Photography

Jo’s Monday walk : Scarecrow fun in Kettlewell

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This week photo quality has lost out to Fun.  I’m hoping you won’t mind though, because it’s all in a good cause.  The village of Kettlewell in the Yorkshire Dales is throwing open its doors, from 13th to 21st August.  I know it’s short notice, but you won’t regret a visit.

The scarecrow festival has been running here for more than 20 years, and it must have been in its infancy when I last visited.  Coming over the tops from a rain-soaked Malham, sunlight beamed across the valley.  An afternoon of smiles had begun, and what a cast of characters!

It is the most picturesque of villages, and the surrounding scenery could steal any show.  A field just beyond the village has been earmarked for parking, at a cost of £3.  Smiling villagers direct traffic, and sell trail leaflets for a further one pound.  The map shows the route to follow through the village, with the added bonus of a riddle to solve on the reverse.  For a prize, of course.

Food is widely available, and everywhere a gentle Yorkshire sense of humour prevails.  There are village matrons, with a refined glass or two.  A maypole, with scarecrow children dancing, and Red Riding Hood, tucked quietly in a corner.  Someone always ends up in the stocks, and someone else gets eaten, while a soldier looks gravely on.

The festival has grown hugely since my last visit, but still retains warmth and intimacy.  I chat freely as I wander.  ‘Isn’t it lovely to be here?’  One lady says she lives in Skipton, at the head of the Dales and just a few miles down the road, but has never thought to come before.  This time the whole family are here, and having a great day out.

One of my best memories is the lovely bridal scene outside St. Mary’s Church.  Now the doors of the church have been flung wide, and inside the bishop awaits.   He’s in wonderful company.

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There are many crowd pleasers and figures from popular culture, and all within the most beautiful setting.

There is the prettiest of village greens, and beekeeper’s rule, you’ll be glad to note.  Hard to stop smiling, isn’t it?

‘Star Wars’ is a obviously a village favourite, along with ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ and ‘The Wizard of Oz’, of course.

‘Ding, dong, the witch is dead!  Which old witch?  The wicked witch.’  I hope you’ve had as much Fun with this stroll as I did.  It’s not at all the walk I intended to post today, but the timing makes it imperative- just in case you should be in the neighbourhood.  I’ve only shown you a fraction of the whole but I hope it’s enough to whet your appetite.  The proceeds all go to the school and village funds.

Even if you miss the festival, you will still receive a warm Kettlewell welcome.  This website guides you round the village, accompanied by a wealth of historical facts.  And now, I really must have some breakfast!

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Many thanks to you all again, for your good company and contributions this week.  If you’ve never joined in with a Monday walk before, I’d love you to do so.  Details are on my Jo’s Monday walk page.  Just click on the logo.  Now, settle in for a terrific read :

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Debbie was swift away this week, with a stunning coastal walk :

Maidencombe to Babbacombe 

Meet Judith, as she shares some lovely woodland walking in France :

A Path Through the Woods

Jackie does history again, coupled with a nice bit of sculpture :

Canary District

High in beautiful Andorra is a fine place to be with Drake :

Morning mood on the edge

You all know Cindy?  Glorious photography is her middle name :

Eastern Sierra High

Do you find Meg’s graffiti disturbing, or not?  Don’t be a fool like me- click on the gallery!

Vignettes from a morning walk- 7 

Pretty and peaceful with Jaspa, in the capital of Slovenia :

The Streets of Ljubljana Old Town

Anyone fancy meeting Jude in Coffee House Passage?  Sounds good, doesn’t it?

Scrobbesbyrig/Shrewsbury : Town Trail Part 2 

Get set for pagodas and shopping!  That’s Cathy in Myanmar for you :

City Walk : Yangon’s Colonial Treasures 

Anyone for waffles?  Don’t mind if I do, Susan :

Walking Brugge, Belgium, Without Regrets

Mesmerising colours in Kathrin’s walk this week.  I know you’ll love it :

Garfield Peak Trail, Crater Lake

That’s it for another week.  I hope you have a good one.  Next week I’ll be showing you a little more of what took me to The Dales.  The ladies from Monday Escapes are about again, if you’d like to join them.  And, of course, I’m up for the Daily Post challenge.

 

Where would you rather be?

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Pounding in to shore,

Wind whipping, shaping the waves.

Power, meet beauty!

