Ice house
Botany Bay Heritage Preserve is a former rice plantation near Edisto Beach. The main house is long gone. It was named the "Bleak House". The Charles Dickens satirical novel was the inspiration. An odd choice in my mind but I don't know the back story. The ice house remains. Ice was shipped from New England during the winter and stored beneath the floorboards, insulated with sawdust.
What have we here? Out in the woods behind the plantation site is the east end of Bache's baseline. I guess we are 7 miles, give or take a couple inches, from where we were earlier at the west end.
If a place is going to have a cool name like Botany Bay, it better be a cool place. This qualifies.
When I first learned of Botany Bay, I assumed the trees were deposited here by currents. That is not the case. The ocean is eroding the shore and has reached into what was once a forest with massive trees. Some are still rooted and upright and others have toppled. It is one of the coolest places I have ever seen.
Since 2010, it is prohibited to collect any shells or wood from the beach. It is a bit of a walk from the parking area. No dogs are allowed either.
No comments:
Post a Comment