Jo’s Monday walk : Ray Wood and Polar Bear walk

Cherub fountain in the Rose Garden, Castle Howard

Cherub fountain in the Rose Garden, Castle Howard

Some of you may remember that around this time last year I met my daughter for a Grand Day Out, at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire?  The house was beautifully decorated for Christmas, and I would have loved to do the same this year.  Instead I had to settle for a visit to another of England’s beautiful historic homes, Castle Howard in Yorkshire. It’s every bit as fine as Chatsworth, but I had to substitute a husband for a daughter.  Fortunately, he doesn’t mind a walk in beautiful gardens.

The more observant among you will have noticed a reference to a Polar Bear Walk.  Now don’t get too excited- I didn’t find any!  Which was a source of disappointment as it was certainly cold enough for them.  Set within 1,000 acres of beautiful landscape in the Howardian Hills, the house is described by Lonely Planet as ‘one of the world’s top ten greatest mansions’.  That’s quite a claim!   Come with me and see what you think.

The rose garden was looking sadly bare

The rose garden was looking sadly bare

So it was time to go hunting for polar bears

So it was time to go hunting for polar bears

The zigzag of trees climbing the slope was referred to on the map as Polar Bear Walk.  It didn’t seem too much to expect, but I could see neither hide nor hair of one.  Nor could I find an explanation of the name.  Oh, well!

But there was a nice view across the lake.

There was a nice view across the lake.

The sky was an unrelenting shade of gloom but, undaunted, and in the interests of getting warmed up, a scramble up Polar Bear Walk was called for.  It leads to the Reservoir in Ray Wood. A reservoir of sorts has existed in these woods since the 18th century.  Filled from a nearby stream, it supplies the two main fountains in the grounds below, using the force of gravity to drive the fountain jets.

The Reservoir

The Reservoir

With 25 acres of woodland, many of the trees and shrubs in Ray Wood are original species, brought from around the world by the great plant hunters of the 19th and 20th centuries.  The acidic soil supports a variety of thriving rhododendrons- one of my favourite plants.

Isn’t this bark beautiful?
Playing hide and seek- still no polar bears!
The characters on the plinth are only visible when the water level drops

 

But look what I managed to spot- in December!

But look what I managed to spot- in December!

And the occasional statue

And a statue or two

I loitered for quite a while, watching some grey squirrels frolic.  They kept a playful eye on me, and easily managed to stay out of camera shot.  I always have that kind of relationship with squirrels!  Consulting the map I’d picked up at reception, it was time to leave the woods and press on to the Temple of the Four Winds.  Would this be as draughty as it sounds?

It was certainly a little bleak on this grey old day

It was certainly a little bleak on this grey old day

Originally known as the Temple of Diana, it was designed by Vanbrugh, but remained unfinished at the time of his death in 1726.  Ten years later the interiors were finally decorated by the stuccoist Franceso Vassalli.  The temple was used as a place for reading and refreshment, and beneath it is a cellar where servants prepared food for the family. The temple can be entered on one of the free guided tours, which take place between March and October.

It's quite a vantage point, isn't it?

It’s quite a vantage point, isn’t it?

Even set against such grey skies!

Even set against such grey skies!

There are a number of monuments within the estate, and heading down to the gently curving New River Bridge, the Mausoleum becomes visible on the horizon.  Designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor, it stands 90 feet tall and is supported by a colonnade of 20 pillars.

The Mausoleum, on the horizon

The Mausoleum, on the horizon

And in a little more detail

And in a little more detail

The bulrushes don't seem to mind the mist

The bulrushes don’t seem to mind the mist

Statuary dot the grounds and it’s a shame that the sky is not brighter because they really don’t look their best.  The forecast was for a little blueness between 2 and 3 o’clock.  ‘A little’ was all I saw.  The following day dawned bright and blue, but I was elsewhere.

A shepherd boy with his lute
A watchful swan
I almost missed this fugitive from the woods!
Hercules tenderly cradles his son

Visible from the house and by far the grandest sculpture in the grounds, the Atlas Fountain is beautiful.  The 3rd Earl of Carlisle, now interred within the Mausoleum, started the creation of the waterways which give the estate its character.  There are lakes on both sides of the house, and in Summer you might even go boating on the Great Lake.

