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Wednesday, 29 May 2024

Hanbury Hall - a brief visit


It's a long while since I've been to Hanbury Hall. Situated near Droitwich, not far from the M5, it's  a convenient place in my opinion to break a dull journey and see something other than tarmac and traffic for a while. We used to stop here frequently, on our way to South Wales or further on to Cornwall, but we haven't been this direction recently. A few weeks ago we were heading down towards Chepstow and Hanbury had to be a port of call on the way.

We'd already stopped (twice) on our way down the M42, but I still wanted to take what I consider to be a proper break from our travels. A walk among the tranquil gardens was much appreciated, even with drizzle turning to rain.



It's a calming place - an excellent antidote to the bustle of motorways - though we didn't have time to walk far beyond the main gardens near the house.

There was though time for a little something in the cafe just before closing time.
 

Tuesday, 28 May 2024

Calke - wisteria and a secret garden

It's that time of year again - the wisteria is in bloom! A brief few weeks when gardens are transformed  by cascades of purple, lilac, and white flowers. 
























I was a little early visiting Calke Abbey, where wisteria blossoms along walls and falls over archways, and not all the flowers were out, but the effect was still magical. 


Calke has a variety of different colours among its wisteria, ranging from very pale to dark purple. For shade, I prefer the darker tones, but the paler lilac seem more prolific, completely covering the walls, and this year set off by pink forget-me-nots and tulips in two shades.










Leaving the wisteria behind, I headed past the garden buildings and the orangery, across an old orchard where sheep were grazing, to an old door in the outer wall. I've seen people going through this before but always assumed they were staff or volunteers; this time I decided to investigate, and find it was open to everyone.






On the far side was a secret garden. With high walls behind it and lower ones in front towards the sun, this was once a 'slip garden' where young plants were started before being moved to permanent positions. To one side it is being used in much the same way, but on the other a small orchard has been created, with old trees, newer ones, and a flower bed to encourage pollinators.




It's lovely to find a new enchanting place in a garden I thought I knew so well















 

Saturday, 11 May 2024

April

Well, April was a slow month. The most dreadful, long-lasting cold in the world kept me at home for most of it, and it's taking a while to fully recover. Fortunately I was well enough to celebrate my birthday - on three occasions, with cake each time; the first made by my husband and grandson on my actual birthday, the second for a family tea, and th third at a neighbour's -.and Easter with hidden eggs around the garden, and my daughter and partner visited with home-made curries to get my taste buds working again. 











Otherwise I've spent the weeks doing jigsaws and eating my birthday chocolates. The small toblerone above is 'normal' size; the huge one behind 4.5 kg! 












Recovery seemed to be a matter of two steps forward and one back with my cold symptoms returning several times but by the end of the month things were getting back to 'normal'. 
First thing was a 'recovery' walk at Kedleston for fresh air and a different view, then a longer walk round Elvaston had me almost back to normal.

Planning ahead for summer has largely been put on hold but May has brought glorious weather and the seaside is calling

Wednesday, 8 May 2024

Rhododendrons at Elvaston


The last day of April was bright and sunny, and I was determined to go out - though not anywhere that demanded long distances either for travelling or walking. Elvaston park fitted the bill, especially as we haven't been recently.









The sky was blue, the sun shone, but underfoot was muddy with the path at times dipping under puddles, and some areas were completely underwater, but we trod carefully or jumped if necessary up the northern side of the lake past the gothic ruins. 








The azalea garden was closed - either due to being waterlogged or to protect nesting birds - and only the bushes beside the access road visible, so we followed a slightly unusual route to the castle courtyard, approaching it from the stables.





Again large areas of the lawns were fenced off, so we headed past the listed knot garden and topiary in search of rhododendrons among the trees, before doubling back to the bottom of the lake.







Considering my current state of health it had been a long walk (though it isn't really) but fortunately ice cream kept me going :)
 

Friday, 3 May 2024

Another Recovery Walk at Kedleston


Having spent most of four weeks confined to home with a series of colds, on a nice sunny day I headed out to start my newest fitness recovery plan. Of course as always, I headed to Kedleston Hall.


I like Kedleston because it's near to home, free to me as a National Trust member, and, most importantly, has a variety of walks of differing lengths - from a gentle stroll round the Pleasure Grounds to six miles or so round the park

This day was definitely one for the shortest of strolls around the Pleasure Grounds. These comprise a large lawned area to the south of the hall, with an open view over parkland, sheltered at either side by shrubbery, and at this time of year the rhododendrons and azaleas are in full flower.





It was warm enough to sit for a while looking out past the summer house to where lambs were frolicking beyond the ha ha. 
Finding more energy, I walked on, beyond the front of the hall, to another convenient seat; situated this time by a small area of trees with bluebells growing beneath them.






After all this exercise (okay, not that much) tea and cake were called for, and an amble down the drive towards the bridge to round off my visit.