Are we on the seaside?

The simple answer is that no we are very definitely not near the ocean, yet history has left traces of the sea here.  To all intents and purposes the house is built on what was an ancient sea of which all that is left is the river Cher carving its way lazily through Montrichard, and the deposits left by the sea when it drained away.

Round pebbles

Not only is there the tuffeau stone of which the house is made, but just below the surface of the ground there are lots of smooth rounded stones, the sort that you want to collect when you take a walk along a beach.  These stones range in size from tiny pebbles to small boulders that we have to use a sack truck to move.

When we first moved here we thought initially that the stones might have been brought in, but they are everywhere, including in the woods.  It is incredible to think that we are making garden features out of stones that were shaped and laid down many millions of years ago by almost unimaginable forces.  In a way, it makes the features even more special because they are made from materials that nature in her wisdom left here for us to use as we see fit.