Jo’s Monday walk : Thorp Perrow

The magical colours of Autumn

The magical colours of Autumn

It lasts for such a short time!  Already the Virginia Creeper, whose rosy hue adorns my wall in Autumn, is strewn across our drive and whistling off down the road.  So I’m glad that I made it to Thorp Perrow Arboretum when I did.  100 acres of woodland are surely enough in which to worship Autumn colour.  And you can take your eyes off that tearoom!  That’s for much later,

Let's get delicious with the daisies first!

Let’s get delicious with the daisies first!

Over a little stream and the colour is already beckoning

Over a little stream and the colour is already beckoning

But close at hand there are jewels to distract

But close at hand, there are jewels aplenty

As always, I hand the map to the other half, and set off to follow my nose.  Or, in this case, a lovely little stream which wends its way through the woods.  Signs promise ‘Henry’s Island’ and ‘Kate’s Island’.  Will I be allowed?

A plopping sound stops me suddenly.  From overhead something lands in the water, sending concentric rings dancing to shore.  High in the canopy, a mischievous squirrel is dispensing acorns for our entertainment.

Sunlight dances in the woods

Sunlight dances in the woods

And radiates from the leaves

Beaming from bronzed leaves

And then the lake, in all it's glory

And then the lake, in all it’s glory

It's a 'hold your breath' moment

It’s a ‘hold your breath’ moment

Just the lake and the leaves

Just the lake, and the leaves

The history of Thorp Perrow can be traced back to the Domesday Book, where it was listed as ‘Torp’ manor house.  The trees came much later. Planting began in the 16th and 17th centuries, and in the 1840’s the Milbank Pinetum was planted with seed brought over from America.  There are now 5 National Collections of trees (Juglans-Walnuts, Tilia-Limes, Fraxinus-Ash, Cotinus and Laburnum) and 66 Champion Trees (the largest of their kind in Britain).

But it’s not at all a stuffy place!  A sense of humour manifests itself in many forms.

See the shark's fin in the water?

See the shark’s fin in the water?

The crocodile, of course
And an unfortunate gardener!

Throughout this month the children have been treated (or tricked!) with a collection of spectres and ghouls lurking in the woods. Eek!!!

Just hanging about

Just hanging about

Or sitting patiently on a bench, for Jude

Or sitting patiently on a bench, waiting for Jude

There is also a growing Wildlife Park, where you can ‘meet the meerkat’, watch bizarrely plumed fowl strutting their stuff, and gasp at the exploits of the birds of prey.  The flying displays are one of the park’s most popular features, and are well worth seeing.  I’ll let you discover them for yourself. For me the park is mostly about the landscape.

Trees and topiary

Trees and topiary

And gasps of acer colour

And gasps of Acer colour

Beautifully weathered statues loiter wistfully amongst the trees.  They mingle with newer wood sculptures, showing no apparent resentment.

Walks spiral off in all directions from the mighty Jubilee Oak, and another named for Catherine Parr.  You don’t have to follow a specific route but simply wander to wherever your eye finds most pleasing.  It doesn’t really matter.  It’s all lovely!

A hen stops to drink at the fountain
The handsome new Acorn Sculpture
Banks of hydrangea
A wisp of pine
A busy ‘heron’
Stately bulrushes
And Rowan berries

Despite it being a glorious day, the park is quite peaceful.  Strangers nod to each other, wearing beatific smiles in the unaccustomed October warmth.  Only when we reach the Autumn bays is there a sense of urgency.  Bathed in rosy colour, we gaze upwards.

This is what Autumn is all about

Autumn in all its splendour

The other half seems to have found something interesting
These beauties! No. 129 in the brochure
I'm more taken with the Sycamore wings

I’m more taken with the Sycamore wings

Delicate Cotinus
And the Gingko

I can sense you beginning to tire.  There’s only so much beauty the eyes can take in, and we’re not far from the promised tea rooms.  If Meg were here she’d be fingering the bark on so many of the trees.  But you’ve earned your bowl of soup, and some of that yummy cake.  Which one to choose, I wonder?  There’s a full menu on the website, all very reasonably priced.  (Dare I admit to having the pensioner’s special?)

The Arboretum is just beyond the lovely market town of Bedale, in North Yorkshire, and details of how to get there are also shown on the website.

walking logo

I’m feeling quite tired myself after all that exercise.  I’ll just say my thank you’s and get that kettle on, I think.  You’ve certainly brought variety this week.  Thank you so much to all of you who keep following me down this path.  I really value your company.  Anyone wanting to join in will be made very welcome.  Details are on my Jo’s Monday walk page.  Just click on the logo.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Scotland has some of the most beautiful gardens, and in wonderful locations too.  Thanks, Anabel!

