Target turn

Looking out toward what used to be Stantonbury Manor, which is now just a field, although the Church of St. Peter still remains.

Belonging to the national trust, they’ve just planted a tree from a cutting of the sycamore on sycamore gap, Hadrian’s Wall, which was felled by vandals a couple of years ago.

Wondered what the guys were doing putting the big fence up around it…it’s so they don’t cut it down again.

Stantonbury Manor

Another one of these stately homes that came to nothing. Seem to be pretty common for these parts….

This one was wiped out by fire less than 120 years after it was first opened in 1658, from what I can make out.

Only the church remains which was in usage right up to the 1950’s.

It’s very close to the river Ouzel, like the last one in https://www.michaeltyler.co.uk/simpson-manor-caldecotte-lake-and-toilet-repairs-in-tinkers-bridge/. the grounds are with ponds and pools, like Simpson Manor.

They’ve got some areas sectioned off which are undergoing archaeological excavations. Very interesting….

Walking down here, there’s like an old service road at the bottom of the valley which leads down over the river. It’s got old signs saying, no stopping, don’t park here etc. It must have been closed to traffic for decades, but the signs remain, rusted and barely readable.

Sunken boat, hidden treasure?

The only hidden treasure from this one seems to be the film of diesel that’s floated down and is now flowing over the canal overflow and into the lakes and river.

It’s got a pole at the cabin end. Maybe you can see it sticking up like an aerial. That’s stopping it falling down into the canal.

When I first got here a couple of weeks ago, it was floating and seaworthy. Now, not so much. Someone actually lived on it, which must have caused some problems.

Losing your home is never nice.

Weather

Ain’t so good.

I’ve only managed to get out on the bike once more since the New Year and my last pictures on the blog.

It rains most days, or is very cloudy and damp.

It feels cold.

On Saturday, the cloud cleared and I took the opportunity to go for a little ride.

2 hours or so, up through Northamptonshire, over the M1, (pictured), and back down to Stoney Stanton and Wolverton which is where I’m close to now.

I’m going to stay here maybe one more week. Next stop I think will be the last before I’m out into the countryside.

Away from the filth and the smog of Milton Keynes and out into the wild yonders.

Until then.