Isle!) On the point itself is a volunteer-staffed “Eyes Along the Coast” lookout shelter. A sign on the side of the building said the “National Coastwatch Institution serves the public by helping in the protection and preservation of life at sea and along the coast path.” From the size of the binoculars one of the volunteers was using, we reckon he could probably tell what the folks on the one sailboat in view was having for lunch!

Downhill from the lookout was a cool sculpture which commemorates “the radar research carried out at Worth Matravers” during WWII. A quick stop at it and then we were hiking again. 

We hiked along the Southwest Coast Path for about three miles and then stopped and ate our lunches at a popular area called “Dancing Ledge.” Several people had hiked in to this area via a more direct route, including a whole mess of students in wetsuits who entered the sea and then disappeared! Not to worry — they eventually came back and we think were going to have to rappel out of the sea up to the flat rock out cropping. Some of our group scrambled down to that area to eat but we were happy to view it all from above! And no, there was no dancing at Dancing Ledge. Surely, you’re thinking, Janet would have done something but nope, she forgot.

[Just a note about some of my photos during today’s hike. I have no idea what happened! At one point, someone took my camera to take our picture, then messed with some of the settings. Then I probably messed with them a bit more! It was a bit of a gloomy day so some of the photos are actually pretty accurate. At dinner, when comparing notes, others said they didn’t have any good pictures from the day either.]

A couple of miles later, we arrived at Anvil Point Lighthouse, built in the 1800’s. It was fully-automated in 1998 and the lighthouse keepers cottages are available to rent. From this point on, we were still on the coastal path but it ran through the Durlston Country Park and National Nature Reserve so we saw lots more people the rest of the day. There is a castle there, a big globe and lots of educational signage along the way.

Once we walked up to the castle level and around the corner, the sun finally broke through and the sky was almost blue. We had excellent views of Swanage, a traditional family holiday destination and our stopping point for the day. 

We had almost an hour of free time in Swanage so we wandered along the seafront, noting all the English seaside traditions — beach huts, rental deck chairs, wind breaks, Punch & Judy show and many choices of fish & chip places, ice-cream stalls and candy shops where kids were buying “rock” or a “stick of rock.” I will cheat and give you Wikipedia’s description of it: “Rock is a type of hard stick-shaped boiled sugar confectionery most usually flavoured with peppermint or spearmint.” Upon seeing it with Sue, Janet regaled a time when her rock stick broke because she hit a boy in the head with it after he was mean to Sue. Sister love.

We walked to the large car park where our bus was waiting to take us back to Lulworth Cove. It had not rained and the sun was shining. We had made it through our first day of hiking even if I was always lagging behind, taking bad pictures and of course, not dancing.

[benrunnerpants]

Enjoyable & painful, difficult but worth it. Took the short trip out to swanage & @durlstoncountrypark this morning for one of the most difficult parkruns in the uk. I survived, that was all I was hoping for. I had heard it was ridiculous & it is. However I enjoyed time with friends & a pastry afterwards. (Hot chocolate wasn’t great) #garmin being down isn’t great. However first world problems, #strava picking up the data so all good. Great to see @all_things_run.derful (and Nath) @aletakilgore & @davidrutt1980 with family (happy birthday Sarah), plus @rosie_the_staffy19 who enjoyed a post run lick of my fingers & shin! Long weekend as Monday off, out tonight for continuation of wedding anniversary celebrations. #parkrun #durlstoncountrypark #rundorset #runhappy #workoutsnap #lonelygoatrc #runningcommunity #instarun #runstagram #parkrunsaturday #lonelygoatrunningclub #weightlossjourney #injurycomback #injuryrecovery #beardedrunner #runstats #instarunners #rebel #myoddballs #runner #run #newbalance #mountiangoat (at Durlston Country Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CeGgtEPN3FH/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[dansnaturepictures]

[camposdonyana]

Ejemplo 3 en relación al proyecto.

Laura García Borrego.

Lorena Cárdenas Moya.

"La búsqueda" es una casa privada en Swanage (Reino Unido); es una casa de construcción nueva que reemplaza a un bungalow envejecido que había estado en el sitio desde 1917.

El sitio es muy boscoso y con alta pendiente, disfrutando de un hermoso aspecto sureño con una vista sobre el Durlston Country Park.

