Tuesday 12 February 2008

A day out to Hay-on-Wye and Capel-y-Ffin

The day begins - after a brunch of bacon rolls we set off down this alleyway to the bookshops, but we were very good and only bought one book for me, and several for D, as we had promised.



The delights of the antiques stalls. I really, really regret not buying this. It is SO beautiful and exquisitely embroidered.


Here are a couple more of the rooms in the building - each one is rented by different people and has a different style, depending on what the vendors like to sell (or managed to buy).



Walking back up the High Street, we could glimpse across towards Clyro.


Then because it was such a superb day, we set off over Hay Bluff to the tiny chapel at Capel-y-Ffin. This is one of the views along the way.


As you can see, it was a single track road . . . with sheeps!


And it didn't improve further along - it's this narrow nearly all the way. You have to be good at reversing.


Here is the beautiful little chapel of St Mary the Virgin at Capel-y-Ffin (the chapel on the boundary). I love the crooked little tower. Kilvert said it reminded him of an owl. He was fond of walking up to it from Clyro (about 9 miles each way). How he would have loved that walk in such weather as we had today. Kilvert described it as ' the old chapel, short, stout and boxy, with its little bell turret, squatting like a stout grey owl among its seven great yews’.


It is surrounded by the seven ancient yew trees.


Here is the view inside looking towards the far end of the chapel. It is tiny - about 8 yards x 4 yards in size.


I hope you can read the words of Psalm 121: "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help." I had this Psalm read at my mother's funeral, as we were so surrounded by hills here at home, it was very apt. As it is at Capel-y-Ffin too.

6 comments:

nancy said...

Just beautiful. Are those all gravestone monuments right at the front door? The one in the photo with the two yews (awesome, by the way) looks to be impossible to read. I wonder how old are the graves there? And the chapel itself. It doesn't look so antiquated. I couldn't read the window by myself. That is one of my favorite scriptures. It reminds me of how all powerful God is in the face of my poor limitations. (As does the splendour of His creation which you are always displaying here :)
Nancy

LBP said...

Absolutely stunning! How I wish I could see this for myself, but you do a great job of seeing it for me!

Thanks so much for the photos!
Blessings

Linda

nancy said...

Jennie, I came back to say how much I enjoyed my trip to Hay on Wye! Honestly, I feel like I've been there. You do such a great job with the combination of your photos and narrative. I'd really like to send more ofmy friends your way. It's an enriching experience to come to your blog and I'd live to share it with others. I might do a little feature on my site, if it's ok with you. Rowan also does a good job with this. I'm sure hoping things are ok with her. She's been away a long time.
Nancy

Bovey Belle said...

I don't think I noticed any writing on those plaques on the wall Nancy. I will see if I can find out anything more about it. I know there were burials there from the early 1700s as I took a photo of a vault to a "Noah" somebody, but it didn't come out clear enough to print.

Linda - nice to have you there through the photographs. Not quite the same as seeing it for yourself, but you can start writing your itinerary!

Bovey Belle said...

Nancy - I would love a mention on your site. It's great to have a wider audience, and when I go out for the day, I deliberately take photos of places and scenery which I think people might enjoy. We haven't heard from Rowan lately, since her husband had to go into hospital for an operation. I'm hoping that no news is good news . . .

Strawberry Lane said...

Beautiful photos, how lovely to wander with you!

I love the little chapel. And Psalm 121 was my father's favoite. That gave me a few tears.