Torquay weather and temp in Fahr.

MAIDENCOMBE.NET AUTHOR Jim Campbell

MAIDENCOMBE.NET AUTHOR Jim Campbell
Maidencombe resident since 1960. Local historian and author of the 'Coves of Maidencombe'.
Copyright © 2013 . All Rights Reserved.
Blog Directory & Business Pages - OnToplist.com

TIDES

KESTREL CALLING

BUZZARD IN MY GARDEN

RESERVE

NST

The bowl of the coombe as seen from Sladnor heights

The bowl of the coombe as seen from Sladnor heights

Maidencombe point

Maidencombe point
as seen above Maidencombe cove.

Blog Archive

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

All quiet down in the village

Unwilling to go into details here, but suffice it to say that things appear to have settled down at the bottom of the village since last Friday.  I would ask everyone to be vigilant  - especially so following the disgraceful dumping of ten sacks of hazardous material in Brim Hill on September 30th.
Try to take a note of any registration numbers of vehicles and the time, date and location.  This information can then be passed on to our community policeman - I'll get details for everyone and post in the side panel.
Maidencombe is, and should continue to be, a safe and peaceful place for all residents and we can all play a part in achieving this.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Sport excellence in Maidencombe

A piece of Torbay and Maidencombe history was written over the weekend when Neal Taylor of Brim Hill, Maidencombe  was competing in the ASA Masters Swimming Championships at  Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, Sheffield.
 Neal Taylor (on the right) pictured at Ponds Forge Sports Centre.

His coach, another Maidencombe resident, Don Roberts of Ashley Priors Lane, revealed that Neal is the first ever club member to break the two minute barrier for the 200 metre freestyle event - no mean feat even today as it was the legendary USA swimmer Don Schollander who was the first man in the world to break 2 minutes for the event, on July 7, 1963.  Don Roberts was the winner of the Torbay Sports Award back in 2006 in recognition of his outstanding services to Oddicombe Swimming Club and Torbay.

Neal maintains a tradition of sports excellence for Maidencombers, following in the wake of Hiley Edwards - formerly of Maidencombe Cottage - (1951-2009) the Devon cricket captain who scored more than 16,000 runs in 17 seasons.

Friday, October 26, 2012

POLICE OPERATION AT SUITE DREAMS

Details are hazy, but there was a police operation today at Suite Dreams in Steep Hill with vehicles being seized.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

MAIDENCOMBE CROSS LAYBY WAITING RESTRICTIONS

At a council Transport meeting held at the Town Hall this afternoon, it was decided to implement waiting restrictions at the contentious Maidencombe Cross layby.  After being advertised August/September, the matter was laid aside after objections were received against restrictions.
Support for the restrictions came from various councillors, including St Marychurch Ward councillor Peter Addis.  SEE HERALD EXPRESS ARTICLE SIDE PANEL RIGHT.

Massive temperature drop in the offing

Get those thermals out - there's a shock to the system coming Friday with a massive 20+ (F) degree drop forecast. Come the evening, temperatures will plummet dramatically.  With the wind chill factor coming into play, it'll feel like 30 F approaching midnight Friday..

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

CALENDARS UPDATE

I'll try and get more of the calendars out to those who ordered them in the next few days.  Sorry for delay, but I've been unwell the past few days.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

TEMPLATE CRASH

Sorry about the loss of the blog today - all my other sites are fine but, inexplicably, The Maidencombers suffered a rare HTML crash necessitating the uploading of another template.  A bit of rearranging to do yet, but hopefully we'll be back in business later today.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Arctic winds combe bound

Our first taste of winter and plummeting temperatures as a cold front sweeps in from the north this Friday.  Start looking for the gloves and scarf.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Evening sky on fire above Sladnor

So Cruise and I had just returned from our early evening walk but had noticed the pink hues forming as the sun set behind the western ridge above the Sladnor chalets.  I collected my camera and went out again to capture a few shots.  The hues changed dramatically in the space of a few minutes, progressing rapidly to lurid crimson.  Later, on our nightly tour of the combe,  the magic continued with the light rustling of falling leaves reminding me of the transition into deep autumn. 