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Paula must have known that she was tempting me with this week’s theme.  The weather played its part beautifully.  I know that there are finer seascapes, but this one is mine- my north east of England coast.

Now, please go and be spellbound at Thursday’s Special.

Jo’s Monday walk : Burton Agnes

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I promised you a gentle stroll this week, far from the bustle of the city.  Burton Agnes, in East Yorkshire, will deliver in spades.  I can find you a bench or two to loiter on, and maybe a game of chess or snakes and ladders.  Too taxing?  You can do what I did, and simply stand and smile.

There’s much to smile about at this Elizabethan stately home.  The elegant facade looks over a sweeping expanse of the Yorkshire wolds, but the owners have retained a sense of playfulness in the gardens.  They are a joy to behold.

When I was there they were setting up a grand marquee for the July jazz event.  The weather was steamy, as it rarely is in England, and the ice cream vendor was in full flow.  Or should I say scoop?

You’ll know by now that I have a thing for water lilies and reflective surfaces.  I could have played all day.

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Gryphons, lions, statuary, all come as standard in these formal gardens.

But come on!  We’ve mosaics and a rose garden yet to explore.

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Can you see what lies beyond the rose arbour?  Anyone for chess?  Or draughts?  Maybe the ladies would be better at snakes and ladders.

The rooms lead one to another, with tantalising glimpses of distraction.  The reflections soon entrance me all over again.

The roses smell wonderful and I bury my nose deep into their luscious beauty.

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‘I’ve found an elephant’, says the other half.  Really? And a very endearing creature he is too.

It’s such a delightful garden, with so many aspects.  Do you remember the wire mesh gardener tending his veg?  He’s here too.

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I believe there’s an Open Day for charity, so I can join Jude’s Garden Challenge this month.  I expect she’ll be disappointed there’s no cake, but I have a good reason.  This was the second garden we visited that day and we’d already eaten.  It was quite a long way from home, but well worth the journey.  I’ll show you the other garden soon.  That was a water lily bonanza!

A closer look at these gardens and instructions on how to get there are on the website.   I’m off to put the kettle on for breakfast.

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Many thanks to all of you for being such loyal supporters.  Every week I’m delighted by the contributions you make to my walks.  If you’d like to join me and haven’t done so it’s easy enough.  The details are on my Jo’s Monday walk page.  Just click on the logo above.  If I spot a good walk when I’m reading posts, I’ll simply ask if I can include it.  We have some great ones again this week.

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Starting with some beautiful gardens from Lady Lee :

Packwood Gardens

Cathy takes us to a stately home in the US, as well as it’s lovely garden :

Winterthur Museum, garden & library : a Delaware country estate

I’m discovering that Jackie is rather fond of history!

A history lesson

A hot, prickly walk from Ana.  And keep an eye out for rattlers!  Heavens!

The trail to Gorman Falls at Colorado Bend State Park

Liesbet uses camping as a means to an end- ‘roaming about’, of course :

The Art of Being Flexible (and Realistic)

I always like something a bit different in my walks.  How about this one?  Thanks, Shazza!

Llama Trekking in the Lakes

A great one for the bird watchers from Denzil this week (paying attention Becky?) :

Het Zwin Nature Park on the Belgian Coast

This is a country I’ve always wanted to visit, and a very beautiful post from Maris Travels :

Walking in the Japanese Alps

The Pyrenees are equally beautiful, especially if you’re with my good friend Drake :

A bit higher level of walking

Warsaw street life and a fantasy of umbrellas – it’s Meg, of course!

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Meet newcomer to my walks, Stephanie and the crew of S.V. Cambria, with a bit of a mystery :

A Walk on the Wild Side/Downtown Ocean Falls

Yvette embraces summer with her usual enthusiasm, and beautiful Crepe Myrtle :

Street Shots (#summer2016 a to z Letter S) summer walk with Jo

Come and be nosy with Susan (and me) while we look over a few fences :

Walking Cherbourg, France

Some people keep on dangling serious temptation my way.  You know who you are, Carol!

A Morning in Port Douglas

Becky and birds are synonymous, aren’t they?  Even in Lymington, it seems :

Didn’t get very far because of the birdies

That’s it for another week.  I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I did.  Now, where can I take you next week?  Take care till then.

Elusive shadows

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It was hot in the Algarve last month and I spent a lot of time searching for Shadow.  Here on the waterfront at Olhao I found a good vibe.

The island of Armona is one of my idyllic places.  Just a ferry ride away.  Sangria anyone?