El sitio en pendiente, con árboles maduros protegidos, dictó el posicionamiento de la vivienda. El acceso es a través de la parte delantera de la propiedad al sur, por lo que se hizo uso un muro de contención revestido en piedra local Purbeck para definir diferentes niveles y ocultar visualmente la ruta vehicular, manteniendo una visión clara de los espacios a través del valle.

El gran voladizo se ha conseguido a través de dos planos de hormigón: el suelo y el techo actúan juntos como una viga espacial. La estructura de hormigón luego se llena de madera simple y seca, dejando el marco de hormigón visible externamente.

[ciudadpnueve-blog]

Ejemplo 3 en relación al proyecto.

Laura García Borrego.

Lorena Cárdenas Moya.

"La búsqueda" es una casa privada en Swanage (Reino Unido); es una casa de construcción nueva que reemplaza a un bungalow envejecido que había estado en el sitio desde 1917.

El sitio es muy boscoso y con alta pendiente, disfrutando de un hermoso aspecto sureño con una vista sobre el Durlston Country Park.

El sitio en pendiente, con árboles maduros protegidos, dictó el posicionamiento de la vivienda. El acceso es a través de la parte delantera de la propiedad al sur, por lo que se hizo uso un muro de contención revestido en piedra local Purbeck para definir diferentes niveles y ocultar visualmente la ruta vehicular, manteniendo una visión clara de los espacios a través del valle.

El gran voladizo se ha conseguido a través de dos planos de hormigón: el suelo y el techo actúan juntos como una viga espacial. La estructura de hormigón luego se llena de madera simple y seca, dejando el marco de hormigón visible externamente.

[applemanblog]

The two bays... (at Durlston Country Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEzKygEg5P6/?igshid=t79ip8puucam

[theabs4]

“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.” - Unknown 🧡 . . #sea #durlstoncountrypark #durlstoncastle #swanage #coastandcountryside #greatglobe #seaview #southwestcoastpath #spectacularview #wildwalks (at Durlston Country Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCuOomQgXZF/?igshid=ho6mgdkaxsbb

[itsharveywood]

Hmm I am curious @durlstoncountrypark - - - #photo #photograph #photography #photoshoot #lgbtq #lgbtqia #lgbtq🌈 #lgbt #photooftheday #canon1300d #canon #throwback #throwbackthursday (at Durlston Country Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_4lvDOjssa/?igshid=r0izgukrcpzl

[photos-of-space]

Millie's Way. Durlston Country Park, England.

[suxxesphoto]

Swanage Dorset

Not far from my base in Bournemouth Dorset was the seaside town of Swanage.  The walk around Swanage was also include some spectacular cliff side scenery and walks over undulating hills.  Swanage would be my next walk in Dorset. (more…)

[darcyfarber]

National Lottery Funds Durlston Park Social Programme

We know isolation is a problem for many people in the UK right now. Increasingly, people from all walks of life are reporting loneliness. Once confined to older generations whose social circle dwindles as they get older, now younger people experience it too. Humans are social creatures; therefore, we need contact with other people for our individual well-being. That’s why the Durlston Park social programme and others like it exist. They do important work to bring local communities together. Helping to build life skills and to enjoy the great outdoors, this scheme has just received National Lottery funding for its vital work.

About the Durlston Park Social Programme

Dorset council owns and operates Durlston Country Park. It’s one of a few spectacular parks overlooking the Jurassic Coast. It has a castle, plenty of wildlife, and is a popular open space for visitors from across the county. The National Lottery has contributed greatly to its restoration and upkeep already, making it a valuable community asset. It’s latest project is the Durlston Park social programme. It aims to break barriers for people who struggle to get to this incredible community asset; however, it also provides funds and resources for volunteering at the park.

The project is now one year old. Therefore, with the current round of funding, Durlston Park social programme can now introduce a community shed. Further, a new car-sharing scheme is available to help those who struggle with transport. The shed is now the de facto hub for volunteers and the community group designed to tackle growing loneliness. Though it’s main focus is people with dementia and disabilities, it is open to anyone experiencing isolation. The car-sharing scheme is fundamental to what they are trying to do. Many isolated people don’t have transport, however, and taxis are expensive. With this scheme, cost is cheap while building friendships.

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