Cotehele-10 November 2010

[David Nicholson]

A gorgeous November day today (after a run of very wet and windy weather, to be resumed tomorrow and Friday) which started with frost on the greenhouse first thing(well my kind of first thing anyway!) and it being Wednesday called for a day out.

Cotehele is fairly handy for us, a drive down the A38 and over the Tamar Bridge of around 20 miles or so means it is a National Trust property we visit fairly regularly. It's a lovely setting perched high upon the Cornwall bank of the River Tamar with long views over to Dartmoor. For more see http://www.cornwall-calling.co.uk/national-trust/cotehele.htm


First off a few views of the House followed by some more of preparations being made for the annual "building" of the Christmas garland in the great hall. This takes a small staff of 4/5 people well over a week to complete. The main body of the garland is made from Pittosporum foliage which is then interlaced with dried flowers which are specially grown in the gardens. It's quite a spectacle nearer to Christmas when the hall is decorated too and a roaring fire is lit in the hearth and children and choirs sing carols.

I should add that some images from the series that follows were me trying to be arty and failing abjectly-I have no artistic ability at all says one who knows best!-so without even mentioning which ones were meant to be arty here goes.

[David Nicholson]

.... more from Cotehele.

4 views with Autumn colour.
Cornus
Swiss Chard---- see next post!
Sedum
2 views looking out from the grounds

[David Nicholson]

Whoops-missed the Swiss Chard and posted Sedum twice

[David Nicholson]

Not the best time of year for flowers and even most of the Cyclamen hederifolium were finshed but it was possible to find some colour
Alstroemeria
Mahonia
Cosmos
Salvia
Iris unguicularis
Iris foetidissima seed head
2 that looked to me like Camelias but had smaller leaves than most Camelias I've seen before
A basking butterfly

[David Nicholson]

.... and the final lot-an eclectic selection.

[Maggi Young]

When I saw "Cotehele", I thought, in my infinite ignorance, that this thread was about something South American....I suppose I had Popocatepetl in mind and thought this name somewhat similar.  

 An attractive house  surrounded by late autumn colour... and the 'half-timbered' roof is magnificent.
When these folk make a garland they don't hold back, do they?  

[Tony Willis]

David a lovely place. We visited in the spring a couple of years ago and it looks as fine in the autumn. Thanks for showing it

[cohan]

interesting stuff! i'm with maggi--i was trying on various pronunciations, settling on a more or less spanish one, and wondering where this exotic sounding place was..lol

nice to have an outing like this close to home, i'd have to cross the ocean (or travel overland a similar distance) to find an old estate like this..
what are the items in the texture series? was this an art exhibit?

[Paddy Tobin]

David,

We visited at Easter time a few years back and enjoyed the gardens very much, a very pleasant walk around. Many thanks for showing the gardens at, for us,  another season.

Cohan, I think you might pronounce it "Coat+ heel"

Paddy

[cohan]

thanks, paddy--once i realised it was in britain, i was thinking more along those lines... sometimes i forget to think in english must be some history in that name!

[Paddy Tobin]

But, then again, Cohan, I'm Irish and I couldn't be sure how the English pronounce their names.

Paddy

[cohan]

anything is possible! i sometimes have to take orders at work which involve people giving their relatives' names, and i always ask for spelling even if it sounds like a 'regular' name, much less the less common ones--sometimes grandparents want me to guess how the names of grandchildren might be spelled, i tell them these days all bets are off

[David Nicholson]

Paddy's right in his pronunciation Cohan.

The roots of the word are from the ancient Cornish language "Koesheyl" meaning something like "the wood on the estuary/creek". The Cornish language hasn't died out yet but it's on it's last legs. Like Welsh, Cornish is a Celtic language and there are strong similarities to the dialect spoken in Brittany(France).

Celtic is really the indigenous language of this Island before the Romans, the Anglo Saxons and the Normans brought new words to our shore and diluted, and sometimes simply replaced, it.

[cohan]

ah, of course, i hadn't even thought of celtic roots for the word... thanks, david..

[Brian Ellis]

Lovely photos, David, I can't remember the last time I visited Cotehele, it must have been a long time ago as I could barely remember it, perhaps in the late '60s.  The autumn colour this year is great.