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Maidencombe beach cascade

The famed cascade as seen about a hundred years ago - one of the natural wonders of Maidencombe.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

'It was good while it lasted ...'

As we highlighted a few days ago, something had to be done about the outfall from the cascade flooding the approaches to Maidencombe cove.  It had become dangerous and was an accident waiting to happen for any unsuspecting visitor to the beach.  So, regrettably, the Trust was notified and immediate action was taken, which ultimately spelt the end of  the 2012 revival of the celebrated cascade.
UPDATE Friday October 19th:  Now hearing that the clearing of the grill was not as a result of any call to the council or trust, but as  a  scheduled task.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Maidencombe Calendar now available for distribution

We are pleased to announce that the MRA calendar is now ready.  A screenshot of the front cover is posted on the right.  In the next few days I'll be emailing those residents who have ordered copies to arrange delivery. Reply to query:  Please email me at preconcruiser@aol.com  with your name and address and I'll reserve you a calendar.  They are priced at £6.50 each. If you reside outside of Maidencombe, I can arrange p & p for you.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

House Martins swarming in the combe

Noticed  swallow type birds swarming south of the orchard yesterday but wasn't close enough to identify.  Late afternoon today So Cruise and I encountered them again east of Maidencombe Cross.  White underbellies and fairly short forked tails eliminated both swift and swallow and noted that House Martins have been sighted in fairly large numbers in this vicinity past few days.  Allied to the drop in temperature, sure signs that winter is on the way.  We wish we could migrate to Africa with them!

Friday, October 12, 2012

MAIDENCOMBE HISTORY: BLACKALLER'S COVE

Continuing our informative video clip footage of Maidencombe, a quick look down from the lower coastal footpath at the first cove north of Maidencombe beach - Blackaller's cove. Thought to be named after the wealthy and influential landowning and farming Blackaller (one who lives by the dense alder wood) family :  Elias  Blackaller ( 1793-1865 who was born in Stokeinteignhead and is recorded in the 1861 census as residing in the Court House, Rock House Lane); Elias Blackaller (1761-1839); John Blackaller (1834-1879); Susan Blackaller (1840-1905).  Recorded in the Pictorial & Historical Survey of Babbacombe & St Marychurch, Volume 2 as being Lord of the Manor of Maidencombe at Court Farm until 1882.
It is a matter of conjecture whether any of the Blackallers had a direct connection with this tiny cove, let alone even visited it and the more common name of this cove is simply 'Table Rock'.  A look at the clip will show you why ... 

ARCHIVE FOOTAGE: SNOW IN MAIDENCOMBE

Not a regular occurrence for Maidencombe by any means - this clip taken on December 19th 2010. 

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Spend a peaceful minute ..

As promised, So Cruise and I popped down to the beach to see the cascade.  Very pretty and peaceful it was too, however,  work will have to be done before next spring to divert the flow of water from the concrete slabbed approach to the beach.
Up to the sixties, when there was no unsightly wire cage or slabs, the outfall was absorbed  into the sea via natural rock layers.  The legacy of man-made 'improvements' has now succeeded in making the access point hazardous to navigate.

3 MILLION GALLONS OF RAIN IN THE COMBE!

If this is an indicator of the amount of water falling onto about six square feet in 48 hours, I have made an approximate (very!) calculation of how much water has accumulated in the combe over the same period.
Bear in mind that I failed maths at school but here are the calculations:

Surface area of wheelbarrow 6 square feet .. amount of rain water 2.5 gallons .. surface area of combe  approx 160 acres or 6,969,600 square feet ...  divide that figure by 6 = 1,161,600 ... multiply that by 2.5 and you arrive at a figure of 2,904,000 gallons.

So there we have it - roughly 3 million gallons of rain water falling on the combe in the past 48 hours.  Flooding evident on underground watercourses surfacing in the lower reaches by the beach car park.

Tuesday, October 09, 2012

NO LET UP

Shades of last summer's great deluge when over four inches of rain fell in as many days.  Further sustained rainfall the past 36 hours.  I'll pay a visit to the beach tomorrow to judge the amount of water gravitating down the combe and out via the cascade.

