Sweetbriar Dreams

So where shall we go on our journey today?

Saturday 16 May 2015

A Windy and Cold Whitby Abbey, North Yorkshire (Part Two)

By now the shadows had disappeared, the sun was hidden behind by the dark leaden clouds and a grey cloak had seemed to suck the colour from the surroundings.  The wind howled through the cracks and voids of the ruined abbey, biting our hands and faces as it swirled around us.


This tactile and atmospheric place would make any creative juices run wild, so I could easily imagine an author looking up to this charismatic ruin and writing one of the best horror stories of all time.


With a grave yard as old as this and the wind playing its sinister symphony along the keys of of the graves, the atmosphere would have been perfect for Bram Stoker and the terrifying story of Dracula.

Each corner we took around the Abbey set the imagination running. What might have been had it survived in its glory.  But, the ruins themselves are even more interesting.  Their bare bones exposed to the elements.


 The salts over the centuries have gradually corroded at the carved faces and created ripples in the stone.


The different colours of the stone work have been continuously shaped by the relentless winds.


The Dracula play continued around us but we had to find some form of shelter due to the cold affecting Mumsy's fingers.  They were literally blue!  (note to self: no matter what the weather, bring gloves!).  So while we have a coffee to warm ourselves up, please show yourself around the Abbey - and remember, hide your neck and keep eating the garlic!















Cold?  

You deserve a cuppa after that tour! 

I really must apologise for being incredibly bad at blogging etiquette over the last month.  I feel as though my life is not my own at the moment after Coco left us, and we are all trying to get back to normal.  However, there have been some positives amongst our grief:

 Mr Teen passed his driving test first time!

 Drum roll please! I have picked up the crochet hook and started putting together a plain and simple square blanket for the new puppy/dog when we find THE one! 



 I am on the search now for a new furry baby, so I will keep you updated on our search and eventually a new beginning for us all in Sweetbriar's household.



Have a wonderful weekend and a fabulous week.




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44 comments:

  1. Congratulations to the new driver! Love the architectural detail in these shots. And meant to say about your last part that I loved the shot of the town!

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  2. Awesome! Enjoyed the tour very much. Great day for son.
    Hope you fine your fur baby soon.

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  3. What an amazing place! I love all your fabulous photos!

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  4. There really isn't a setting to compare, is there? I was there on a sunny September afternoon and warmed myself with a cosy lunch at The Magpie. It was a great day!
    Good luck with your search for a new furry friend.

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  5. What a amazing place to visit. Good luck for your search for a new family member. Blessings

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  6. It definitely knows how 'to do' cold up there at the abbey.

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  7. Such a haunting place, yet so beautiful! It does look quite chilly though! I am happy to hear Mr. Teen passed his test and even more happy to hear you are looking for a new fur baby. I was hoping you would. While we can never replace the ones we lose, we can fil the void they leave and learn to love a new one just as much. Hugs and blessings! Looking forward to our next "trip"! Have a lovely weekend!

    Hugs, Vicky

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  9. A fascinating but chilly place! Well done to Mr Teen on passing his driving test! And I hope you find your new furry baby very soon....sometimes they seem to just appear when you need them....the new blanket is such a nice idea to crochet to have ready.
    Happy weekend.
    Helen xox

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  10. After we lost Lucy Boo last October we thought we would never be able to get another cat but just last week we decided we are in need of a bit of kitten love. Good luck with your search for a new fur baby. xxx

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  11. Your dramatic and eerie photos of the abbey make me feel as though I need a shawl (or maybe it's also because it's snowing here...). I just love the photo with the darkened gravestones in the foreground. So much beautiful stonework! Thanks for the tour.

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  12. Now that's creepy ... I coulda swore I saw a face in agony etched into one of those windswept walls ... *shutter*
    *giggle*
    Seriously, though, I do pray you can find a new furry baby to love. It'll be one lucky dog that ends up in your home. You have so much love and care to give! ~:)

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  13. Wow Chel, Whitby Abbey is amazing and I love your photos. Thanks I felt like I was there with you! Congrats on your son and his driving test. A new puppy will be perfect and what you all need. Take care and have a nice week.
    Hugs, Julie xo

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  14. Amazing! Just beautiful and amazing work - even the cemetery is awesome. Thanks for sharing with us.

    Judy

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  15. I'm happy for you (the new furry baby possibility). Wow! What ruins! Thank you!

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  16. Hello from Southern California! I'm really enjoying your wonderful photos. So glad to have found your blog!

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  17. I've enjoyed your Whitby posts. I wanted to climb into the pictures and touch all that worn stone. :)
    I hope you find your new fur baby soon, do you have any ideas on what you are wanting...or just going to let it happen?
    Two of my grand daughters have just passed their learners licences, so everyone is chuffed, as you ill be with your son. Good for him.

