Jo’s Monday walk : Rufford Abbey and Country Park

Rufford Abbey in Nottinghamshire looks very inviting on a warm Summer’s day.  Nestled on the edge of Sherwood Forest, in Robin Hood territory, the abbey dates back to 12th July, 1147. Founded by Gilbert de Gant, it was populated with Cistercian monks from Rievaulx Abbey in Yorkshire, a place that I know well.  They were known as ‘white monks’ because their habits were made from undyed wool, and they lived an austere life of prayer and hard work.

When my daughter suggested that I would love these abbey ruins, now part of a large country estate, I was more than happy to accompany her. She always makes excellent company.  Why don’t you come with us?

Did any of you ever hear of a heliochronometer?  That’s what Lisa was studying in the rose garden.  According to a complicated explanation in Wikipedia, it is a precision sundial first devised by Philip Hahn around 1763.  We struggled to set it, rather unsuccesfully.

Only the west wing of the abbey remains.  The rest was demolished in the 1670s, following the Abolition of the Monasteries.  The pink-tinged stone has a delicacy I love.  A country house replaced the abbey, alleged to be haunted, most appropriately by a skull-bearing monk.

The formal gardens have a lovely hint of playfulness, entrancing to children large and small. Had it not been so hot we could have navigated the fortune maze for much longer.  Spinning the wheel to choose our destiny.  The metal gates and sculptures were intricate and beautiful.

Shade was a valuable commodity, with Lisa fluttering her fan and wishing she’d brought the delightfully dilapidated parasol I’d managed to poke another hole in the previous day. Accidentally, of course.

The Oil Patch Warrior, a sculpture by Jay O’Meilia, a Navy artist in World War II, commemorates American oil workers who drilled over 3 million barrels of oil in the heart of Nottinghamshire, between 1943 and 1945.  He is one of many varied and interesting pieces throughout the grounds.

Hidden in the depths of leafy shade we find an immense ice house.  Sadly, the ice is long departed.  Hoping to catch a breeze over by the lake, or maybe even an icecream, we saunter down through the trees.

There’s a small cafe, but it’s melting hot inside, so we opt for that icecream- tangy lemon for Lisa, pistachio and almond for me.  Lovely!  The path winds on around the lake and we follow it back to the start.

Time to twirl that imaginary parasol homewards.  All good things come to an end, and it was beautiful while it lasted.  I hope you enjoyed it too.  Rufford Abbey is now managed by English Heritage, and full details of how to get there are on their website.

That’s my couple of days in Nottingham accounted for.  Thank you for your company, and for the many and varied walks I’ve received this week.  Join me any time.  You’ll be most welcome. Details are on my Jo’s Monday walk page.  Time to put the kettle on now and settle in for a good read.

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I was delighted to be introduced last week to Theresa, by Becky.  Another birder, of course!

Little Orme Level 1

For a glimpse of breathtaking beauty, you often can’t beat Drake :

Nowhere highland

One I missed from last week!  Please have a catch up with Denzil :

The Valley of the Hermeton

A beer by the Spree and/or a bit of wall?  Nice choice from Debbie :

Walking the Wall

A look at a place Jackie knows well- street art and stairs! :

Bonjour Montreal!

A bit of sadness with Woolly :

Jo’s-Monday-Walk-Wk25

But Geoff stays determinedly cheerful :

Cake not Hate – a walk and some thoughts

Meg gently meanders, looking in crevices, twice!

Two wordless walks

While Jude is mildly disenchanted with walking in Truro.  Can anyone help?

Truro – the UK’s most southerly city

Lady Lee offers a superb look at another of those places I’ve always wanted to visit :

Our Malta experience

A good friend has been to the falls at Plitvice and Krka.  They look magnificent!  Here’s proof positive from Paula :

Transience of Water

Do you know Ting?  She’d love to escort you around these beautiful gardens :

Exploring RHS Gardens, Wisley in Surrey

Becky just knew I’d love this post!  Distinctive boats, canals, sunshine… can’t go wrong!

Exploring the many canals of Aveiro

While Carol takes me somewhere very familiar indeed.  I do like a Shambles!

A Walk Around York

You might need a bit of stamina for this long walk, with Eunice :

Ambling round Anglezarke

I am enamoured with Savannah.  Take a look at Cady Luck’s post and you will be too!

Jo’s Monday Walk : Savannah, Georgia

Sssh, but the sun still seems to be shining a little bit up here, and I’m off out for a walk.  Catch you all soon.  Have a great week!

109 comments

  1. Aah, you make me wish I lived closer so I could join you on your wonderful strolls through beautiful properties Jo. Just back from Belgium, and our first few days were blistering! Was hard even for us hot-house folk.

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  2. You know I love your walks so much, I think about sponsoring one on my blog. But that would mean I’d have to ONE, take walks; TWO, write about them, and THREE keep up with everyone else who walked. So I reckon, I’m content to read your luscious meanderings. I think that’s the first time I’ve seen your daughter. For a small country, you certainly have a bunch of interesting burgs to visit, eh?

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    1. It’s packed full of goodies, Mr. B- strange, isn’t it, for a cool little island 🙂 🙂 I shall be ambling at snail’s pace, toes in water style, next week. The Algarve is calling… thanks for stopping by. Hope life is treating you real swell 🙂

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  3. Pingback: Jo’s-Monday-Walk-Wk26 – WoollyMuses

  9. Thanks for taking me on another wonderful walk, Jo! I love sundials and it’s fun to calculate the time using the technology of the past. Were you able to calculate the time (at that moment) after resetting the instrument?

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  10. Wonderful sculptures, amazing architecture and what an atmosphere.
    Excellent captured. 🙂

    This time you haven’t catch the red-haired girl in a cellar (or what it was) the last time we saw her. 😀

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  11. Hi Jo, oh I so much enjoyed walking with you once again in the glorious sunshine and dreaming of parasols – love your daughter’s fan 0 and afterwards with an ice cream. Caramel for me…or lemon like your daughter 🙂 Did we really have all that sweltering heat? It’s been nothing but grey and rain since then in the West Country, the odd bit of sunshine. Still, at least my once dry water butts are now full to overflowing, ha! I too love the pink-tinged stone, I could feel the warmth of the sun on my face as you walked and talked me through the grounds of this beautiful Abbey. I’ve missed walking with you my friend, thank you so much for still visiting me. I’m going to disappear yet again as the house move is fast approaching and I have done not a thing, seriously. It will be some weeks before I return to blogland, but I’ll keep tabs on you in other ways – I hope that doesn’t sound sinister! Enjoy your summer Jo, I hope to do the same once the move is out of the way..but then of course, we know the real fun begins. Love & hugs lovely lady 🙂 ❤

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    1. Thanks so much, darlin! I hope the move goes well. 🙂 🙂 It’s rained for 2 solid days up here and James was moving from his flat this week. Fun and games 🙂 Hugs, sweetheart! Take good care of yourself.

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      1. Thank you so much dear Jo. Busy times for you too by the sounds of it! My youngest moved to a flat in April as you know, and we’re still helping with various tasks that need doing. Except now, we really need to get our own tasks done! Fun and games as you say… arrrrrhhhhh!!!!! I hope it all goes well for us all and I’ll see you on the other side of those packing boxes! Hugging back lovely 🙂 ❤

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