The Holy Austin Rock Houses at Kinver Edge, Staffs

Today was a bit mad. I intended to drive to the west Midlands (rather too far some might say) to buy some garden equipment, which may help me to regain control 'out there'. But I also wanted to see the rather magnificent and recently restored steam engine 340046, Braunton, which was travelling up the valley to Swindon on its round trip from Bristol via Gloucester, and Oxford.

I'm pleased to say we managed both, and got away up the M5 by midday. The trip went very easily and it was a delight to travel northwards up the Severn Vale, past the Malvern Hills and the edge of the Evesham Vale before reaching Dudley and the edge of the West Midlands conurbation (please excuse my geography-speak, but I like these long words).

Nick at the tool shop was really helpful, and sold me more than I had intended, but it will all be useful. Once we had loaded everything in the car we then headed a few miles westwards on the next part of the journey which was in Helena's hands. She had discovered a National Trust venue which sounded, and turned out to be, rather wonderful. I will leave the description of the Holy Austin Rock Houses at Kinver Edge, Staffordshire Woodpeckers' lovely well written blip. I was more pre-occupied with taking pictures than getting the background history from the local volunteer guide to the houses.

But I was glad to be taken there, as it brought back memories of my trip to the valley of Le Petit Loir in France, where I stayed for a few days in a friend's cave house cut into a cliff-face in the village of Troo. It was such a wonderful feeling to be living inside the rocks and to look out over the valley from the edge of the cliffs. Troo has at least a hundred rock homes, whereas Kinver only has these few houses, which are not lived in anymore. In 1978, I also visited the troglodyte rock houses at Goreme in Cappadocia, which are of another type again, but equally enthralling.

The weather today was fabulous, being warm and sunny and showing off the wonderfully verdant spring growth of Britain 'to a T'. On the journey home we discovered roads that were new to us and I enjoyed the rambling traverse of Worcestershire and the edge of Herefordshire before returning home to Gloucestershire.

I've put a couple of pictures of the steam engine here on this Flickr Gallery, as well as a range of interior and exterior shots of the Rock Houses.