Hengistbury Head and Wimborne Minster

Went out for the day with Chris & Maxine. First of all we went to Hengistbury Head, which is much overwalked. There is an oil rig out in the bay, and one can see the Isle-of-Wight, and the Needles. It was bright but windy. We then went on to Kingston Lacey, a National Trust House, which hasn’t been taken over very long. It’s very impressive, used to be owned by the Bankes’s family - loyalists - hence a large Bronze of Charles I. There’s a lot of marble and paintings about (Italian marble and Van Dyck paintings). I slipped down the marble steps - well a few of them - marble does not give one bit! The gardens were lovely and had very large cedars in them - also a marble sarcophagus from the time of Ptolemy I, a sort of rounded one. They have a ha-ha there - keeps the sheep out. We had lunch there, which was lukewarm by the time we got to eat it! Afterwards we had some tea - in the stables - the restaurant was in part of the stables as well - in the horse boxes - I’ve no doubt the stable staff would have been horrified!
Chris & Maxine then took us to Wimborne Minster - very interesting place altogether, Wimborne. The minster has an ancient clock inside and outside there is a figure which strikes the bells on the quarter - apparently it started off as a monk but was refurbished as a soldier in the Napoleonic (I think) wars - off to the club tonight for a drink. Discussed names for the baby!

Wimborne Minster - Astronomical Clock - 1320 ad or thereabouts. (Dorset) Earth in centre. The 24 hr dial has the sun in the middle - outer circle for ‘hour hand’. Moon in middle - phases of the lunar month.