Another interesting place to visit on the Isle of Wight is The Needles Old Battery and New Battery. Actually both places are old, but one is much older. Before exploring the buildings I climbed up to the viewpoint near The New Battery to have a look at The Needles, and they do look quite sharp and spiky.
I then noticed a sign stating that we were at a site that had been used for testing rockets.
Here I am looking at the place where rockets were tested. Their engines were started up but they didn’t actually take off here, they were strapped into special gantries to keep them still. If everything worked the rockets were taken to Australia to be launched into space.
I spotted a couple of rabbits hopping about but they didn’t wave. I think they are quite cautious when it comes to bears.
The rockets gathered large amounts of information about space. A Black Arrow rocket launched the first British satellite. The satellite is no longer used but it still orbits around the earth twice a day.
Here I am sat on a life size scale model of the Prospero satellite.
In another room there was some equipment which was used for gathering information during the tests. I climbed up for a closer look but I didn’t touch!
Here I am in the control room. It isn’t actually the original equipment, but I think it looks quite impressive.
The Old Battery, which was built in 1861 by the Royal Engineers, and their site office was the first building constructed. 
Before going into The Cartridge Store I had to put on special clothing made of calico to ensure that I didn’t take any gunpowder out of the building.
I was very excited to find an entrance to a tunnel leading to an 1899 searchlight emplacement. Here I am running back to the humans to tell them about it!
I climbed down to the tunnel using a spiral staircase fitted by the National Trust; access used to be via a ladder.
The tunnel was very long and quite a walk for a small bear.
I was quite relieved to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
There was an excellent view of The Needles from The Searchlight Emplacement. Fortunately I didn’t get my head stuck.
The tearoom is situated inside The Signal Station. The hot quiche lorraine warmed me up as a cold wind had blown up outside. 
I managed to persuade the humans to buy me some cake too 🙂
Yum yum yum……. tea soaked fruit cake
Here I am in front of The Signal Station in the sheltered pathway to the position finding cell.
There was a special instrument in the Position Finding Cell for gathering information about the whereabouts of ships and the direction in which they were travelling.
The weather was changing and I was quite worried that my fur could get a soaking so I had one last look at rather splendid Needles before we hurried off down the hill towards the car.
I stopped briefly to admire the coloured sands of Alum Bay, which is situated next to The Needles.
All in all a great adventure – especially The Tunnel 🙂
Horace the Alresford Bear 27/4/17
For further information see: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/the-needles-old-battery-and-new-battery
After showing National Trust membership cards to a man in a hut I bought a souvenir guidebook.
I had a good look at the top of the windmill, where there is a big wheel and a wooden screw called a ‘Worm Screw’. There used to be chains that hung down and the miller would have used the chains to turn the the top of the mill, known as ‘The Cap’ to face the wind.
I also had a good look at the four wooden frames (before posing for a photo by the door). The frames would have been covered in canvas sailcloth, and a small boy known as a ‘Nipper’ had the job of climbing out onto the frames to attach the cloth. I don’t think I would want to be a nipper.
Once inside the windmill I set about climbing up to the top. This took me quite a while.
At the top there was a trap door. I was a tad worried that it might suddenly open up so I decided not to walk over it. Sacks of grain used to be hoisted up through the trap door.
Grain would have been tipped out of the sacks into this huge wooden bin. The grain then traveled downwards through canvas chutes to the hopper above the mill stones on the floor below.
There was an enormous wooden wheel with an iron band around the outside; known as ‘The Great Brake Wheel’. The miller would have applied the brake by pulling on a rope (which was attached to a lever) which was passed down on the outside of the mill. The Great Brake Wheel was used to slow down or stop ‘The Wallower’ (the horizontal wheel) which drove the upright shaft. 
I carefully went back down the wooden ladder to ‘The Stone Floor’ where the millstones are housed. I got a bit distracted here as there were some windows, so I climbed up to have a closer look at the sail frames.
One of my humans took a photo of me from the outside!
The next floor down is ‘The Machine Floor’, with the huge upright shaft which takes power from ‘The Wallower’ at the top of the mill to the great spur wheel. Here I am sitting on the leather belting drive having a good look at everything.
Downstairs there are two millstones that make me look like I am even smaller than I am.
There were also some weights which were impossible for me to lift.
I climbed onto the scales but they didn’t even move. This must mean that I haven’t eaten too many cakes yet.
On the ground floor I was pleased to find some miller style clothing for people and bears to try on. I rather like the hat but I am not sure about the smock, it was a tad large.
Before leaving the mill I had a go at milling some grain using some small bear sized millstones.
