Briersfield Ironworks Historical site.

Howdy y'all

Briersfield Ironworks historical site was very unusual but quaint in a funny sort of way. We met some great people.   We met.....  Dud and Debbie, Dorcas and Deirdre.

Our neighbours, Dud, Dorcas and Debbie.

The place was surrounded by trees full of locusts that made chattery screeching noises all night long! Apparently that's the noise they make when disturbed by squirrels and other rodent friends. The contents of the bin had been disturbed by raccoons overnight but the site warden (we'll call Dave, because we don't know enough Daves) cleared it all up. He drove around in his pick up truck, and although we never saw the entire site, we hoped that it really was bigger than the site for 10 RVs. Maybe, on the other hand he just enjoyed driving!

Anyway, we were greeted by Dud, Dorcas his wife, and Debbie, who had just lost her husband and had open heart surgery. They were all lovely, although difficult to understand their Alabama drawl.  They were also delighted to hear we had just got married and were there on our honeymoon, well we think that's what they said. On going to the office, we met Deirdre, a lovely elderly lady who ran the reception desk. Dud came in at one point, took a bottle of coke and left.

The original furnace at Briersfield Ironworks.

The site was an old Ironworks. It had several buildings that had been originals, re-located into the park. The most obvious ones were the Baptist Chapel and the Post Office. They had been parked next door to each other, giving wonderful shelter for all sorts of creatures underneath. The chapel is still used for weddings and the post office for wedding receptions. Although we didn't get to go into the chapel, we could see wonderful woodwork by looking in the window.

The most interesting building to us was the leather works. The door was open, so we went in. There was Dud. In front of him was a whole load of soft drinks, and he was busy turning flat pieces of leather into the most wonderful, unique purses, bags, book covers and belts. We noticed how, that despite incredible shaking, he managed to work his leather. The building was built as an art studio back in the 1800s and there was Dud, using it now for his craft.

We found out that he had had a stroke and although he used to craft wood and leather, he was now limited but intent on keeping going. One determined Dud!

As we were leaving there was a knock on Harvey's door....there was Debbie with two turtle doves- we both thought they were real. She gave them to us as a prezzie to remind us that turtle doves are partners for life. Debbie's doves......thanks for that.

Two turtle doves, and Tim Parfitt in pear tree!