St Raphael`s Snowdrops.

On a grey misty day we headed onto the moor and sat at Combestone Tor for coffee and cake...mist hung in the valley and obscured the tors in swirling veils...

The ponies stood around rather morosely, while the distant shoulders of the moor were milky with mist.

And whilst I sipped my hot coffee I marvelled that the gnarled magical Hawthorn tree had a doorway ...one that would obviously transport you to the fairy kingdom that legend tells us exists...

Putting aside fanciful thoughts we drove on down the steep hill between shrubby gorse bushes sprinkled with golden flowers and stopped at Huccaby bridge, a rather lovely old pack horse bridge which the West Dart river meandered sleepily under. 

 

 

The river was low, and there was a good sized stretch of river beach showing.  This is a very popular picnic spot in the summer, and usually crowded with noisy families...needless to say we avoid it then.

 

 

 

We drove on and as we were passing St. Raphael`s little church, I spotted a notice on the gate, so we stopped and I went to investigate.

 

 

As I walked round the back of the church I was thrilled to see hundreds of Snowdrops...

 

 

 

They graced the banks and surrounded the little garden seat, and lit the hedge with their snowy whiteness....

 

 

Inside the church by the door was a large array of pots with snowdrops in for a donation, which I couldn`t resist.

 

 

 

It was lovely and peaceful as always, gone were all the sparkly trimmings for Christmas, now it was laid out as the schoolroom it had been in former years, each desk had a fine quill pen sitting in an inkwell.

 

 

I was interested to see on the lovely old granite fireplace, a fabulous collage which had been created by a local artist after hearing that St. Raphael`s didn`t have a war memorial.

 

 

 

It was beautifully done, and showed what a wonderful community spirit there is on the moor.

 

 

And when I got home, I was really pleased that I had some snowdrops from St. Raphael`s garden, and loved that they had marked each stake with a heart...I set them in a little pot in the garden and hope that they will eventually spread and make a lovely show.