Brodsworth Hall Gardens

It isn't really far from Derby to Whitby - 3 hours or so - but even so we decided to stop en route at Brodsworth Hall near Doncaster. It's a really convenient place to break the journey, just off the A1, and I'm a little surprised we've never visited before.

A Victorian country house, now owned by English Heritage, it has marvelous gardens which range from formal beds and lawns near the house to a temple-style summer house, to a rockery wilderness with tunnels and paths leading up and down the slopes, to woodland and rose gardens (a little past their past when we visited) to a pergola draped in grapevines. 

And, of course, there was cake :) 

All in all a good way to break the journey - far pleasanter then the motorway services we stopped at on the way home.
 

Goodrich Castle

Our way home from Tintern took us north up the Wye Valley to Goodrich and its castle - an excellent place for a wander round and lunch.

The square keep was built mid 12th century but most of what remains dates from roughly a century later. Despite its position overlooking an important crossing place of the river Wye, Goodrich was a relatively peaceful place till the Civil War when the Royalist forces inside were besieged by Parliamentarians. After a ferocious siege the Royalists surrendered in July 1646, and the castle 'slighted' (made indefensible by removal of battlements and damage to the main entrance)

Today you can walk over the bridge which spans the moat, examine the portcullis slots and arrow slits of the entrance in peace. 

There are steps to climb to the top of the towers to get a good view of the countryside around.

I didn't risk these twisty, turn-y stairs but took a more straightforward set at the opposite end of the castle which ultimately led, via the remains of the wall walk on the right hand edge of the photo below, to the same place.

Exploring the corridors set into walls is always atmospheric; maybe a little spooky at times, but not on a bright sunny day.

It's possible to go to the top of the Keep but I decided against that, feeling that the stairs I'd walked up offered the better return on energy expended. 

Goodrich is certainly a brilliant place to explore, whatever your age, and the cafe is a great place for lunch :)

 

Further back in time - Bolingbroke Castle

As part of what I wanted to do this holiday was investigate places I've previously just whizzed past, Bolingbroke Castle was high on the list. Driving down the A-road towards Skegness, I've seen the brown English Heritage/tourist signs for it previously, and been intrigued, but never had time to stop. 

I love a castle - whether it's a re-constructed 'folly' like Castell Coch, a substantial ruin like Beaumaris, or even just a few bricks in the ground leaving almost everything to my imagination. Bolingbroke falls somewhere between the last two. There aren't really any steps to climb or dungeons to explore, but stand outside the marshy area which was formerly the moat and the walls clearly say 'castle' even though they barely reach courtyard height. Inside the courtyard the base layers of tower and curtain walls are clearly visible, and it's easy to imagine them full height in the castle's heyday.

 

This is the only remaining 'room', at the base of one of the towers, but information boards show the layout and explain each tower's use.

I did a full tour of the walls from inside, then a more slippery one following them on the outside. The old moat may be mostly overgrown with bulrushes but still as wet if you (or I) fall in.

The castle's claim to fame is as the birthplace of Henry Bolingbroke, son of John of Gaunt, and future king, Henry IV, after displacing Richard II. Shakespeare didn't like him, dubbing him 'this thorn, this canker' in contrast to 'sweet lovely rose', but it's probably through Shakespeare that most have heard of him.

 It's an unmanned site, with free entry, but no toilets/cafe, and only limited space for cars; another time I'd park on one of the straighter roads in the village and walk a little way rather than at the pull-in at the entry. The village itself is worth exploring and given more time (there's never enough!) I'd have walked further out along footpaths.