Tuesday, August 09, 2011

Morwellham Quay

Eager to eke out every last relaxing minute of our holiday, we travelled home on Saturday via Morwellham Quay in Devon.

If you were a fan of the BBC2 series Edwardian Farm, which aired late last year, you will know that this was the location for the show, where the team spent a whole year living the life of farmers of the Edwardian age.
Morwellham Quay, on the River Tamar, was once the most important port in England, but as the copper supply ran out after decades of mining, the port slowly became abandoned. Now a world heritage site, it is slowly being brought back to how it once would have looked.
There are plenty of interesting exhibits to enjoy, where history really does seem to come to life.
There's the assayer's and miners cottages...

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The village shop...
Watch the potter making traditional Morwellham pots on an authentic 1920's wheel.
Take a trip underground into the George and Charlotte Copper Mine, on the railway...
Or pay a visit to Ruth's Cottage...
Named after historian Ruth Goodman, who spent a year living in the cottage experiencing life as an Edwardian woman, and learning how it was important to diversify during a decade of huge social change.
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If you take the official tour, you will also learn of the real Victorian and Edwardian inhabitants that the cottage had been home to.
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Many of the other 'stars' of the show can be seen up at the farm yard (in reality not just outside the cottage as it appeared on TV, but a short walk up a lane from the village centre)...
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It was the perfect place to round off our holiday.
In fact I was very inspired by the talk given by the guide at Ruth's Cottage, where she explained how the pine table in the kitchen, which would have been the only work surface in this hard working space, would have been scrubbed daily with hot water and bicarbonate of soda.
When I got home, I decided to try this method on our rather dingy kitchen table. Slightly ashamedly, I confess to usually only wiping it over after mealtimes with a damp cloth, and mostly hiding it under a tablecloth.
But after a bit of elbow grease and some bicarb, the surface was much improved...
Worth the effort, and hopefully I shall be able to keep it looking this good - It should only need a scrub with the white stuff now and then to keep it looking Victorian clean!
Niki x

7 comments:

  1. Goodness Niki, we've just come back from Devon and Cornwall too, but I wished I'd remembered this Quay, as I would have loved to have seen it.
    Thankyou for sharing with us.
    It looks gorgeous.

    So pleased you had a good time, and next time I'm going to try and stop off at your shop on the way ;o)

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  2. It looks like a great place to visit, especially for a history lover,
    Blessings,
    Lorilee

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  3. Wonderful pictures and story, Niki! I love those pigs! Fantastic result, this victorian scrubbing :-), will keep that in memory, thanks.

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  4. Thanks for reminding me about this place Niki. I think a little visit is in order, it looks great :-)

    So glad you and your family had a lovely holiday. I hope you have come back well rested xxx

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  5. Hi Niki, what an absolutely wonderful place and your photos, as usual, do a great selling job! I loved The Edwardian Farm, so I'll put it on my must-see list!
    Oh, by the way, "Slightly ashamedly, I confess to usually only wiping it over after mealtimes with a damp cloth, and mostly hiding it under a tablecloth." ME TOO!
    The Time Sculptor

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  6. An absolute pleasure as always to visit your blog and thank you for sharing the tour!
    Staycation for us this year (after last year's spring traveling fiasco...huh challenges)so a little bit of home sighting for us expats is always wonderful!
    Blessings,

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  7. Hello Niki,
    I'm just back from a holiday from Devon too and was writing about it when I spotted your piece! I loved reading about your visit to the Tamer Valley, I've never been there. I'm glad you had a happy time. Jane x

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Thank you for finding the time to visit me...
Niki xx