    Diana

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  18. The stonework is stunning. I can't imagine how much more beautiful it was so long ago. I can see how it stroked the imagination for Dracula!
    Best of luck with finding a fur baby. They bring so much to our lives. Hugs,
    Cecilia

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  19. What a wonderful tour..but it does look cold .. and forlorn. Just gorgeous!
    I hope you find the perfect new fur-human soon. xo Diana

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  20. Cold and windy is how it should be I guess to visit those sites, it does add to the drama of the architecture. Congrats to your son and to your whole family on thinking about an other fur baby.

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  21. Oh Chel, how I enjoyed your photos. I was in Whitby last November, with my Mum and best friend Tammy. Sadly it turned out to be my Mum's last trip. She passed away in March. Your photos are beautiful and gave my dull Sunday afternoon a cheer up..
    Hugs from Amsterdam
    Erna

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  22. Congrats Chel on your son driving. Big moment! Loved the tour. Hope you find the wonderful new fur baby soon.
    Have a wonderful Sunday.
    Kris :)

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  23. Fabulous photos of weathered stone. I think I would have preferred the architecture to the storytelling. But all good fun!

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  24. Chel, this Abbey is bone chilling fabulous! I can see the Dracula movie taking place as well. One that I would not dare watch alone! Loved the photos. Congrats for your son. Look at it as now you have an errand boy. lol! Hope you find a new furry friend soon. Don't know why, but that soccer ball reminded me of a lady bug in a field of Daisies. he-he!
    hugs,
    Jann

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  25. Hi Chel,
    Such a majestic Abbey ... Oh boy, I wonder how it has ever been built! Congratulations on your sons drives licence, and for picking up the crochet hook - that is relaxing and gives also a price in the end. And I look forward of your new furry family member, when you get there,
    Hugs Nina

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  26. It's amazing how well the ruins have survived and still have so much detail in them. Lovely story. Congrats to Mr Teen. Looking forward to seeing photos when you find your new pup x

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  27. It's amazing how well the ruins have survived and still have so much detail in them. Lovely story. Congrats to Mr Teen. Looking forward to seeing photos when you find your new pup x

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  28. Thank you for the tour-done safely in the comfort and warmth of my home! Great images. Well done on passing his driving test. How exciting to be thinking about a new doggie-good luck on finding the right one.

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  29. Such amazing shots. You certainly have captured the essence of Whitby! Glad you are close to getting a new furry friend. My mum lost her dog over a year ago and is about to adopt a new pup. xx

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  30. What beautiful stonework - the graveyard looks interesting. Hope a little dog in need of a kind home finds you soon. Betty

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  31. Maybe its just not a warm day today, but I got the shivers reading your post and need to go and get myself a hot drink now! Congrats to your son - more independence for him now and hopefully a little more time for you. Happy thoughts for a new pup and I agree, when the time is right, the perfect pup will make its presence known! xx

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  32. Beautiful photos. WOW! Thank you for sharing.
    I will be praying for you to find that new pup. You will know when it feels right.
    xx oo
    Carla
    P.S. Great job to your son with passing his driver's test. My son is completing his text portion tonight. :-))

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  33. What a totally amazing place this is. Your photos were awesome. - Wishing you the best on your search for a new fur baby too.

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  34. This place certainly does have an aura, doesn't it? I think your photo-editing really helped with the mood too. Very creepy! So glad you feeling a bit better. It looks like you are slowly moving on form your loss. It will never be the same, but the future can be just as sweet. Hugs to you and your family!

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  35. Your first lines would make a great start to a dark Gothic novel. My goodness, I got the shivers just reading this post. Time to put a scarf on this bare neck of mine and eat some garlic!

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  36. Beautifully eerie. Such great photos. I feel cold just seeing them!

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  37. Love the story behind the photos. Hope you find your new family member soon. Heal and remember your fun times with Coco.
    Congrats to your new driver.

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  38. Great photos of the ruins of Whitbey Abbey and together with your words it´s really bone chilly. You live in such a wonderful country full of history. When visiting England we have seen several ruins of Abbeys, for instance last year in North Yorkshire Rivaulx abbey and Byland abbey. It is all so interesting.
    Wish you good luck in finding a new pup.

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  39. Hello Chel, lovely images of the Abbey. I hope your weather has warmed up some, it is chilly here too. Congrats to your Mr. Teen on passing his driving test. I am sure he is really happy. Wishing you good luck on your puppy search. Have a happy day and new week ahead!

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  40. I hope you find a sweet new puppy for your family to love. I know how hard it can be to love a beloved pet. I am reading a book called Coco about Coco Chanel right now. Have a good weekend sweet friend. Hugs, Diane

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  41. Chel, your photos of the Abbey are so beautiful. It does look cold with the bleak sky and all that stone. I hope you find a sweet new furry baby to bring home and love. Hugs. Pam

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  42. What a wonderful place, so full of atmosphere.
    Amalia
    xo

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  43. That certainly was amazing and eerie at the same time, Chel! The worn faces in the rock from the salt spray was especially spine tingling! Your photos are wonderful! It must have been really dramatic to see in person. Congratulations to your son for passing his driving test! A new little furbaby....so sweet. I am looking, too. <3 Hugs Karen

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