The palms don’t offer much shade, and I’d have to dress up for the pousada.  Those cloisters do look inviting though.

Faro is an uber cool place for strolling.  A little arts and crafts.  Maybe even an ice cream?

When evening falls it’s still warm, and those shadows are ever more elusive.

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Is it any wonder I’m planning my next trip?  Thanks, Paula, for giving me another opportunity to share a place I love.

Jo’s Monday walk : City of Birmingham (24 hours in Brum)

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Britain’s second largest city, Birmingham, stormed my senses from the moment I first saw it.  Approaching by coach from the north, I gazed in horror at the piles of rubble and the cranes, skulking behind billboards.  In these testing times, it felt not a little like the scene of a recent disaster. But I needn’t have worried.  Apparently Birmingham is constantly reinventing itself, and I very much liked where my footsteps led me.

Frugality being one of my traits, I was staying a little off the beaten track.  As I raised my camera to take a shot of some Lemonade Fizzballs in a shop window, I was unaware that I was colliding with the city’s industrial past.  The Back to Backs on Hurst St. are all that is left of the cheap housing, swiftly erected to cope with the boom times of the Industrial Revolution.  Every imaginable type of industry thrived in Birmingham at that time.  James Watt, Matthew Boulton and William Murdoch, the luminaries in my lead photo, were pioneers and members of the Lunar Society- a melting-pot of scientific and industrial ideas.  I hesitate to admit that ‘rag rugs’ are part of my childhood memories.

Directly opposite, ‘The Old Fox Theatre Bar’ gave me a warm welcome, as it waited for customers from The Hippodrome Theatre.  The area adjoins Chinatown.  Noodle bars galore and a feast of eating opportunities.  The following morning was not quite so welcoming, and I returned to the city in a fine drizzle. Still, I had a smile on my face, for I was going to be Meeting Gilly.  The couple of hours till her arrival time were not to be wasted, and I set off in a clockwise direction.  The landmark buildings The Mailbox and The Cube were on my agenda.

Cheerful lanterns lit the path beneath the subway, then I dripped my way up The Mailbox steps.  What a revelation!

The Mailbox is a combination of art gallery and shopping complex, within the structure of Brum’s old postal sorting office.  I was in need of a little warmth and comfort, and the tulip-shaped chairs of the Bellini & Espresso Bar were pure invitation.

Just as I was settling in to a mouthful of luxury, the alarm bells began to ring and a stern voice announced that an investigation was taking place. Evacuation might soon be called for!  Fortunately, nothing further occurred, but just for a moment…

All too soon I was back on the streets, if anything, even damper than before.  Well, if I was going to be wet, I might as well head for the canals. Boats always boost my mood.  As I turned the corner to The Cube,  I glimpsed water.  Closely followed by soggy boats and dripping padlocks!

You might recollect that this pub in Gas Street Basin is where, later, I ate with Gilly.  The vegetarian menu looked promising, if a little damp!  As I looked back at The Cube, I thought I saw just a hint of sunlight.  Was I fooling myself?

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Back under the subway, I headed along Navigation St. in the direction of New Street Station.  This building had been beckoning to me for a closer look ever since my arrival in Birmingham.  A futuristic train shape, from a distance it intrigued.  Close quarters revealed a multitude of reflections.

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And THEN my eyes lit up.  Trams!  A source of much childish delight for me.  I studied their comings and goings for a few minutes, but it was almost time to go and meet my accomplice for the day.  The skies had brightened at last as I headed towards the coach station.  Just as I was consulting my map, looking for an elusive Mill Lane, a burst of sunny rain hit me.  Up went the brolly again, and I hopped onto the steps of a small, friendly-looking police station.  Seconds later, my phone rang.  ‘Where are you?’ a smiling voice asked.

Now I don’t know quite why, but a little voice inside my head was singing ‘if you want to know the way, ask a policeman!’  Well, why not?  In I went, and the police were every bit as friendly as their station looked.  They insisted on going online to find Mill Lane for me. By the time they had done so, my ray of sunshine had arrived.  Grinning from ear to ear.

Meeting Gilly tells the story of our day.  Linking arms we set off, first in search of refreshment, and then in the general direction of Birmingham Library.  A peep inside St. Martin in the Bullring was just enough to reveal the ravishing stained glass windows by local artist, Edward Burne-Jones. (Sorry- no photos allowed).  Bypassing The Bullring, reincarnated in style, and on into New Street, where we both delighted to find old style shopping arcades with beautiful ceilings.