Monday, October 08, 2012

Soggy combe

Just over an inch of rain fell Sunday night - as measured by my ever reliable weather station (wheelbarrow on the lawn) and this on top of the heavy rainfall of a couple of days previous.  The forecast for the rest of the week doesn't bode well for the chances of the combe drying out any time soon.  Be careful out walking - it's quite treacherous in places.

Kestrel o'er the combe

I've seen kestrels around Labrador Bay but they aren't as common as buzzards in the combe.  I managed to get this short clip in the field due south of the orchard late Sunday afternoon.  Excuse the camera shake but I had no tripod and was in zoom mode lying prone on the ground - tricky.  There's a slow-mo section at the end of the clip.
Birds of prey can be tricky to identify but the size of this bird and the unmistakable ability to hover distinguished this as a kestrel and not a hobby (can't hover) or a Peregrine falcon (black head mask).

Saturday, October 06, 2012

Combe flooding

Sustained heavy rainfall from late evening Friday into the early hours Saturday has resulted in the drains overflowing throughout the lower reaches of the combe.  Steep Hill and Rockhouse Lane flooding across the full width of the lanes from midnight onwards.

Friday, October 05, 2012

A Nightmare on Maidencombe Street (2012)

The sort of  garbled signage you would expect in urbanised Torbay but now Maidencombe Cross has taken on nightmarish proportions as seen in the photo above.  Back in the 1950's a majestic tree stood  in the centre of this grassy rise. Granted, there is a need for appropriate signage to inform but this conglomeration is ill-thought out and does little to enhance Maidencombe.

All is quiet

The layby has been empty for two days and nights now.
UPDATE:  Next day it was occupied once more.

BLOG CONTENT

BLOG CONTENT
The twinning of Maidencombe with Comeinbemad reflects the light-hearted nature of this gentle blog. The articles posted are written by the author alone and have no connection with any official body or association.

SLADNOR PARK CHALETS

SLADNOR PARK CHALETS
Eerily shrouded in mist, two of the lower chalets of Sladnor Park.

BURNING OF THE BAMBOO MAN JUNE 5 2016

AN ODE TO SLADNOR PARK

(sung to the tune of 'Home on the Range')

Oh give me a park where the badgers can roam
Where the deer and the wildlife reside
There never is heard the developer's word
To disturb where the denizens abide

Oh give me a park where the diggers are banned
And the architect can't earn his fee
Where the noise of the town
Is a far distant sound
And conservation is all it can be

For when houses are built
The council covered in guilt
And all the animals forlorn
Now the only sounds to be heard
Are vehicles absurd
And the cries of a motherless fawn

Jim Campbell

Search This Website

OUR MAIN LINK - CLICK ON IMAGE TO REDIRECT

OUR MAIN LINK - CLICK ON IMAGE TO REDIRECT
THE ENDANGERED CIRL BUNTING - SYMBOL OF THE MAIDENCOMBE COMMUNITY GROUP

PUTTING MAIDENCOMBE ON THE MAP

PUTTING MAIDENCOMBE ON THE MAP
Blogging Fusion Blog Directory

STAT

MOST VIEWED POST ON THIS SITE

MOST VIEWED POST ON THIS SITE
The old Toll House on the west side of the A379 Teignmouth Road, stands at the junction of Claddon Lane with the A379 about 50 yards from Ridge Road and the former position of the black and white Solomons Post sign (see side panel right). This early photo shows the open porch (lower left) - now blocked off and the blanked out toll-board recess (top right). Under the angled roof on the right, there is a small shop and working post office. The building probably dates from 1827 when the new road was built. Originally named Solomon's Post Gate when there was a gate across the road for the toll collector to open upon payment.

RAMBLING GROUP WRITE-UP OF WATCOMBE TO MAIDENCOMBE WALK

Found this interesting little site with a rambling group's write up of walks. CLICK HERE FOR MAIDENCOMBE WALK ARTICLE

MAIDENCOMBER SLADNOR VIDEO AND WRITE-UP

YOUR LOCAL WEB APPROVES DREAMINCOMBES

YOUR LOCAL WEB APPROVES DREAMINCOMBES
After scrutiny by a panel, this site has been added as a reputable source of information about Maidencombe.

