Kedleston Hall - wildflowers and walking

As always I came back from my short break feeling exhausted but that I ought to make more effort about keeping fit between holidays. With that in mind, after a week or so recovery time, off we went to Kedleston, trying to pick a cooler day among the blazing hot ones of June.

My visit started in the Pleasure Grounds where the beds of wild flowers are looking glorious. They've been sown slightly differently this year - instead of all the flowers being mixed together, a swathe of California Poppies has grabbed the limelight at the front of the beds and they look fantastic. Other plants are growing behind them to add more colours and height in a few weeks, but for now these poppies are the stars. 

They aren't the only flowers to be found though - the biggest laburnum I've ever seen was a wonderful cascade of yellow, and rhododendrons forming a backdrop of pinks, purples, and yellows. The yellows are scented too - filling the air with honeysuckle fragrance.

From the Pleasure Grounds we headed under the trees of the Short Walk where there's a wilder display of flowers - cow parsley, buttercups - and some which looked like accidental bird-sown plants - aquilegias and welsh poppies.

Any walk along this path includes a rest at the benches which look out of Kedleston's park and over the surrounding countryside, and perhaps another on a conveniently-shaped fallen bough, before heading down through the fields towards the Hall.

As the sign warns, there are lambs here, though I think even they thought it was too hot for much activity. 

Back at the car park there were more sheep - including this ewe who appeared to be eating the grit!

Her lamb appeared more sensible though, sticking to the green stuff.

And right next to the car (how didn't I notice it when we parked?) was this wonderful Spanish chestnut tree in blossom.

What I've come to love about Kedleston in this last eighteen months or so, is the feeling of having been out to the country without really having left town. Wildflowers, sheep, and chestnut trees all add to that.