So much to love about Brum!  By now I was starting to take the cranes and the billboards for granted.  I could forgive much in a city with a library like this one.  I wish I’d had time for the Secret Garden on the 7th floor and more than just a glimpse at the Shakespeare Memorial Room.

I guess what I’m saying is that 24 hours in Brum is not enough!  I still need to know more about Brindley Place and the sensory clock. And we never did manage to fit in St. Philip’s Cathedral with it’s Burne-Jones stained glass masterpieces.  Nor even try Fumo’s restaurant, recommended by my good friend Richard (A Bit of Culture) and the Rough Guide.

Get yourself a city map and take a walking tour.  You won’t regret it!  And now, for goodness sake, where’s the coffee?

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Thank you so much everybody, for putting up with me and my rambles.  I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Birmingham with Gilly.  If you have a walk you’d like to share, you can join me anytime.  The details are on my Jo’s Monday walk page, or just click on the logo. And now the best bit- some wonderful shares!

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First past the post again this week!  Drake’s lovely ‘home’ island :

Same style, but different

I missed one last week so humble apologies to Liesbet in Massachusetts :

(Super)Natural Wonders around us

Becky made me smile with some wonderful memories of Lisbon (and a bit of humph-ing!)

It’s a Monday so it must be time for a walk

And from the Azores… be still my beating heart!  Thanks, Susan :

Walking and Walking and Walking in Ponta Delgada, Portugal

Prepare for a lot of knowledge about the Hurons!  Jackie’s on the case :

Sainte-Marie Among the Hurons

Something a little different from BiTi this week :

Let’s hike the Stanford Dish Loop Trail

And Geoff is ambling along a river bank, being smug.  With Dog, of course!

Summer strolls#walking#suffolk

Violet Sky has found the nicest garden to match that nice town.  Have a wander!

A nice garden in a nice town

Cathy’s latest is huge!  Check out the Orangery :

Philadelphia’s Longwood Gardens

Jaspa’s building up a sweat in among some beautiful Mayan ruins :

Climbing an Ancient Mayan Pyramid at Coba, Mexico

And cooling down by the water in a lovely Cornish village.  Different, huh?

Boscastle Harbour, Cornwall, 12 years after the Floods 

One of the loveliest walks it has ever been my privilege to feature.  Meg, you’re a love!

Vignettes from a morning walk, 5

What a corker from Corey!  Jude, you’ll love this one :

Westchester’s Hidden Gem : Untermyer Park and Gardens

Carol in Cairns!  Has a good sound to it, don’t you think?

Riding The Waves

And an encore from Badfish!  Only now he’s playing at Knight’s Templar in a sublime setting :

Another Side of Malta : Day One

Sorry if I’ve walked you to exhaustion this week.  I promise to be kinder next Monday.  Have a great week and take good care of yourselves.

P.S I just popped over to Monday Escapes and it reminded me to say ‘White Rabbit’!

 

 

Six word Saturday

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Out of the darkness comes light

It was a night of purest excitement and I haven’t really had chance to share it with you yet.  Let’s wander the streets of Tavira on the night that Portugal won the European Cup, against all expectations.  It was a great place to be.

I left the excitement briefly and climbed the back streets to look down on the town.  There was a ghostly silence.  But everywhere was clad in finery.

Suddenly a rousing cheer split the air, and I scurried back to be part of the action.  Truly, a night to remember!

Have a great weekend, and make some memories yourself.  Maybe share them in six words?

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Meeting Gilly

Who do you know that’s crazy enough to sit on a coach for 8 hours in a day just to meet me?  Why, Gilly, of course!  My lovely Lucid Gypsy friend. She of the luscious poetry and the lust for life.  Crazy, but so lovable!  Warm-hearted, impulsive, prone to hugs and tears, yet a lady of very good taste.  Didn’t she ‘follow’ me to Tavira, and like what she found there?  (Just the right mix of shabby and chique)  All this I knew, but not the lady herself.  If you’ve never ‘met’ Gilly, you’re in for a treat.

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Doesn’t that smile say it all?  Of course, there were the charms of Birmingham on offer too.  It’s not every day you’ll find charm and Birmingham in the same sentence, but I absolutely loved the city.  Even though on arrival I thought I’d come to a demolition site!