ARCHIVE: MAIDENCOMBE TIMELINE EVENING AT THE THATCHED TAVERN

The first Timeline evening took place Wednesday evening March 20th at the Thatched Tavern. Local lad Ziggy Austin's brainchild, it was an endeavour to map out the history of Maidencombe on a ten metre paper scroll. The initiative was first mooted and widely supported on Ziggy's Maidencombe Residents Facebook page. Residents and non residents were asked if they could research local history on the area and bring along any material such as postcards or text to place on the scroll.
The first evening was well attended and as can be seen in the photos on the left, a great deal was achieved.
Longest residing villager, Alan Hunt attended to add his considerable knowledge and was supported by his 'young' student Jim Campbell with a mere 53 years of residence under his belt.
The pub opened up the restaurant area for the occasion and were most generous in providing sandwiches for the studious throng.


SOLOMONS POST AT THE JUNCTION OF TEIGNMOUTH ROAD & RIDGE ROAD

SOLOMONS POST AT THE JUNCTION OF TEIGNMOUTH ROAD & RIDGE ROAD
No known images of this iconic Maidencombe landmark exist. Post war and up to the late 1960's, sign posts were wooden posts painted black and white. This is a close reconstruction of the sign where buses would actually pull in to for passengers to alight or board.

A UNIQUE VIDEO

A video of one of my foxes being treated for Sarcoptic mange - taking the medication on the food by hand. She recovered completely and my thanks go out to the Derbyshire Fox Rescue who supplied the medication.

DRAMATIC EROSION OF THE SOUTHWEST COASTAL FOOTPATH

Worth a look as Maidencombe's section of the SWCP is also very much under threat.

From myfoxesandbadgers site

ARCHIVE: DANGEROUS STATE OF CLIFF FACE

ARCHIVE: DANGEROUS STATE OF CLIFF FACE
Photo taken from the beach cafe above Maidencombe cove and the arrows indicate the cause for concern. A minor land slip has already taken place and the Environment Agency had a look Christmas eve in case the cove had to be closed.

ARCHIVE: Entrance to Crossways at Maidencombe Cross

ARCHIVE: Entrance to Crossways at Maidencombe Cross
After a catalogue of antisocial behaviour displayed by motorists illegally entering a private area, the police recommended that the entrance be made narrower. A sad indictment of society.

THE FOLLY AT SLADNOR PARK

THE FOLLY AT SLADNOR PARK
Constructed between 1830-1833 by Mrs Groves who inhabited Sladnor Manor House at the time. The hexagonal tower and accompanying arched outbuilding were built of Devon red sandstone. A projecting castellated cornice crowned the gothic apertures and single faux crossbow slit at ground level. A most interesting aspect of the folly is the purpose-built pony and trap winding carriage-way which Mrs Groves carved through the north western woods of the estate to facilitate her passage to and from the folly. The structure is now in poor condition and it is earnestly hoped that Richmond Villages, the new owners of Sladnor, will be able to make safe the folly to enable residents to enjoy in years to come.

FEATURES OF MAIDENCOMBE

Some of the features we will be mentioning:

ROCK HOUSE GAZEBO
THE CASCADE
THE IRON STILE
THE CASTELLATED FOLLY
THE BAT RETREAT
THE PUMP HOUSE
THE PILL BOX
THE 190 OAK
SMUGGLER'S LANE

GRADE 2 LISTED ROCK HOUSE GAZEBO

GRADE 2 LISTED ROCK HOUSE GAZEBO
Circa 1850. Constructed of Devon red sandstone with unfortunately, as is the case with the Sladnor Folly, some cement patching. Sited at the eastern end of the garden, overlooking the sea. A single storey structure with faux castellated parapet. It has a one-window front incorporating a gabled porch on the front to left with a segmental headed and arched doorway. There is a matching arched window to the right. Reportedly, the structure had a flight of external steps for access to the flat roof with commanding views of Lyme Bay. The interior is clay-tiled laid.