The Atlas Fountain, with its patina of age

The Atlas Fountain, with its patina of age

Atlas holding up the world
And in reflection
The sculptures in the shallow water

I hope you enjoyed the walk, despite the dreary skies.  I did, but I’m pretty sure that I will be back to join a guided walk in the Spring, when the rhododendrons are in full bloom.

The Castle Howard website is full of information, including details of how to get there.  The photos show it at its glorious best.  Later in the week I’ll be taking you inside the house and I can promise you a lot more colour.

walking logo

You might need the kettle on for a ‘warm up’, then sit back and enjoy the walks I have to share. Details of how to join in are on my Jo’s Monday walks page.  Many thanks to all my contributors, far and wide.  It wouldn’t be the same without you.

Shall we start in paradise, with Jude?

Home and Away

Here’s a different, but still lovely, shoreline with Drake  :

Walk the line, the coastline

Next stop, Toronto, for a ‘mum’ show!  :

The sport of Mums

Then a hop ‘down the way’, to Dallas, to enjoy Amy’s beautiful photography  :

The Dallas Arboretum

It’s snowing on Gilly’s blog, but not in her world!  :

It may be December, but…

In Switzerland you have a good chance of snow!  And idyllic scenery- thanks Rosemay!

Weggis by the Lake

Did you ever think you’d get chance to visit Mount Krakatoa?  No- me neither!  Amazing, Noe!

Mount Krakatoa

And, just to put you all to shame, here’s my lovely mate, Cathy, in China.  Don’t miss it!

5 hour trip to the Longji Rice Terraces

Hope to see you all later in the week.  Have a good one!

69 comments

  1. It does look rather bleak at this time of year, Jo, but so nice to see that splash of pink. I hope you had on your polar fleece jacket to keep you warm. Those grounds must be really magnificent in spring and summer.

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  3. So the mystery of the polar bears continues. I was so hoping you had managed to meet one dressed in its snow jacket and hat in the middle of grey England, rather like an Arctic Paddington! If the grounds are this massive and worked over by so many famous architects, I cannot imagine the decadence inside.

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  4. Even on a grey day the Castle Howard grounds look inviting. The Polar Bear Walk, now that’s such an intriguing name – who could resist taking a stroll down it in the hope of finding out why it’s so called. 😉

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  5. This reminds me very much of Forde Abbey with shades of Stourhead. I like the atmospheric background, a great walk with the right gear on – goes without saying! – and I’m very much looking forward to the inside pics of Castle Howard, a place I’ve always wanted to visit. Love how you managed to find a spot of colour with the azalea…but then you bring more than a spot of colour to all your posts Jo 🙂

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    1. Thanks, Sherri! 🙂 I had to be prodded in the direction of the flowers because my hawk-eyed husband spotted them while I was playing with the squirrels. He does have his uses 🙂 (he saw the wooden owl too). There was one photo I was tempted to include where he was flapping his arms about trying to ruin my long shot. He gets just a tad impatient now and again 🙂 The house is truly fabulous inside.

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  6. What a great walk Jo! I have so many places I want to visit because of you. 🙂 Rhody’s are one of my favorite it flowers too. We have tons of them here, only bad thing is they don’t bloom long enough. You were blessed to see one in December, you have a great eye! Hope your week gives you many blue skies.

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  12. You would need to wrap up well in that weather Jo, or walk very briskly, but despite the grey skies the splendour of the place still came through in your photos.

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  15. ‘Twas a grey old day Jo … but no matter we’ve had a good shufty round the place with you 😉
    I love all the statuary and spaciousness of the grounds . What extraordinary amounts of money must have been poured into this place from the very beginning … Castle Howard being rather popular for film sets of course and with the connection with Brideshead Revisited it will be a must for me one of these odd fortnights . I’ll look forward to more wickedness Jo 😀

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    1. I completely missed it, Ann, but Mick has much better eyes than me (long distance, anyway) and pointed it out. I couldn’t get very near because there was a sign on the steps pointing out that they were slippy and dangerous 😦

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    1. It’s colder today, Viv, but very bright and sparkly 🙂 We just had our last pre-Christmas walk with the group and ended up at a garden centre for coffee. Very convivial 🙂

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  20. My first thought was “Brideshead”, by the link I could see I was right – enjoyed this walk – even if it isn’t hot dummer those manor gardens worth visiting – perhaps more now than in summer – but I guess it’s a matter of taste – very well captured… 😀

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