The tide was out though so I climbed into the bear carrier for the trip as the surface looked a bit wet and I didn’t have any wellington boots with me.
When the tide is in people and bears can cross using this strange boat with wheels which is called an amphicraft.
The St Aubyn Family have lived on St Michael’s Mount since the 17th Century, though in 1954, the 3rd Baron St Levan gave most of St Michael’s Mount to the National Trust though they kept a 999 year lease (which is a very long time) to live in the castle and manage public viewing of the historic rooms (source Wikipedia). National Trust members and their bears can visit for free as long as they show their membership cards….
As we climbed up to the castle I stopped to have a little rest then Karen pointed out to me that I was right next to The Giant’s Well. I didn’t stay there long.
I climbed up into a little window in a wall that I thought might make a good place to hide from giants.
Further on I came across some battlements with a row of cannons. After clambering up onto one I could see a lovely view of the sea. 
Just in front of the castle I paused to take a ‘selfie’.
It was a long tiring trek to the front door. 
I was rather hesistant entering as just inside the door there was a bear much bigger than me with very big teeth. 
The views from inside are amazing. I was jolly pleased that my human had put her coat in the bear carrier which turned it into a pillow to stand on.
In one of the rooms I spotted a rather grumpy looking dog.
On the roof terrace there was a very old thermometer which was a tad confusing to read as it was in Farenheit instead of Centigrade. In between freezing and temperate seemed about right though!
I peered over to have a look at the sea which seemed to make the humans a bit nervous.
The gardens looked splendid.
Back inside I noticed that the Queen had visited recently. 
Being a bear I am sometimes able to go places where humans cannot. I had a peak up this very old staircase, but at the top there was a piece of glass and I couldn’t go any further.
They are well prepared for any fires that might break out. These buckets were full of sand.
On returning to the outside we came across more battlements and smaller cannons. In the past these would have been used to defend the island.
All the climbing and walking around made me very hungry. I was very pleased to find a cafe. The Sail Loft make very yummy celeriac soup.
As we went into the house I noticed a huge painting on the wall of Agatha when she was a little girl cuddling a doll.
Further on in the drawing room someone had abandoned a game of dominoes…
No one was playing the piano so I clambered up and gave a rendition of ‘Teddy Bear’s Picnic’. Unfortunately that is the only tune I know how to play; I really should learn some more as I often seem to come across pianos.
In the kitchen there was an old manual typewriter with an invitation to try it out. I managed to type my name, though it is not as easy as using a computer keyboard. 
Upstairs on the landing I spotted three Aspidistra plants (they take ages and ages to grow). They were sat on top of a very interesting bookcase which was made for Agatha Christie’s children, and it was full of books written by her.
I am always very interested in toilets. This mahogany seated one was inhabited by a little green frog, which was something of a surprise!
The toilet roll had ‘government issue’ stamped on it, and it looked more like the paper Karen uses to line cake tins.
I had a peep in Agatha’s dressing room…
The view out of the window was beautiful, I could see the boats going up and down the River Dart.
Behind glass there was a complete collection of all the first editions of the books written by Agatha Christie. She must have been a very busy lady.
The bear sat on the sofa in the library looked as though he needed some other bear company as he only had dolls to keep him company. I said ‘hello’ to him and wished him well.
There is graffiti on the walls of the library painted by an American Lieutenant during the 2nd World War. 
In the inner hall I found a really old Motorola mobile phone. It was quite big and very heavy and was made in the mid 1980’s.
After looking around the house I was a very hungry bear so had some lunch. The baked potato was extremely yummy.
I made sure that the door remained closed on the peach house to make sure that no naughty squirrels came in.
I like terraccota flower pots!
The cucumbers were all knobbly and didn’t look like the ones that Karen buys in the greengrocers shop.
We went on to explore the fernery, which is an excellent place for bears
I climbed up to have a closer look at the broken pot, but only as far as the sign that said ‘no further please’.
There were also some pet graves in the fernery. I think the pets that lived at Greenway probably had very happy lives living in such a lovely place.
I was delighted to come across a bear sized tractor.
We walked through some woods until we arrived at an area known as ‘The Battery’. I climbed up onto the wall and could see Dartmouth in the distance.
I stopped and had a little rest against the wall and then wondered about the large iron thing with a hole in that was right in front of me.
I had a look inside, though the humans told me that it wasn’t a wise thing to do!
I realised then that it was an old cannon. I felt safer at the other end.
Just along a woodland path from The Battery we found The Boathouse.
The Boathouse is a perfect place to sit in the sunshine and enjoy the view of the river.
