Dunster Castle

 Dunster Castle on the North Somerset coast is a real gem. The first image was probably my favourite view of the castle and I think the image is made by the stunning foxgloves.

The second image is looking out over the rooftop of the castle  across the Bristol Channel. It really is a wonderful setting. The medieval village of Dunster just below the castle is also really wonderful with lots of really old houses and an octagonal building at the heart of the village that was once a yarn market.

Well Well Well!

Here are a few more shots form the Chateau at Haut Koenigsbourg.

The first shot shows an ornate well in a courtyard hidden away at the top of the castle. The second shot shows the detail of the ornamentation on top of the well. It is a French infantryman, he is looking down on the courtyard with a bit of a sour expression, perhaps because he feels a bit foolish stood on a pineapple.

The final shot is a view from a tower looking along the top of the curtain wall and across the wide expanse of the Haut Rhin region of Alsace towards the border with Germany. It looks like the land is quite flat in the distance but in fact there are gentle hills and slopes which are home to the many vineyards and orchards the produce the regions famous wines and Eaux de Vie.

Chirk

The castle for today's blog (and over the next few days too) is Chirk Castle near Wrexham in North Wales.  This Medieval castle was completed in 1310 so was built some time after Portchester Castle which featured in the last two posts.  

I have chosen a mixture of colour and black & white shots today.  The colour images show the warmth of the stone walls.  I think the door in the second picture is a really nice feature and the picture of the lantern also highlights the quality of the stonework.

This is a great place to visit any time of the year, there is always something new to see and as the place is managed by the National Trust there are often special events which bring the castle to life.