Shrewsbury

 We spent a lovely day in Shrewsbury on Tuesday.  It's not too far from here probably about fifty minutes drive to the park and ride at Harlescott and then a ten minute bus ride into the centre.

It's a place I'm quite familiar with. I often used to get the bus there and back for shopping when we lived near Market Drayton.  I also used to meet a friend at the station and we would travel on the train to Llandrindod Wells (Llandod as it was known locally) to visit a retired work colleague.

 I love the old streets, quaint alleyways and old buildings.  The names of the streets like Wyle Cop and Dogpole that conjure up times gone by. We'd decided we wanted to visit the Museum to see how it had changed since our last visit and also walk along the riverside to The Dingle, Percy Thrower's garden.

Above The Bear Steps

The Old Market Hall

The Museum and Art Gallery

Wyle Cop

The English Bridge, the Welsh Bridge is on the other side of the town.

The walk through The Quarry towards The Dingle.

Along the Riverside.

Shrewsbury School Boat Club near the Kingsland Bridge.

In The Dingle

I loved the water features in the middle of the lake.

I liked the steel sculpture of a Heron below.  Apparently it is 8ft tall.

Below the more formal gardens.

After our walk we had a lovely lunch at the Museum café and a good look around the displays before catching the bus and heading home.  I did take a few photos in the Museum but it was difficult due to the lighting and reflections

All for now.

A Garden Visit

 On Friday we met up with friends at Wollerton Old Hall Garden which is near Market Drayton in Shropshire.  It's about a forty minute journey from home.  We'd visited a couple of times before but not recently.  

It was a birthday celebration for one of our friends so as we arrived close to noon it was time for refreshment before the small tea room got too crowded.  Lunch was lovely.  We had Hummus and pitta bread with a couple of different salads. Friends had Gardener's platter.  All very fresh and well presented.  Sorry no photos as we were too busy chatting and catching up on news.

After lunch we had a wander around the gardens. 

 'When Lesley Jenkins moved back to her former childhood home of Wollerton Old Hall in 1983 with her husband John, she quickly discovered that the great age of the site demanded formality in the gardens design. She created three north-south and three east-west vistas. The resulting linearity of these vistas together with the hedges, walls and paths resulted in a collection of separate gardens, with each one having its own style and ethos.'

I've copied the above from the website (link at the top) to explain the history and layout of the garden.  It was very sunny so I didn't take too many photos as the light was too bright in places.  Just few photos below of those I did manage to take with my little camera.

The scents and sounds were wonderful - especially the Wisteria.  In the wilder area at the bottom of the garden there were butterflies and damselflies flitting around under the trees amongst the cow parsley.

There were plenty of seating areas in quiet places.

After that it was time for tea and cake before heading home.

Boscobel House and the Royal Oak

 

Carrying on from my last post.

When we reached Boscobel House it was time for a late lunch before we explored the house and grounds.  We had sandwiches served with a small side salad in the barn before moving on to the garden.  As rain was forecast we decided to visit the outside areas first.

Boscobel House is a farmhouse, at one time turned hunting lodge, with a connection to national history and turbulent times.  It was from here in 1651 that Charles II escaped to France after being defeated by Cromwell's troops at the battle of Worcester.  He found safety for a while in the house which was owned by the Giffard family from nearby Whiteladies Priory.  The house was lived in and cared for by the Penderel brothers.  The first night of his stay, disguised as a countryman, he and his companion Major William Careless hid in an oak tree to escape being captured by Parliamentarian soldiers.  The second night he hid in the priest's hole until the Penderel brothers could move him to nearby Moseley Old Hall, from there disguised as the servant of a local gentlewoman called Jane Lane he managed to get to Shoreham on Sea and from there to France.  Here is a -link- to more information.

The gardens were lovely.  Set out in a 17th century parterre design with plants typical of the era.

This photo was taken through an upstairs window.

 

From the garden we wandered into the meadow to walk to the Oak Tree, it's not the original tree that sheltered a king as parliamentarian troops scoured the woods below but  a descendant of the original.  

The person who greeted us at the reception told us that the  larger one was struck by lightening a few years ago so another smaller one now grows at its side 'just in case'.

A willow tunnel for children to explore.  There are lots of interactive displays and play areas to keep them occupied and inspired.

The site is now presented as a Victorian farm with animals and chickens.  Above one of the Ryland sheep.

 

A contented Tamworth pig - I'm sure it was smiling.

Time to go inside.

From 1812 until 1888 the house and estate, including nearby Whiteladies - now a ruin and not visited this time - was owned by the Evans sisters.  Their main home was Darley Abbey House near Derby but they did visit Boscobel for a month each year and being fascinated with the house's history, encouraged tourists to visit the house and the Royal Oak.  Inside the house is now presented as a Victorian residence with a romanticised view of the 17th century.

The first thing you do on entry is to pick up a candlestick.  In each room is a pile of books, if you place the candle on top of the books an animated figure appears.  

Figures appear from the 17th century in a 19th century setting.

Quite ghostly at times.

The downstairs living area was very dark so photographs were impossible. It's kept so dark to protect some of the objects in the room and in particular a very special contemporary account of the escape. Upstairs there are two open bedrooms and an attic area.  Also the priest's hole where Charles II may have hidden.  More photos below.

The way out is through the dairy, where cheese and butter were made and meat was salted.  Across in one of the barns was an area for brewing cider.

The Dairy

 

Butter Making

 

Below the salting area

 

Below cider making 

 

Below a collage of a few more random photos.  

 

Apologies for the photo overload.   I have bedding hanging outside to dry so I'm keeping an eye out for rain, it has gone a bit dull so I must go and check.

All for now.