A Hike From County Gate to Oare, Culbone & Porlock , Part II,'The Blessed Virgin Mary of Oare'
Channel: semw52
Date: 17/07/2022

'LORNA DOONE 'the historical novel of romance and tragedy written by Richard Dudderidge Blackmore in 1869 has inspired the determination to visit this area and especially the church where Lorna Doone married John Ridd.... ..The Blessed Virgin Mary of Oare.....From my childhood  this Somerset/Devon Exmoor novel has  appeared throughout my life  as Dramas and films as well as the novel and I always wanted to visit---to bring these characters to life, to walk down the aisle and experience the magnificent landscapes. Lorna was abducted as a child by the Doone Clan--once  nobles but  became outlaws----they murdered her noble mother Lady Dugal during a robbery and the Doones kept Lorna .John Ridd and Lorna met by accident on the moors and fell  in love but a feud existed between the Doones and the Ridd families --the Doones murdered John Ridd's father---anyway basically  a jealous rival tries to stop the marriage of John  and Lorna---Carver Doone shoots Lorna in the church but she does survive and lives happily ever after with John who was also shot in the rib--he chased Carver and after a fight on the moor  Carver fell in a deep bog and was swallowed---the book written by Blackmore is well worth the challenge because he does use the local dialect in his wording---real Zummerzet lingo !!!
So folks I do apologize for the zoom on the camera being left on inside the church but I am not sure  when a return trip might happen to do a retake......Just so happy to have  walked here, breathed the Doone Valley air of Exmoor...........Next video  is the hike  up Deddy Combe  in the heat....