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Christchurch: Convent Walk, priory and grounds
This page follows Christchurch: High Street and Castle Street. I took the photos here in 2018 (two), 2019 (one), and 2020.
Convent Walk and the mill stream in May 2020
Turning right from Castle Street opposite the King’s Arms hotel — and just before the first river bridge — onto Convent Walk, which is on a dike with the river on one side and the mill stream on the other.
Canoes in June 2020
Similar view in October
Shade in October 2020
This is a bridge over a run-off from the mill stream to the river. The plaque might look like brass in this photo, but it is gloss black with raised white lettering, here reflecting the light from the river and its moored boats.
Just the other side of the same structure in September
Turning around to view the priory grounds across the mill stream in October…
According to a placard at its base, this tree was planted in 1994. The ‘great war seating’, photographed close up farther on, is visible in the distance.
Boats moored in the river in October 2020
Swan air-taxying
This swan on the mill stream settled back onto the water farther down. It seemed to me that it thought better of taking off fully with the overhanging trees in front on both sides, the bend in the stream, and the people coming its way.
The tip feathers curl upwards because of air pressure, as far as I know. (At rest they are straight.) Various hang glider designers over the years have tried to emulate them on the premise that they must be a good thing. (A reasonable assumption, it seems to me, given that soaring birds have them too.) Most recently (as of 2020) Wills Wing in California offers flexible tip attachments, which some pilots who have tried them claim improve both performance and handling at low speed. (See under External links later on this page.)
You might also notice the turbulators at the leading edges. Several conventional and not-so conventional airplanes (Harriers, for example) employ them and they were tried some years ago on the Altair Predator flex-wing hang glider.
Priory from Convent Walk in July 2020
Gorky Park from Convent Walk in September 2020
Bridge over the mill stream just north of Place Mill in July 2020
And in October 2021
Sailing club in May 2020. This is looking east (left) from the stone bridge over the mill stream at Place Mill.
“This place must be a mill.”
I took this photo of Faina in late August 2018. It fits in geographically with this series, if not temporally. Faina was made in Vladivostok, Russia, in 2013 (if I recall right). I also took a photo of her sitting on a bench in the park (see farther on) which is why I call it Gorky Park.
Castle and priory
Each had a yew or hazel stave slung over his shoulder, plain and serviceable with the older men, but gaudily painted and carved at either end with the others. Steel caps, mail brigandines, white surcoats with the red lion of St. George, and sword or battle-axe swinging from their belts, completed this equipment, while in some cases the murderous maule or five-foot mallet was hung across the bowstave, being fastened to their leathern shoulder-belt by a hook in the centre of the handle. Sir Nigel’s heart beat high as he looked upon their free bearing and fearless faces.
― Arthur Conan Doyle, The White Company, 1891, the setting of part of the story being Christchurch castle
Castle gates in August 2020
Bowling green building, June 2020
Back-tracking (in a virtual sense) to Castle Street and, instead of taking the Convent Walk turn-off, we take the earlier right-turn past the huge mound topped by a ruined pair of ancient stone arches west of the bowling green.
Bowling green building veranda
Grounds near the priory (June 2020)
Great war seating in grounds near the priory
According to a placard at its base, the tree between the bench and the wall was planted in 1986.
Priory
Emily from North Carolina on the path by the priory in May 2019
Mill stream and Convent walk viewed from the path by the priory in June 2020
The path converges with the mill stream and continues past the priory.
Wall with gate by the mill stream and Convent walk viewed from the path by the priory (June 2020)
Walled path from the priory to Gorky Park (as I call it)
Gorky Park looking north from the stone bridge at Place Mill in 2018
I took this photo of Faina in late August 2018. It fits in geographically with this series, if not temporally. The exit from the walled path is at upper left. The mill stream and Convent Walk are hidden below the farthest trees.
Priory. This is looking to the west (right) from the stone bridge. Also looking left from where the preceding photo was taken. May 2020.
Looking out from the rain shelter in Gorky Park at a swiftly passing shower in November 2020
The rain shelter where I took this photo is set into the wall out of view to the left of the preceding photo of Faina. A boat is moored in the quay beyond the mill stream where Convent Walk bends onto the stone bridge just out of view at right.
Related
This topic continues in Christchurch: Quay and Church Street.
External links
The White Company on Wikipedia
Wills Wing carbon fiber and Lexan raked tip attachment: Wills Wing Sport 3 review by Jonathan Deitch page 38-9 in USHPA Pilot, May-June 2018. He describes the effect of the tips starting at the bottom-right of page 38.