The lower floor of The Boathouse has a special plunge pool. The plunge pool is being repaired and restored at the moment so we were unable to see it. I am sure we will visit again when the work is finished.
The house looked lovely in the sunshine as we walked back up the path…
I stopped and had a rest for a while in one of the deckchairs…
…after which it was time to leave. We will be back 🙂
Before we went into the house I noticed some small humans rolling down the grass bank. I decided to have a go…
Jolly good fun it was too!
I could have happily spent more time playing ‘roly-poly’ but the humans said we needed to visit the house before it closed.
The first thing of interest to me was the napkin folding table. I decided to have a go…
…and made a hat that I though might be good for wearing while cooking.
Further along a corridor I came face to face with this chap. I’m sure he moved a little bit while I was watching him so I kept well back just in case….
I tried out the typewriter in Lord Robartes’ study. It was quite hard work typing each letter with my paws.
In the nursery I spotted a couple of bears playing football and called out “Hello”.
Two more bears were on a shelf in the nursery library; they were keeping a close eye on all the visitors looking around the house.
The Robartes family must have been very worried that a fire might break out. I discovered this huge hose hung up on one landing….
….plus three very impressive red buckets.
Lady Robartes’ used to enjoy honey with her afternoon tea in her private sitting room.
I was delighted to find a piano with a sign inviting people (and bears) to play. I played my version of Teddy Bear’s Picnic, after which my paws were very tired.
On entering the kitchen a large cake caught my eye. A room guide announced that the Victoria sponge was edible, but that it had been on display for a few weeks, so I decided not to try it.
In another kitchen room someone was in the middle of shelling peas; I think they must have gone for a tea break (shelling peas is hard work). 
Scullery maids would have spent all their time washing up pot after pot in this sink without any rubber gloves. I’m glad I’m not a scullery maid.
There were joints of meat of all shapes and sizes sat in a big cabinet with wheels on the bottom. 
I think I could make a good vegetable stew with this lot.
Bread was all made in the kitchens of Lanhydrock in this huge oven.
Yum yum yum…. 
I always enjoy a bit of grinding with a pestle and mortar, especially cinnamon which smells almost as good as honey.
The tool in this photo is a special device for cutting up giant cones of sugar. 
In the dairy I tried my hand at making butter. 
The handle has to be turned round and round and round and round very fast until the cream eventually turns into butter. My paws soon got tired.
In another room there was a special table made out of marble with water running all around it. It is for keeping things cool, and setting jelly. The jelly made me feel suddenly very hungry, but I wasn’t allowed to eat it. Karen said I could have a treat later.
The treat was very yummy indeed.
The gardeners must work very hard; I spent a while admiring this dazzling display of begonias.
Away from the formal garden there is a magnificent tree with lots of holes for bears to hide in.
There is lots to see at Lanhydrock and I think we probably could have spent longer there but the staff were shutting everything up as they wanted to go home for tea. Perhaps my humans will take me again one day.
The best thing about The Clinker was the window with a special seat for bears right in front of it. I spent quite a lot of time sat here while the humans did long walks (they say I am ‘too big’ to take everywhere)
I saw many dogs (and humans) of all shapes and sizes walking by. I even saw some bears. When I spotted a little Merrythought bear outside looking up at me I ran downstairs to say hello. He’s called Severn Bear and travels about extensively with his humans. They took a photo of us together for Instagram.
There was an interesting book in The Clinker with lots of photos of the places where the humans walk but don’t take me…
One evening Karen announced that she thought the tide times were right to see the Boscastle blow hole in action (a place where water squirts out of a hole in the cliff). I was very excited and waited patiently in the new bear carrier for transportation.
When we arrived at the view point there were a few gushes of water, but not anything spectacular. Karen thought it was probably better at some tides than others depending on the height of the tide etc. I still enjoyed watching the waves.
The next day I posted a postcard to my Grand human on the way to the shops.
Fortunately there was still room for me in the bag after stocking up on a few groceries.
Right next door the The Clinker there was a very old Lime Kiln. It isn’t used for heating lime anymore and makes an excellent hiding place for bears.
The day that it rained was a bit of a problem as I didn’t have any wellies with me (I borrow Paddington’s at home). I wanted to go for a little walk, so borrowed human walking boots.
Here is a selfie of me at the end of the harbour. 
I was feeling quite tired as the boots were quite heavy. I kept going though as I wanted to give some money to the man collecting for National Coastwatch; they keep an eye out for boats or people in the water or walking the coastpath that may need assistance. 
In this photo you can see the white lookout station on the left in the distance. Boscastle is a splendid place with lots to see. I was quite sad to wave goodbye at the end of our stay. 
Horace the Alresford Bear 