This morning we decided to visit a National Trust property, Brimham Rocks. A series of rock formations formed some 430 million years ago.  It is an amazing collection of rocks. Many of the rocks resemble every day things.   There is dancing bear, the Druids writing desk, the flowerpot etc.

We spent a long time walking around and over the rocks and after we had been there for a while we could see a storm brewing and thick black ominous looking cloud surrounded us and then there was some thunder and lightning so we decided it was time to leave.

 

We arrived in Harrogate late this afternoon and checked into our lovely apartment which we have rented for the whole week.  It is no more than 5 minutes walk from the centre of town.

 

Harrogate

This morning we left the relatives in Chichester and headed north towards Harrogate.

As we were driving along the Motorway I spotted this unusual thatched cottage being transported on the back of a truck.

 

Portsmouth Dockyards

Today we went with Colin's cousins Karen and Carey to Portsmouth Dockyards to see the 3 ships there.  The Warrior, The Victory and The Mary Rose.

The Mary Rose Museum is a brand new state of the art home for the remains of henry VIII's flagship and an extraordinarly collection of artefacts recovered from the sea after 400 years.  Only half the ship remains because it was buried in mud and was therefore preserved. 

The museum is over 3 floors and each floor is looking through glass at a level on the ship.  Each room contains a massive collection of artefacts, all preserved by the mud that the ship lay in.

The other two ships the Victory and the Warrior we were able to walk around the various decks of these ships.

We went to visit Nymans house and garden in Sussex. The house was partially destroyed by fire in 1947 and the romantic ruins of a fairytale gothic mansion remain.

 

The house belonged to Lord Snowdons mother and was lived in until 1992.  There are still some outer buildings that are rented out as several flats.  A very picturesque place to live.

 

 

After Bodiam Castle we went to visit the most amazing toy car museum.  Cars from tiny Dinky toys to a Rolls Royce for a child.  It was a huge musem and we spent quite a long time in there.

 

Bodiam Castle.  Possibly the pretties castle in England surrounded completely by a moat.