It was Gilly’s suggestion to meet in ‘Brum’ (didn’t I say she was a lady of taste?).  A ‘midway’ point between Hartlepool in north east England and Exeter in Devon.  We actually managed 8 hours together, which in the circumstances wasn’t bad.  A week might have been better.  What did we actually do, you’ll be wanting to know?  Talk!  Laugh!  Share stories.  Exchange hugs.  But not enough!  Never enough hugs.  I’ll give you a quick glimpse of our day.

It was raining gently when I got up, and this steadily increased to a deluge.  But Gilly brought the sunshine with her.  First stop, coffee, of course! No, don’t get over excited!  Gilly had an Eccles cake to keep her going till lunch.  Nothing more exotic, for now.  I had booked us on to a guided walking tour (well, you know me!) at 1.30pm.  So, after talking, and talking, we set off in the direction of the Library, for the start of the tour.

Not just any library, you understand.  Birmingham Library is a monolithic yet beautiful structure, and I suspect we could have spent most of our day there.  Built over 10 levels, with garden terraces on floors 3 and 7, with a Shakespeare Memorial Room in the Rotunda at the top.  Need I say more?

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Look- blue skies too!  We raced back down from the 9th floor just in time to join Jonathan and Dawn from Positively Birmingham Walking Tours. Jonathan, a history buff, and Dawn his apprentice.  I’ll spare you the details but it was quite useful for orientation. Our visit had coincided with graduation day for the Law students at the university, and as we headed into the ICC we were awash with gowns, mortar boards and excited faces.

For me, the best bit was Gas Street Basin and the narrowboats, and exchanging smiles and small asides with Gilly.  The tour was to last 1-2 hours, but time together was precious for me and Gilly.  And hunger pangs were setting in.  Back at the Library we tacitly agreed to drop out, made our apologies and headed back to the canals.  We sat outside the delightfully quirky Canalside Bar and let the world of water entertain us.  And talked, around eating and drinking, of course!

All too soon it was time to head towards separation.  I walked Gilly back in the direction of the Bull Ring and there we found a sunny seat outside Bill’s.  Apparently also a favourite of Gilly’s down in Exeter.  Bramble mojito was a very lovely way to round off our day.  Gilly had Peach Bellini.  Ah, bliss!  I wonder when we can do it again?

For Gilly’s version of events, have a look at A Gypsy and a Restless One.

Jo’s Monday walk : Spanish City

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‘Girl you look so pretty to me, like you always did

Like the Spanish City to me, when we were kids…’

I don’t know for sure what holds me in thrall with those words from Dire Straits, but as I walk along the seafront at Whitley Bay they play over and over in my head.  The Spanish City takes me back to my childhood, when it was a funfair.  It all looks very different these days.

A £36million renovation plan is in operation to restore the Dome and create an attractive seafront promenade.  Currently it still has a few rough edges, but progress is underway.  Come with me, and we’ll do ‘the walk of life’?

If you look off into the distance you can dimly see one of the purposes of a walk along this shoreline.  Remember St. Mary’s Lighthouse?  She sits at the end of a causeway that attracts the crowds, whatever the weather.  What are we waiting for?  Let’s get down among the rock pools.

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Did Meg say she was collecting feet?  No, it’s no good!  I need both to balance on these slippery rocks.  Let’s hop back up on the promenade. There’s a skate park up ahead.  The kids love those.  The beach is full of dog walkers, and the odd warning sign.

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I stop to read a sign about Tide Wrack and Rock Pipits.  Apparently the latter feed on the insects, crustaceans and snails found among the seaweed and rocks.  Conditions are so good here that visitors pop over from Scandinavia in the winter months.  You’ll be pleased to know there’s no waste. Leftover seaweed is used to line the local pipit’s nests in spring.  We’re much closer to the lighthouse now.

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You can see already the numbers St. Mary’s attracts.  It’s an overcast day, but warm by north east standards, and whole families have come to play in the rock pools.  Not forgetting the dogs, of course.  It’s essential though to keep a close eye on the tide times.

There is another attraction here, aside from the obvious charms of the lighthouse.  St Mary’s Island is a grey seal haul-out- an area of land that the seals use regularly to rest and digest food.  Seals come onto the rocks and, if undisturbed, will remain there until the tide floats them away.  Grey seals are amongst the rarest in the world, and 40% of them live in UK waters.

