a blog about mid-life adventures from exploring outdoors in countryside and gardens to exploring ideas and music in fields at festivals, plus a space for all those thoughts that have nowhere else to go ...
Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Thursday, 10 July 2025
Houghton Hall wisteria
On this trip to Norfolk I was looking round gardens for wisteria.
There's lots to see as you enter the walled garden.
In a far corner though, glimpsed at first beyond formal hedging, lies an enchanting surprise. Not just a plant or two but a tunnel of gorgeous lilac wisteria
Walking underneath it is almost like being in a fairy-tale. The nearest thing I've seen to it is the laburnum arch at Bodnant, but lovely as that is it doesn't have the scent or enchantment of wisteria. It helps that at Houghton there were far fewer people in the garden, and, while we were there, no one else under the wisteria pergola.
Still photos can't really capture the wonder of it, so do go if you have the opportunity.
Houghton's walled garden occupies 5 acres so there's lots much to see - long magnificent herbaceous border, quiet nooks with statues or water features, a greenhouse with exotic flowers and fruit, a cottage-garden style vegetable patch with flowers.rambling among the productive rows.
Friday, 4 July 2025
Seaside
Despite the warm weather I hadn't intended this to be a beach holiday but even so I wasn't going to go to Norfolk and not visit the seaside. Walking round Felbrigg had left me too exhausted to think of going that evening, but Blickling hadn't proved so strenuous and after our visit there we headed to Cromer for fish and chips from No 1 restaurant.
Nest day we were heading home, but not without another visit to the coast - this time at Cley-next-the-Sea.
We started with a second breakfast at the Norfolk Wildlife Trust's visitor centre, followed by a walk through the marshes into Cley itself. This isn't really seaside but the marshes are strange and otherworldly with a beauty all of their own. The serious birdwatchers were impressed by activity within the nature reserve, but I'm not very clued-up on birds and was excited to spot a swan

From the windmill we walked along the boardwalk which leads behind houses by the creek, then back through the village stopping in at galleries along the way.
Then back to the visitor centre for cake before heading on our way.
From the windmill we walked along the boardwalk which leads behind houses by the creek, then back through the village stopping in at galleries along the way.
Then back to the visitor centre for cake before heading on our way.
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