river Avon

The Avon in a wild mood at the Saxon Mill Warwick

Many of us share a fascination with the power of nature, and we love to gaze at storms and mighty waterfalls and erupting volcanos and turbulent seas and raging rivers – as long as we are in a safe viewing spot, and not in the middle of them. And so we were among those drawnContinue reading “The Avon in a wild mood at the Saxon Mill Warwick”

Enchantment in the Natural World in this Time of Lockdown

As the days of the lockdown pass, I’m becoming more aware of a new and powerful sense of renewal in the natural world. Not only have I noticed this on my daily walks but I am hearing it from other people too. “It’s like going back 50 years. Everyone is so much more ‘together’ andContinue reading “Enchantment in the Natural World in this Time of Lockdown”

Stoneleigh Abbey: A Setting to Inspire Jane Austen for Her Novels

If this be error and upon me proved I never writ nor no man ever loved. Shakespeare: Sonnet 116 Certainly, among novelists living and working in the centuries following Shakespeare’s outpourings of genius, it can most truly be said of Jane Austen that if anything she wrote be error and upon her proved, then sheContinue reading “Stoneleigh Abbey: A Setting to Inspire Jane Austen for Her Novels”

Warwick Castle: a Powerhouse of Influence on the Tides of English History, Through the Lords of Warwick

Rising up before you as you approach Warwick from the south, along the Banbury road, you will see a spectacular sight: that of Warwick Castle, perfectly preserved ancient fortress, later transformed into a stately residence. The south-east side of the castle commands a cliff on the opposite bank of the River Avon, as you enterContinue reading “Warwick Castle: a Powerhouse of Influence on the Tides of English History, Through the Lords of Warwick”

Places of Inspiration Part 6: The Saxon Mill, a Writer’s Delight by the Mill-Race on the River Avon Near Warwick

In each one of my places of inspiration I have found spirit of place : in India, at Ayers Rock/Uluru in Australia, in London, in the White Garden at Sissinghurst in Kent, and in Sydney Opera House. But today, I return to a place very close to home – it’s the Saxon Mill on the River Avon, justContinue reading “Places of Inspiration Part 6: The Saxon Mill, a Writer’s Delight by the Mill-Race on the River Avon Near Warwick”