Seals are normally solitary creatures, but they often haul-out in groups.  At just 3 weeks old, a seal pup is independent.  Many of the seals on St. Mary’s are youngsters, and it’s essential that they have time to restore their energy levels undisturbed, whilst learning to fend for themselves.

St. Mary’s do their best to educate about and protect the seals.  I have to admit to a great fondness for this lighthouse, which was built on the site of an 11th century monastic chapel.  The monks maintained a lantern to warn passing ships of the danger of the rocks. Sadly the current lighthouse no longer maintains this function, but it’s still a very welcoming space.  A variety of activities take place here, including Fossil Frolics, Rock pool Rambles and even Extreme Rockpooling!  Not quite that brave? How about the Lighthouse Bake Off party?  Set Sunday, 2nd October, aside.

If you’d like to see inside the lighthouse, this post will take you to the top of the 137 stairs.  Opening times and other useful details can be found on the website. (including where to find cake, naturally)  Which reminds me- time to put the kettle on!

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Thank you once again for your generous support.  I have heaps of great walks to share again this week.  Impossible to pick a favourite. If you have one you think I might like, why not join in?  Details are on my Jo’s Monday walk page.  Just click on the logo above.

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Ice Age!  That’s a wonderfully cool image after the hot weather we’ve been having in the UK.  Thanks, Drake!

Hidden history

Caught between a rock and a hard place with Anabel?

Dumbarton and the Denny Tank

Jackie’s on a mission to find the post office museum in Toronto :

Return to Sender- Address Unknown

Welcome back Violet Sky, and nice to meet you Big Bruce!

The nicest town around

Wine anybody?  It’s totally taken for granted in pretty French villages is :

La Couvertoirade Village

Ruth is taking us for an adventure with bears (or without!).  Don’t miss her superb blog :

Sequoia National Park : Tokopah Falls

I do try to bring you an interesting mix of walks, and am delighted to invite Sartenada here, from Finland :

White bridges

For those of you who prefer to ride to doing too much walking, Jaspa has the very thing :

The Funiculars of Valparaiso, Chile

My lovely mate Cathy’s not afraid of a bit of walking.  And she has an eye for beauty :

Philadelphia Gardens : Chanticleer

More beauty, from NYC this time!  Don’t you just love a meander?

Meandering through the Brooklyn Botanical Garden

Denzil’s taking it slowly too this week, after a back injury.  But not too slow :

Bierbeek and Mollendaal Forest

I’m sure there must be a Dire Straits song to fit this one, but I really can’t think of it.  Thanks, Susan!

Walking the Cruise Ship

More cruising, with Carol this time.  I’m going to jump ship in the Whitsundays.  Can you blame me?

At the Beach

All good things come to those who wait, right?  Absolutely!  Please welcome Madhu back :

An Amble through a Storied Park- Lodhi Gardens

Did you ever have a really, really good day?  I just did!  Badfish came to town.  Loud fanfare!

Prague : Up Close and Personal

Many thanks for keeping me company again this week.  I wrote this walk with my friend, Viv, in mind.  I think it’s one she would have enjoyed.  Have a great week, and take good care of yourselves.

Come into the garden, Maude

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I found the most wonderfully old-fashioned garden at Burton Agnes the other week.  It will be the subject of a future Monday walk, but I don’t want to get too repetitious.  So, as the month is ticking by and I need to find some vegetables for Jude, I thought I’d give you a swift appetiser.

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Everybody needs ‘a man that does’, don’t they?  I played hide and seek with this one.

What was he planting?  Oh, I don’t know- the odd brassica and such, I suppose.  I thought I might write an ode to a brassica, purely because I like the sound of it.  But then I thought I’d better find out what it is.  Wikipedia can be so useful at times.

Not really my thing, veggies, but just wait until you see the ornamental gardens!  For now I’ll leave you with some fully stuffed borders.

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Jude can do so much better.  Check out her Garden Challenge.  Lovely word, ‘potager’, isn’t it?

Jo’s Monday walk : Newby Hall, Ripon

Those of you who saw my Saturday post will know that it was much too hot to do any serious walking on holiday in the Algarve last week.  English summertime is, however, the perfect time for gardens, and I visited a flurry of them before I went away.  Perhaps you remember this young lady?

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The last time you saw her she was upside down in the water, making a bid for freedom.  I had almost forgotten my Water Nymph.

