Pick a Pit

 Hello m' ansums,

Long Mizzle Garden pick a pit

"Why have you brought us to a pit!!!" cackled my eldest daughter, when she saw the sign for 'Gwennap Pit'. "Why not?" I retorted. She wanted a mystery road tour and this was our second scheduled stop (the first being a play park with zip wire). With UK lockdown easing, the incoming visitors can have the beaches, buckets of ice-cream and waiting mutant seagulls . Maybe only walkers, Poldark lovers and the odd weirdo know of the joy of pits.

Busveal Chapel, built 1836

Gwennap Pit is a funny old place. We drove through steeply climbing narrow lanes, closely edged with dry stone walls and fields full of horses and gypsy caravans. An unassuming wooden sign post initially marks the spot, which could be easily missed.

 

This welcome sign reads 'for GOD is here', not 'for COD is here' as I misread.

There's a metal entrance gate by the small whitewashed chapel. A path with some World Heritage  information boards leads to steps, then the pit is suddenly there.

Gwennap Pit, Cornwall


You'd be forgiven for thinking this is an ancient druid site. It is in fact a Methodist memorial site created in 1806. With twelve perfect, concentric rings sculpted out of stone and turf, it is believed to have been formed within the natural indent of a collapsed mine.


The amphitheater, was created in the memory of John Wesley, who preached here eighteen times. He thought the site 'the most magnificent spectacle this side of heaven' and sought to provide spiritual enlightenment and guidance to the local Copper miners and families.

In its hey day, thousands would come to worship. The site is still used regularly by worshipers.

 

Ever heard of Pit Training? I felt a bit bad about our frolicking about on this spiritual site, until I read this afterwards on the Visit Redruth website

'Don’t miss the chance to walk around the Pit, and time yourself to see how long it takes you to walk around all 12 tiers from the top to the bottom and back up again (it equals one mile!). Children can look forward to receiving a certificate if they do the full course.'

Whilst we had the place to ourselves, the girls made up a torture course for me. After three rounds of the pit in my khaki action outfit, the frog jumps proved too much crunch! I would have asked for a certificate but the visitor centre / chapel is currently closed.

Onto our next pit stop: the quarry garden in Gyllingdune gardens. This featured in a post back in December here, but you didn't get to see the pit then. These amazing, free gardens overlook Falmouth Bay.

The nine meter deep pit exists because stone was quarried and used for the estate house, built around 1837. Commissioned by a retired general of the empire, William Jesser Coope died in a stagecoach accident not long after the house was completed. The estate was thus left to his son, Reverend Coope.

It is thought that Reverend Coope planted up a garden in the quarry, as well as introducing the 'stone henge'  monolithic arch. His daughters decorated the charming shell grotto and shell caves (I will share these with you in a future post). In 2004 the council received Heritage Lottery funding to restore the gardens.

By summer, the pit really does look like something from Jurassic Park, with its lush Tree Ferns (Dissonia antartica) and towering Giant Rhubarb (Gunnera manicata).

Gunnera manicata getting ready to rocket.


Welcome back to Long Mizzle now for a much needed cuppa....

In my own little pit (see my post 'Who fell into the Pit' ), the sea thrift (Armeria maritima) that I detached from mother sea thrift, beneath the red azalea, have recovered and started to flower. After a three year wait, the Tree Echium (Echium pininana) is forming flower buds.


Just yesterday I hard pruned the Buddleja behind the playhouse. It looks a bit severe, but it will hopefully make for a bushier plant with more flowers. I've usually done this job by now, but better late than never eh.

The Parrot tulips have taken flight, joining the Foxtrots and Quebecs -

As it's Friday night, there's a 'special spritzer' waiting for me. I'll be putting my feet up to watch Gardeners World once the kids are in bed. Tomorrow I'll be planting up my baby Dahlia plants which  arrived via post today (see Flowers for Frida). I'll also be sowing some extra veggie and cut flower seeds for my brother and sister-in-law's new allotment, which I am very excited to see grow.

So if you were to pick a pit, which one would you pick? 

Please do say hello in the comments section below, to let me know you've stopped by.

Lulu xXx

 

Thank you for visiting!

Most recent posts can be found here -

https://longmizzle.blogspot.com/

 

 

 







 




Comments

  1. I thought it said Cod too. Maybe they sell fish on the side :-) I couldn't pick a favourite Pit as they are all lovely in their own unique way. Tony and I fell asleep during Gardeners world so will have to watch it again today some time. We are clearly getting old.

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    1. Cherie, that is total rock n' roll, falling asleep to Gardeners' World :) By the time I'd gotten the kids off to sleep, it was quite late, so I almost did too! Lulu xXx

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  2. It's a strange place - no cod and chips on offer for hungry visitors then :) I am looking forward to seeing the shell cave thingy. The giggling on the video is lovely :)

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    1. Thanks Betty :) They do get me doing some daft things. We enjoyed our egg mayo sandwiches, but I have been strangely thinking about fish & chips ever since. I couldn't photo the shell caves as someone was sat in there, but I think I have some old photos somewhere and we'll be back.... Lulu xXx

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  3. I would love to visit both pits - they both look to have their own unique atmospheres. Seed sowing for me today, also pruning hydrangeas and various other gardening jobs...

