A relaxed wander around the grounds, with camera at the ready
Category: NT and EH
National Trust, English Heritage, museums etc.
Stokesay – swallows and kites
Not walking today – just enjoying the warm sunshine at Stokesay Castle. The swallows are building their nests in the ceilings of the ancient building, and over by the main road, a red kite is wheeling, almost at rooftop level.
Stokesay Castle (English Heritage)
Snowdropping
“We need to go and see the snowdrops at Attingham”. Yes, I suppose we do, and it looks like being rainy tomorrow and Friday. They are worth seeing, and there will perhaps be tea and cake afterwards. The snowdrop woods are busy – it’s half-term, and there are lots of kids-and-grandparents out today. They’re not really interested in the snowdrops, but that familiar shrill chatter is evidence that they are enjoying their outing (I’m referring to the kids, of course). We continue beyond the snowdrop woods to follow the park perimeter path, and it’s much quieter, perhaps because there’s a crocodile in the swamp. A gap in the trees reveals, perhaps 1km distant, a Roman villa. Is reality on the blink again?
Tiles
Many tiles – more than the mind can comfortably comprehend… We’re wandering around the museum at the former Craven Dunnill tile factory in Jackfield (part of the Ironbridge Gorge museum). There’s a new gallery open, displaying the John Scott collection. There are some wonderful colourful designs (and some hideous Victorian monstrosities!), but there’s far too much to take in in a single visit. Tile overload! We’ll have to come again…
Afternoon at Attingham
Friday – first “ordinary” day of the new year. Attingham’s always good for a gentle stroll, and it shouldn’t be too bad underfoot. We might see the deer too… They were anticipating their lunch as we passed, but rather than hang around, we wandered on around the perimeter of the parkland on the east bank of the Tern, getting back to the car a little before sunset.
Coalport
Can’t stay in all day, but the weather’s poor and deteriorating… The China Museum at Coalport is worth exploring – the china is astonishing! (there are those who like it). We leave at about twenty to four – already it’s becoming dark, and the rain has turned to sleet – which turns to snow as we climb out of the valley.
Moseley Old Hall
It’s a National Trust property, tucked neatly between the M54 and the northern edge of Wolverhampton. It started life as a half-timbered structure – and remains so, though the original building was encased in brick when the hall was “modernised”, in the days before Victoria became queen. Its fame lies with an earlier monarch – King Charles hid there, in one of its priest holes. Whatever its history, it’s an interesting place to explore on a changeable Sunday afternoon.
The Un-stately Home
That’s how its owners, the National Trust, describe Calke Abbey. Here, they talk of preservation not restoration – to provide a reminder of the state many such houses were in, at the end of their existence, with their last residents living in just a tiny proportion of the house. Preservation of the last lived-in parts of Calke means displaying the amazing collection of stuffed birds and other creatures; the disused parts are shown complete with their stored clutter.
There’s far too much here to take in on a single visit – we were beginning to suffer from overload when we left the walled gardens and headed for home. We’ll have to come again.
Nunnington
It’s a National Trust house near Hovingham in Yorkshire – perhaps five or six miles north of the much-better known Castle Howard. Among other things (peacocks, exhibitions etc) it’s noted for a collection of “miniature rooms” on display.
Titterstone Clee and Croft: a day of two halves
Tuesday: We’ve had a very pleasant overnight stay in Ludlow, and now we’re looking for some not-too-energetic entertainment – it’s a warm morning, though the weather is gradually changing. The view from the top of Titterstone Clee could be good, and it’s a gentle stroll up from the car, parked on the old quarry level (it was, and it was…).
The tea-room at Croft Castle would be good for a lunch break – afterwards, we would walk up to Croft Ambrey, where the hill fort provides fine views of the Welsh border hills. The chestnuts in the park are increasingly decrepit; replacement saplings grow nearby. We’ll return to the car by the wooded Fishpool Valley. There’s not much water in the pools – I suspect that’s going to change over the next couple of days.
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