Bluebells, wisteria, and apple blossom at Calke

The end of April continued warm and sunny, and bluebells were already flowering, so off to Calke we went to explore.

The Serpentine Wood is the place to find Calke's bluebells, and is best, in my opinion, approached from the 'Calke Explore' playground area as the flowers face that direction and appear bluer. So we stopped at the car park there, and headed straight for the higher part of the wood where the bluebells grow. It possible to walk from the main car park at Calke but we thought our route might be shorter - I'm not actually sure that it was.

A walk in woodland is lovely at any time of year but it's particularly beautiful when the ground is carpeted with bluebells.

The second part of our day was spent in the walled garden where the wisteria was flowering and the orchard in blossom.

We were a little early for the full display of wisteria but the sun-facing walls were covered with purple racemes. I don't think there's anything quite as lovely as wisteria cascading down a wall.

Through the doorway the lavender-edged path leads through the kitchen garden to the orchard - a gorgeous place to sit in the sunshine, especially at this time of year with the trees in blossom.

 

Lyme Park

Having finished our short break with an overnight stay in Manchester, we had a wonderful sunny day to complete our trip home, so we stopped at Lyme Park.

As it turned out the afternoon was a little TOO hot, with us scuttling from one area of shade to another - and I refused to go into the Orangery at all!

The walk round the lake was lovely and shaded though - but still no sign of Mr Darcy.

 

Tulips at Sizergh Castle

Heading back south from our stay in Carlisle, we stopped first at Rheged centre near Penrith for a print exhibition and lunch, then at Sizergh Castle near Kendal for a walk around the gardens.

It was tulip season, and we encountered them almost everywhere around the garden.

These beds leading up to the castle were probably the most impressive though; each one given over to a different shape or colour.

Elsewhere there were others - in pots, in mixed bedding, or as solitary colours.

As we sat for a while, we got talking to two regular visitors who said we'd caught the best time of year to visit; and I think they were right

 

Carlisle

The last weekend in April was our annual short break with out younger daughter. Looking for somewhere new but a reasonable distance from her home in Manchester, we headed for Carlisle - a place completely unknown to us all.          

The first day was spent very quietly, exploring the countryside near where we were staying and taking a quiet stroll round nearby Dalston. 

I really liked Dalston - it was a smallish place but had everything you could want; A pub, two cafes, a good sized Co-op, riverside walks, and an excellent chip shop. 

The second day we headed into Carlisle - to the Tullie House Museum which was just re-opening after a re-fit and extension. It turned out to be more interesting than expected with an exhibition of rag rugs by Winifred Nicholson (including a chance to have a go myself) , and numerous permanent displays about the Roman Empire, the Border Reivers and local history, and an art collection in another building. We had lunch in the museum's cafe  (Chicken Caesar salad) and could have spent all afternoon exploring the galleries but wanted to visit the Castle while that was open. 

On the other hand, the castle turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. I'm not quite sure why - there was a keep, a wall walk - but to be honest I regretted having left the museum early.

We just had time left for a quick visit to the cathedral. Not the sort of place I'd usually go but it was amazing. Its exterior looks rather dull but that's made up for by the interior, with wonderful carvings and a fantastic painted ceiling. Definitely a place I'd love to explore for longer.