Jo’s Monday walk : Cragside

I’m interrupting my Polish stories to take you briefly to Northumberland.  The reason being that it is rhododendron time of year at Cragside, and if we don’t go soon you’ll have missed them.  I managed to capture them in the last week of May, when they were looking truly fabulous.

Cragside is rightly famous for being the first home in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity, and makes a fascinating tour.  My interest, however, lies in the acres of woodland walks and the formal gardens which surround the house.  Former owner, Lord Armstrong, is described as a landscape genius, and I saw nothing to make me dispute that claim.

To get the lie of the land you can take the 6 mile circular carriage drive around the estate.  On a sparkling blue sky day it is a sight to behold.  Within that there are a selection of waymarked trails and over 40 miles of signposted footpaths.  Enough, even for me?

As always I am magnetised by the water and my first stop is Nelly’s Moss, where there are two lakes to walk around.  Craggy boulders split the woods and some of the trail is made up of solid stone slabs.  No-one to disturb, but a curious duck or two.

No doubt you can tell I’m besotted by the rhododendrons, but the pleasures don’t end there.  In fact, they’re just beginning.  There’s even a Trim Trail, should you wish to test your fitness levels.  Perhaps I shouldn’t define that as a pleasure.  I’m content to drive back to the Visitor Centre, fronted by lovely Tumbleton Lake.  Parking and restaurant are close by, or you can simply picnic beside the lake.  Some folk like to travel in style.

The Armstrong Trail follows Debdon Burn, past the Archimedes Screw and the Pump House, through woodland leading to the Iron Bridge.  From here you can climb through the sea of azaleas and rhododendrons up to the house, or you can take a detour to the formal gardens.

I don’t remember these from my long ago visit, but the setting is superb.  On a truly radiant day, with the valley below rolling down to Rothbury in the distance, you just want to sit on a bench and breath deeply.  No such luxury for the gardening team, but they seem happy in their work, rooting out disobedient weeds.  I linger over tubs of tulips, beside a bedraggled rose and among the cool greys of the fernery.

Irridescent colours gleam at me, and it doesn’t really matter that many of the flowers are past their peak.  I can still luxuriate in their finery.

I hope you enjoyed sharing Cragside with me.  Full details are to be found on the website.  Meanwhile I’d like to share another great selection of walks.  It’s been a busy but wonderful couple of weeks and I won’t be posting a walk next week.  Instead I’ll be taking life a little more easily in the Algarve.  Among other things I have a wine tasting session that I need to attend.  Time to put the kettle on now, and settle in for a good read.

I always know it’s going to be a great week if it starts with a walk from Debbie :

Wandering around the park at Hellbrunn

Cheese anybody?  And don’t miss Jackie’s recipe for Slow Mongolian Beef :

Cheese platter

Let’s accompany Janet to the mall next, for some high end?

Monday walk…The Americana at Brand

Jesh is someone who doesn’t take beauty for granted, but often paints it, beautifully :

DON’T TAKE BEAUTY FOR GRANTED

And speaking of beauty, the happiest of memories brought back for me, from Lady Lee :

#SoCS June 9/18- “start with a noun”

Drake brought back more fond memories, of a long ago week at the Austrian lakes :

Idyllic Austrian colors

While Jaspa unintentionally brought back some not so happy memories of a Greek crisis for me :

Early Morning at The Parthenon, Athens

And Irene brought just a little more heavenly light :

Beams of Light

This post from Denzil gives you a choice of 4 walks and a lovely castle.  Not bad, hey?

Four walks starting from Horst Castle

Cathy hopes to be fit for the Camino in September, but meantime shares some fabulous views of her native America :

A hike above Wedding Canyon

As always, thanks to you all for walking with me and for sharing such wonderful companionship.  I need a little time out but I’ll be back as soon as I can.  Take good care till then.

 

130 comments

  1. Beautiful, Jo! Rhododendrons always make me think of North Wales, from where Rich hails. Sadly, there wasn’t a single plant in sight (let alone a Rhododendron) when we wandered around the ruins of the Saqqara necropolis in Egypt, but it was still mightily impressive… http://bit.ly/JJ-Djoser

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  2. Pingback: The Step Pyramid of Djoser – Part of the Saqqara Necropolis, Egypt | Jaspa's Journal

  7. This is Jesh StG, writing from my other blog (theJeshstudio at wordpress with the name Junieper2) You’re probably asleep by now. Wow, I can understand why you’re interrupting your Poland series for these beautiful Rhododendrons and other flowers! Stunning captures. Have a great week:) https://thejeshstudio.wordpress.com/2018/06/16/pleasant-backgrounds/ ‎ (If it reads “Oops that page can’t be found,” type in pleasant backgrounds)

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  9. What a splendour of a post. So many delights: orange-reds beside the rocky path; sole pink flower centre stage; ducks, always; pink foregroounding the pond; the bridge, the spire and the spidery plant; light through pink petals; fern curls; and water lilies framed by red. To name a few! You’ve earned Tavira. Loll and walk and unwind. A few hugs directed your way, shedding chill as they go.

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    1. I’m glad you got to see this. It’s the very best of England in my opinion though I’m sure Jude will disagree. Sitting in a tiny local cafe on our way home. Don’t have Internet this trip and I only miss it for talking to you. The stars are magical tonight and it’s been a lovely beach day. Many more pleasures to come. Love to J and hugs laced with coffee to you xx

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      2. We spent the day at Barril beach -with the anchors -and have just been out for supper. Using the cafe because we haven’t set Internet up this trip xx

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  12. Am I lucky or what to see your beautiful shots of the rhododendrons. Your photographs remind me of ours back in Maine – I miss them and can see through your lens once again. Awesome photographs Jo. Hope you are well.

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    1. Lovely to hear from you Mary. Newly arrived in Tavira and I intend to switch off for a while and enjoy the warmth. It’s a beautiful estate at Cragside and I saw it at it’s best. Take care xx

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  16. I’ll forgive you all those rhodies as you ended on some spectacular tulips. Sadly they will be all gone by now. Enjoy your relaxing week. I am meeting up with Sylvia tomorrow for lunch. It’s a shame that the weather has turned this week for them.

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  18. Hope you had a lovely flight and an easy travels, Jo. Your captures of Cragside make up for the bad weather we had when visiting in autumn a couple of years ago. 🙂 Rhododendrons are simply gorgeous.

    Totally beside the point; Last week I talked to a couple who is visiting Norfolk. They want to move here and are looking for a little village with a community. They said something I’m chewing on; that Northumberland now is the county with the most holiday lets and second homes and Norfolk comes second. Can that be? I thought Cornwall, Devon and Cumbria would have lots more homes where no-one are living permanently?

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  20. What a fabulous place Jo and your photos put us right in the heart of it! We can all be grateful for the visionaries who designed gardens like these knowing they’d never see them in full glory!

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    1. Hi Tina 🙂 🙂 Sorry- just found this in Spam. I’ve been offline for most of the past couple of weeks. Just home last night and settling down to a bit of catch up. And amazingly, it’s still sunny!

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