Newby Hall in Yorkshire was built in the 1690s, under the guidance of Christopher Wren.  The 25 acre gardens feature Europe’s longest double herbaceous borders, and the National Collection of Cornus (dogwoods).  Do you fancy a wander?  If you get tired there’s a miniature steam train to toot and puff you around some of the grounds.  But first, that lily pond.  I can never walk past a water lily without pausing.

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It was a lovely, somewhat hazy, summer day and too nice to be indoors.  In case you’re wondering about the house, why not take a peek?  It’s another English ancestral home with a mighty history.  Robert Adam decorated the Tapestry Room and some of the interior.  For me, I was happy to be in the grounds, with its gentle urns and statuary.

I hadn’t gone far when a sign caught my eye- Sylvia’s Garden.  I thought at once of a certain lady in America, but Sylvia was the wife of Major Compton, whose family live in Newby Hall still.  This garden was planted to be at its best in May, to coincide with York Races.  It was late June.

A sequence of interconnecting garden rooms follow, which can be taken in any order.  An alluring bloom or a fountain easily distracts me, and my eyes were on stalks when I saw the wonderful display of peonies, threaded through with star bursts of allium.

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I was a little too early for the Rose Pergola and a little too late for the Laburnum Pergola, but the Cornus were in full, joy-packed bloom.

Apparently there are over 100 individual specimens of Cornus represented.  I failed to collect the Cornus Trail booklet from the Entrance Pavilion, so I cannot elaborate further.  Obviously, a black mark!  But you can tell I enjoyed my wandering.

Suddenly I heard the blast of a whistle and I stood, holding my breath.  With a rattle and a clank, the miniature Royal Scot steam locomotive clattered over the bridge in the Rock Garden and sped away.  In time honoured fashion, I waved.  Wouldn’t you?

I had no idea of the breadth and range of this garden.  My previous visits had been accompanied by a small boy, whose chief interest had been the snorting beast that roared through the canyon.  As I meandered on I came to the Woodland Garden.  It was season’s end for the rhododendrons that I love, but how very poignant.  Debbie, does this remind you of anything?

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And I still haven’t taken you down to the river, via the herbaceous borders for which this garden is so rightly known.  Burgeoning with delicious irises and yet more peonies!  A toot and a bustle as the train scurries past again, disturbing the stillness.

Not far back to the Garden Restaurant from here, or you could pick up an icecream at the kiosk.  Before departure I really must show you the Water Garden, and then you can simply subside with cake, or something more substantial.

I hope you’re not too weary?  There really is so much to see in these gardens, and when I mention that there is also a Dollshouse Exhibition, Adventure Gardens with a water play area and even an exhibition of Teddy Bears, you’ll know that this is a good place to take the grandkids in these upcoming school holidays.  Have a look at the website.  There’s something for everyone.

Now I really must go and put that kettle on!  I think I’ve earned it.

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I really enjoyed my break, but I’m back with another great collection of walks to share.  Thank you so much for your support.  It wouldn’t be half so much fun without you.  Join in at any time.  I’m usually around.  Click on the logo or visit Jo’s Monday walk page for details.

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Isn’t there something magical about Corsica?  Certainly there is through Drake’s eyes :

Touch of yesterday

Anabel’s castle is a whole different ball game.  Check out these views!

Drumlanrig Castle

Jackie supports Gay Rights with some great scenes in Toronto :

Toronto Pride

Liesbet cheats a tiny bit, but nobody said the walks had to be all uphill, did they?

Climbing Mount Greylock the easy way

How about a little shopping In Berlin?  Lady Lee will be your escort :

Strolling at Kurfurstendamm

Susan brings fragrance and a smile to our walks this week :

Walking along fields of lavender

Kathrin found something quite unusual and rather wonderful on her recent road trip :

Water towers in Mendocino

Jude has a few chips to share.  No, don’t all rush!  Her OH has probably eaten them by now.  Gravestones will have to do, but they’re not so tasty :

Ludgvan Churchyard

When Cathy’s not meandering in Myanmar she still likes to keep an eye on the oriental :

Philadelphia gardens : Shofuso Japanese house and garden 

And while we’re in ‘Japan’, share a little beauty and serenity with Rommel :

Goshiki-numa, Five-colored Lakes in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan

Fabulous, aren’t they?  Have a great week everybody.  I hear the temperatures have followed me here from the Algarve, but don’t worry- they’ll only last a day or so.  Enjoy!  See you next week.  Don’t forget Monday Escapes if you have a minute or two.