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.

 

Attinghan Park

Eventually we came to the last stop on our weekend away - heading south from Erddig to another National Trust property, Attingham Park, just outside Shrewsbury.

It's a place we've visited many times as it's a pleasant place to break a journey from Derby to mid/west Wales, with cafes and a variety of walks around the estate. On this occasion we didn't have a lot of time before closing, especially as the first thing we did was have some late lunch, so we headed directly to the walled garden.

This was formerly a kitchen garden, and is still in part, but the wonderful flower borders which divide it are the main attraction now.

At the centre is a circular grassed area encompassed by two beds of pale flowers - foxgloves, peonies - with spots of bright colour from poppies. 

And, best bit of all, a path leads between the two circles is a path so you can really walk among the flowers.

It's a rather lovely, romantic flower mix that I feel I was lucky enough to catch at its best.

A gateway leads to a second walled garden with a greater amount of practical vegetables, greenhouses and cold frames, which my husband wandered around while I sat and rested by the flower border.

All too soon though the property was closing and the gardener locking the gates to the garden.

Time to head back to the courtyard entrance, then home.

 

Erddig

Monday came around, and it was time to set off home.Not by the most direct route but with various stops and detours along the way. 

First port of call was a beach cafe at Pensarn, Abergele, for a second breakfast and short walk along the shingle beach. I'd hoped for sand and a chance to paddle but maybe the tide was wrong. 

On then to Erddig near Wrexham, the fourth National Trust garden of our weekend, and (almost) a new place for me. We've been once before but on a wet day, too early for the house to be open, and too unpleasant to wander round the garden while waiting, so we moved on elsewhere. We'd sort of forgotten this previous visit but remembered instantly on seeing the orchard car park.

Erddig Hall itself is a late 17th century house rescued by the National Trust, but I was more interested in the garden - a Grade 1 listed 18th century 'Dutch' formal garden of long alleys leading away from the house.

In some respects it was a little too formal for my tastes - I prefer a slight untidiness and rampant roses - but the borders and a small walled garden by the hall gave me flowers to look at, and the alleys made for peaceful walking.

And even ruler-straight lines of trees can hide things - this pond for example - 

and tucked away to one side a thatched 'wendy house'.

 All in all a more interesting place than it appeared at first sight. There's also a wider estate to explore via way-marked paths, a play area for children, and, for those interested in old farm machinery and the like, a glimpse into the working side of the estate with restored sawmill, stables, joiners' workshop and smithy.

Llandudno

You can't have a weekend (or even a day) at the seaside without fish and chips, can you? Well, I can't, at least. It's not sophisticated or fine dining, but no one can deny it's fun. So in the evening we headed to Llandudno in search of a chip shop, then sat by the sea while a brass band played further along the promenade.

Llandudno faces north, nestled between two headlands, the Little Orme (pictured here) and the Great Orme (home to the famous goats who roamed the streets during the first covid lockdown).

 

This isn't a place which developed organically over time but a purpose-built resort built in the mid-nineteenth century.Grand hotels line the promenade along the beach, and the palms and other salt-tolerant plants give it a Mediterranean air (says someone who's never been to the Mediterranean). 

Perhaps it was just the weather, but in comparison to my memories of former visits, everywhere seemed bright and gleaming in the evening sunshine.

The town's associated with Lewis Carroll and Alice in Wonderland, and there's a trail around the town to be followed, although I only realised this after our visit. We just met the Mad Hatter.  

And, of course, like any self-respecting British seaside resort, Llandudno has a pier, and a small funfair . 

I'd thought we might walk out to the end of the pier but it had been a long day with a lot of walking and the distance just proved too much for me. Something to do another time ...

I hoped the day would end with the sun dramatically sinking below the pier but instead it sank from sight hidden by the Great Orme.