A trip down Memory Lane

Think of an extremely steep, olde worlde cobbled street, donkey rides, and the best views of the sea you could ever wish for … and where might you be?

Yep, you’ve guessed – it’s Clovelly in North Devon of course – which is where we’ve been this weekend 🙂 We’ve been lucky enough to be asked to photograph a wedding there in a couple of months time, which is brilliant, so we took a little visit to meet up and look around with the lovely bride and groom-to-be, Karen and James!!

As wedding venues in the UK go, this would have to be up there as one of the most perfect settings.

     It was a fabulous treat for us to have this opportunity and it also brought back some great childhood memories of the place.   Not a lot has changed about Clovelly since those good old days.  It’s still as charming as ever, and just like stepping back in time.

We stayed in the nearby Hoops Inn http://www.hoopsinn.co.uk/ which, by the way, we can highly recommend – the food is out of this world and our room was very comfy.  The Inn has a very warm atmosphere and the folk there are very friendly and welcoming!

We arrived late Saturday afternoon and managed to get drenched in a downpour as we took an impromptu fleeting visit to nearby Bude to meet a friend, so it was a great relief to wake up to the sun streaming in (1st March and spring is in the air!). After a delicious full English breakfast, we headed off to meet Karen and James at the historic All Saints church (built in 1200), where they will be tying the knot.

The church is set back from the road, a short walk away from the entrance to the famous cobbled street of Clovelly. The walk up to the church door is via a pathway arched by trees, quite beautiful, especially with the sun seeping through the branches.

The church is built in typical Norman style; very quaint and obviously steeped in history. Great for sure but the hidden gem lay in the adjacent gardens – superb greenery with incredible views of the sea in the distance – talk about take your breath away!  Such a stunning backdrop for the wedding guest shots after the ceremony.

That in itself is a photographer’s dream, but then of course you have the more familiar part of Clovelly, which I’m sure many of you will know and love – personally I have very fond memories of it from childhood holidays – the steep hill, the donkeys (which aren’t about this time of year) and those famous cobbles.

Anyway, we headed off down the stoney path, soaking in the stunning views of the sea and scenery as we went, and naturally taking some shots of the happy couple and the views along the way. How amazing is this place!

The picturesque harbour, with its fishing boats and cottages, is a fantastic sight as you reach the bottom of the hill.

The reception is being held in the Red Lion, with its superb views across the harbour and out to sea.

After a good lunch and lots of chatting in the Red Lion, Lee and I said our goodbyes to make our way back to the car, which of course was parked back at the top of the hill.

Climbing back up the steep hill was my biggest challenge of the weekend; I really should get to the gym more (well get to the gym full stop really 😉 ) Fortunately we made to back to the top just BEFORE the heavens opened. We’d certainly timed our visit right, having had the best of the weather on the way down when we needed it most!

So, all in all, an amazing weekend – can’t wait to photograph the “big day” itself!!!

Karen and James, we thank you 🙂