The Golden Ball

Posted on by Vincent

Originally published on September 9th 2010, but got corrupted somewhere. Now restored to its original form

On Sunday we went up the hill to see St Lawrence’s Church and the Dashwood Mausoleum
The Golden Ball, as seen from just below>
The tower was open to visitors for a few hours. We climbed the tiny staircases inside, unchanged since they were built about 1760. We could lean over the railings to see the view on all sides
I did a quick pastel of the Golden Ball while we sat on a bench in the churchyard
The Dashwood Mausoleum, where the ashes of Sir Francis Dashwood’s family are held

Here’s a view of part of the Dashwood Estate, with the House part hidden by trees. It’s administered by the National Trust, together with the village, though the Dashwood family still live in the house

High Wycombe/ Click to see full size picture. I’ve annotated a few landmarks, such as the Hospital; the Mosque, a few yards from our house; All Saints’ Church, next to the Market, in the middle of town
Some old houses in the village. The one on the right is a church hall, where ladies serve tea and cakes for fund-raising sometimes. I like to bring foreign visitors there, for example friends who are changing flights at Heathrow Airport, which is half an hour’s drive away. Let me know if you’re coming this way!

 

7 thoughts on “The Golden Ball”

  1. It's surprising what gems of places can be found close to major urban centres.

    In St Andrews there is an old Church Hall where you, as a stranger can amble in to partake of home-made baking, hand created sandwiches (a variation on hand-battered fish I suppose)tea or coffee, and there's even a choice of soft drinks and tisanes. I like such places, they put local humanity and local friendliness into a visit. The larger religious edifices on Princes Street in Edinburgh, have great informal cafés where a few quiet moments can be found while having a lunchtime soup, or afternoon tea.

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  2. Wonderful photos, thank you. I loved being able to click on things and find your guide to what I was looking at, and to get a sense of how your town is laid out.

    Marvelous vistas! Around here, no high points to view from, and little but rolling hills and country fields to see!

    Liked seeing the sheep grazing so close to town.

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  4. Maybe I´ll show up for a visit next time I´m in England, Vincent.Lovely place! 🙂 One thing I like about England is how old and modern live side by side beautifully.

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  5. Vincent, Is that your drawing? Pastels or pencil? It’s stunning. I love the way you’ve rendered the scene, the colors—everything.

    The Mausoleum is breathtaking.

    Enjoyed getting a closer look into your surroundings. Thank you.

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  7. Thanks all for these remarks! Yes, Rebb, I did the pastel four years ago, & regret to say I haven't done any since that time. It was such intense hard work, I found.

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