    Best wishes
    Ellie

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    1. Hello Ellie, thank you so much for leaving a lovely message. Pits do certainly have atmosphere! I noticed Monty was doing his hydrangeas. Enjoy your garden jobs this weekend. Lulu xXx (p.s. I spy you have a blog, so will come over soon to take a peek...)

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  4. my fav is the quarry garden! magic mini jungle :-D
    love that you take your kids to mystery tours - my grannies did this with us when we were little. ancient ruins, castles and manor houses, museum mines and caves, forests and mountains..... we (ok. - i - brother and cousins were more interested in playing wild) learnt a lot about nature, history and culure our parents or teachers never were able to teach us.
    xxxx

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    1. The quarry garden is so sheltered. It can be blowing a gale on the seafront, and down there you wouldn't know. If it rains, there are the shell caves too :)

      The kids demand mystery tours from me. I have to research places, draw up a schedule, make a picnic lunch, pack my rucksack with supplies, try and get them out the door at a sensible time.... It it always worth it though. So lovely to hear your adventure grannies took you to so many magical, interesting places Beate. Lulu xXx

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  5. I love both but that garden one tops the two, I love the jungle-y planting!
    Giant rhubarb! We had a monster in our old house and had to leave it behind - one day I'll find a replacement.
    Hope you enjoyed Gardeners World. I had a bit of a tantrum as my dahlias aren't half as good as Monty's! xxx

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    1. Hello Vix, I love jungley panting too. When my neighbour wanted to move her Gunera manicata from her front to back garden, she had to chain saw it out! I'm not sure if it then took to its new spot, I shall have to ask her. It is on the invasive, non-native list for Ireland :0 Haha, do you reckon Monty buys his 'self sown seedlings' in sometimes? Hmmmm..... I'm sure by summer yours will look as fab when they're all in bloom. Lulu xXx

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  6. The quarry garden was awesome, I love places like that. The kids seem to get more out of it as it makes them use their imagination more. My kids have a tendency to give me challenges and then bribe me when they know I have no chance of ever doing them.
    I love tulips we used to make a special stop over to visit the tulip farms in Amsterdam, but damn covid has put a bloody stop to that. I am glad you guys are getting back to normal now. I just hope it lasts!

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    1. I'm glad you like it Allie jane. We call it the 'dragon pit' and suspect mermaids visit when we're not looking ;) Them kids inadvertently keep me fit with their torture courses. I wonder if yours have had you on a zip wire?! :0

      I love spring time in Amsterdam. Tulips always remind me of it. I can see how you'd miss them. Fingers crossed we all behave ourselves with the lockdown easing. Lulu xXx

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  7. Gwennap Pit looks like a fascinating place to visit - love the star jumps!
    The Long Mizzle Pit would have to be my favourite. Built with love and sea thrift :)

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    1. Thank you Jules. Thirty blumin' star jumps I had to do that day! You are too kind saying the Long Mizzle pit. It is certainly more leisurely to stroll through. Lulu xXx

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  8. Hi Lulu, Love seeing your explorations. Gyllingdune Gardens look beautiful. I love tree ferns - I always half expect to see a dinosaur emerging from the fronds - and that view of the bay...! What a shame Mr Coope didn't live to enjoy it. Such is life. Your Tree Echium is incredible! We had one once, for about 5 minutes. It was another casualty of the winter frosts and we were young and stupid when we planted it and should have protected it. I enjoyed Gardeners World, although as much as I love orchids, I thought that segment went on a little too long. I love seeing the viewers' gardens. The man with the potatoes made us chuckle. x

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    1. Thank you Claire. Gyllingdune is very special, and top marks for being council owned too. Poor General Coope indeed. This is my second attempt at a Tree Echium. The first (purchased from a local carboot sale) died in its second year as I put in in the only frost pocket in the garden! I just hope it doesn't fall over now. The man with the tatties was funny. I love seeing folk show their veg off. Lulu xXx

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  9. Hello dear Lulu,
    I would love coming across a pit like that. It looks so cool and I'd have fun hanging out in it.

    Love your tulips also.😍😍

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    1. Hello Jess, the pits would be super happy to have you there. Especially with a rather more fabulous outfit than mine! The tulips say thank you. Lulu xXx

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  10. Superb, love this post and photos with a few places I haven't visited for quite a while. All good wishes ~ Mike.

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    1. Thank you Mike :) I wondered if you'd ventured to Gwennap. I know there are some rather fine China Clay Pits over your way. Lulu xXx

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  11. I've always meant to explore Gwenapp Pit...will be sure to go there soon, thanks for the guided tour! Esther x

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    1. Hiya Esther! I think you and the family would like it :) Trevince Garden, also Gwennap way, is worth a visit too if you haven't already been.

      We visited back here -
      https://longmizzle.blogspot.com/2020/08/picnic-adventures-trevince-gwenanp.html

      xXx

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  12. I haven't been there for yeas so about time I took another visit - thanks Lulu! xx

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    1. Hello Sue, hope you are well. It has been on the list for a while and I am so glad we made it. Such a strange place. Will you do some laps with Lainey? Lulu xXx

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  13. What an interesting place! It's great you took your daughters there. The amphitheater is quite a sight! The gardens look lovely.

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    1. Thanks Ivana, despite their initial suspicion, they enjoyed Gwennap Pit. We just love the quarry garden, it is like the land time forgot! Lulu xXx

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