Inverewe and around

And I can’t argue with this description from Violet, either :

The prettiest town

A little fog gives a nice air of mystery, don’t you think?

Monday Walk : Texas Countryside

A comprehensive guide- see the sights with Jackie!

Day 2- Berlin

Richard doesn’t mind being a beach bum.  With beaches like this, who would?

Cornwall’s Seven Bays in pictures

A ‘kick of happiness’ is what you’ll get if you join Drake this week!

A lake, peaks and a queen

Ever tried Australian salmon?  Ruth explains why you might not have :

Salmon Ponds

Not so taxing as last week’s walk, but still you might prefer just to gaze in admiration :

Rain, Rivers and Waterfalls : The Steall Falls

Next up, a nice relaxing stroll around Central Park (or a ride in a horse drawn carriage if you’re feeling flush)

Travel Album: New York City (2)

Tobias is showing us a very different kind of beauty.  Come and see!

A Short Walk in Saint-Saturnin-de-Lucian

I hope you enjoyed the walks this week.  I certainly did!  Where to take you next week?  I haven’t made my mind up yet.  I shall just wish you all a Happy Halloween week and hope the weather stays fine.  Bye for now!

146 comments

  1. immagini favolose! non saprei sceglierne una in particolare, straordinarie quelle sull’acqua, ma in particolare mi ha fatto paura quella horror dei piedi del bambino che sembra caduto nell’acqua, Ossantocielo! ho dovuto guardarla più volte per essere certa che era una installazione ha ha.Bello questo mix di fantasia, sembra di passeggiare in un giardino incantato
    🙂 🙂

    Like

    Reply

  2. What a beautiful place Jo and I so love that garden with all the ghouly stuff. Now that I would enjoy! 😆

    Those daisies are just gorgeous and you’ve captured them so beautifully! I also love the autumn leaves. They do give so much colour to any surrounding, don’t they? I wouldn’t mind living there for sure. 😀

    Thanks for the lovely virtual tour and for sharing. I really enjoyed. ♥

    Like

    Reply

    1. It had been quite damp the couple of days before we went to the park, Sonel, and I was thrilled with the weather. Everything looked wonderfully dewy and made for great photos. Glad you enjoyed it, hon, and thanks a lot. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. I couldn’t agree more! And what you’ve said reminds me that I keep meaning to post photos from a garden in Vanuatu that has both beauty and character (“missionary position” took on a whole new meaning!). When I get around to it … ^^’

        Like

  5. Jo, thanks for sharing this glimpse of autumn. My head says it’s October so should be autumn, but obviously here in Aus, it is spring. I’m loving seeing the northern autumn in blog posts along with your lovely photos.

    My contribution this week is a coastal walk. http://wp.me/p4X4U3-Am

    Like

    Reply

    1. I’d love to make the jump straight from Autumn into Spring, Ruth, but I don’t suppose Ma Nature would approve. 😦 So far it’s been a lovely Sept/October here so I daresn’t complain 🙂 Thanks for sharing, hon.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  6. You promised me more autumn images and boy did you deliver. Big! And so many magnificent reflective ones. Love! Also, daisies are my favorite flower. And had a good chuckle with the image of the ‘unfortunate gardner’!

    Like

    Reply
  10. Pingback: Rotterdam in a Day (part 1) – Jo’s Monday Walk | Home that We Built

    1. But when the cold and the rain comes you’ll be happy to be in Dubai, Richard 🙂 Seriously- you’re very welcome, and yes, on a warm afternoon in Autumn there are few finer places. I love it! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  13. Thanks so much, Jo, for taking us on your walk today through this delightfully peaceful estate. You did a really fine job of showing us autumn in all its glory, the colors and the flora are breathtaking. Fun jokes too. 🙂

    Like

    Reply

  14. Of course, I went straight to the menu! “Giant Yorkshire Puddings” sound to die for. 😛 Gorgeous photos, Jo. I would definitely enjoy walking here and admiring all the beauteousness. That bench was quite a find. I wonder if Jude would want to sit next to Mr. Bones. 😕

    Like

    Reply

  16. your photos captured the beauty of the park, Jo! and fun, too! the autumn leaves seem to glow. so sorry about mr gardener; i wonder how he ended up they way he did 🙂

    Like

    Reply

      1. I know you’ve already visited, but for anyone else wandering through the comments and (also) fears claustrophobia, these caves are not undergroundI My heart couldn’t take the stress of that kind of adventure.

        Like

      2. I’m not claustrophobic, just a little cave averse. I don’t think it would put people off your post. They’d probably come out of curiosity 🙂 Your caves are beautiful 🙂

        Like

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.