If I had a hammer...

While Kevin was off mountain biking with a local group this morning, I took the opportunity to drive down to the nearby village of Abinger Hammer, just a few minutes away from our housesitting location. We've driven through it at least six or seven times in the past couple of weeks, and each time I've made myself a promise to stop and photograph the clock tower in the centre of town - it portrays Jack the Blacksmith, who strikes the hour with his hammer.

Cyclists, cyclists... everywhere!

The clock tower at Abinger Hammer

Like many English villages - particularly those situated on A-roads between larger towns - it's a nightmare to park. At long last this morning, a quiet Sunday, I managed to nab the last space in the tiny village car park, such as it is - only room for about eight vehicles!

The novelist E M Forster spent forty years in Surrey, and in fact lived just outside Abinger Hammer for about twenty years, until after the end of WW2. I've read A Room With A View and Howard's End so many times... it's fascinating to imagine his characters in this setting.

I have no idea what purpose this little architectural beauty serves. It seems simply to be an extravagantly roofed public bench, just off the road. It's not in the middle of a park or any other kind of recreational space!

After photographing the clock tower I set off on a bridle path and ended up traversing fields newly mown for hay, their rectangular stacks towering like silent sentinels. The shape of the land here is so lovely - wide open fields of gentle curve nestle below the steep Surrey hills with their sections of bright green grass and more darkly verdant woodland trees.

A murder of crows

Hay stubble

Summer is nearly over and the trees are starting to turn. I'm looking forward to Autumn, my favourite time of year. But for the moment I'm enjoying the magic of English summer evenings and the changing country landscape as farmers reap the bounty of the season. 

Until next time,
- Maree  xo