More Snowdrops

This morning was so very cold.  I walked into the kitchen to see the limping fox sitting on the lawn opposite the kitchen window with a slight smattering of snow falling on his head.  He waited patiently whilst we sorted out something for him to eat, dashing, as gingerly as he could on three legs, to the top of the garden until we were back indoors before returning to eat.  

I promised more snowdrops and there were lots at the Dorothy Clive Garden this morning.  After a warming coffee and toasted teacake we set of to find them.

Last Wednesday I had a lunchtime hospital appointment so we spent an hour at the Brampton Museum which is just a short drive from the hospital.  There is a new exhibition called 'From Leek to Llandudno' and it's about the emergence of rail travel to the seaside and family holidays taken there.  

More on this exhibition and another display at Trentham in a later post.

More sad news this week.  A friend rang to say that our former work colleague and friend had died.  That's three people we've known for a long time in the last couple of months.  

I was looking through some old photos and found this one of both curators I had worked with.  I must have taken the photo.  We were out on a jolly following the Pilgrim Fathers' Trail that J (in pink) had put together for the Museum she worked for.  We were in North Nottinghamshire and into Lincolnshire near Gainsborough where J worked.  I can't remember which church this was but it would have had a connection to either William Brewster or William Bradford.

Anyway, S (in blue) would have been 90 in March this year, and my friend and I had a reminisce about the happy times when we all worked together in the 80s and early 90s.  S retired to Wales near Llandrindod Wells.  J became a Buddhist nun, I've no idea what happened to her as we eventually lost touch.  How time flies and how precious memories are.

All for now, I'll be back with trains to the coast and willow woodland animals.

Rode Hall Snowdrops - Part 2

In my last post I promised more about the kitchen garden and pool which are both included in the Snowdrop walk at Rode Hall.

The path down to the lake or pool had verges covered in Spring flowers, Snowdrops, of course, as well as Daffodils, crocus and cyclamen.

The path passes the Stew Pond where there were Marsh Marigolds growing around the edges.

 

The Obelisk by the pool was Grade II listed in 1967.  It's made of yellow sandstone, the lower half is older than the upper half which locally  is thought to have replaced a former carving of a woman with a basket of eggs.

 

Rode Pool

The Hall was built c 1705 to 1707 it replaced an earlier house which was probably a half timbered manor house much like Little Moreton Hall which is just a few miles away.

Back up the path towards the hall we passed through the formal gardens

 

with this statue of a Wood Nymph in the centre.  It was created by British sculptor David Williams Ellis.

 

The Courtyard which has been set out as a cafe.

I took these photos before we went on the walk by the time we came back every table was full and there was a long queue for refreshments.

Views across the walled kitchen garden.

Gardeners were out and about preparing the beds for the new season.

Inside the green house.

Lots of Spring colour

I liked the old scales.  I remember those in grandma's kitchen.

Below the rhubarb beds.  It's almost time for early forced rhubarb.

 

We are just back from a couple of days away.  We had to attend a family funeral so decided to stay overnight both before and after so we didn't have lots of travelling in one day.  We had lunch with friends on the way there and on the way back walked along the Cromford canal in Derbyshire which I will write about in my next post.

Rode Hall Snowdrops - Part 1

Yesterday we visited a local garden, just north of the city over the county border in Cheshire.  Each year Rode Hall at Scholar Green offers Snowdrop Walks in February.  I took so many photos that I've decided to write two posts as there were many other things to see including a walled kitchen garden and greenhouse.

 

Rode Hall

 

The first thing to greet us as we wandered down the narrow path to the gardens was the glorious scent of the Daphne bush.  There were more dotted around the walks so every so often there was that distinctive aroma in the air.

 

We soon found lots of Snowdrops.

From a distance they looked like drifts of newly fallen snow.

 

Get up close and you can see how intricate and beautiful the flowers are.
 

There were lots of different varieties.

 

It's a few years since we last visited and the walk had been extended so there was quite a lot more of the woodland to explore.  I hope this is included in a couple of months time for their bluebell walks as there were signs of many on the way.

 

There were other Spring flowers to see including Daffodils, Crocus, Hellebores, Cyclamen and Camelias.

 

I'll be back with more on the Walled Kitchen Garden and the Lakeside in my next post.

 

A Snowdrop Walk

Yesterday we decided to drive the few miles from here to Ashbourne and then just that little bit further to Hopton Hall in the village of Carsington.

It was a little early as the snowdrops were just in bud and were exepected to be at their best next week but it was a joy to see them. So lovely to walk along the trail and into the walled garden too.  There seemed to be only us there plus one other couple with whom we stopped for a chat along the way.  They were visiting from the South West. 

 It was so good to be out in the fresh air.  I'll let the photos take over.

 

 

 

We sat with a warm drink from the outside catering area.  Overlooking the Ha Ha and the row of trees above.  The air was cold and dry and all was peaceful.

I'm so glad we made the effort to visit.