Tag Archives: estate

Hinton Ampner

During our trip to the UK, we met up with our friends Mark and Rosemary. They suggested we meet at Hinton Ampner in Hampshire. Being sensible people, we started out at the local pub for lunch before heading into the grounds of the estate. I didn’t know anything about Hinton Ampner but it was a delightful spot to explore. The grounds were really lovely to wander around. There were the more ornamental gardens near the house but there were paths around the estate which showed off just how lovely the rolling hills of Hampshire can be.

The house also has a café – of course it does – so we stopped off there to sample the goodies after strolling around the grounds. It was spring so the flowers were out in parts of the garden. There was also a local church in the estate since you wouldn’t want to have to go far if you are the local landowner!! What a lovely spot to spend some time and always great to catch up with good friends.

Bloedel on a Chilly But Sunny Day

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The last time we went to Bloedel was after restrictions started to be lifted during the pandemic. They had a timed entry system and a one-way route around the gardens to keep people spaced out at that time. The one-way system has gone but they have kept the timed reservations it seems. Not sure whether this just helps them out or if it has some other reasoning but it does stop the random decision to show up.

It was a lovely day to be out and about but, since it was winter, that also meant things were quite cold. That does make for a good combination for light although the low sun angle will mean more areas are in shade. The lakes, the woods and the run down to the house are all very appealing. We also took a walk down the river to one side of the house and then back up the other side. I am not sure whether we had taken that route previously as it didn’t seem very familiar. It did have some nice falls that I may have been shooting for the first time. A great way to spend a day out (and it includes a ferry ride to Bainbridge so a double win for me!).

Welford Park

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If you are a fan of a certain British cooking program, this post maybe more relevant to you. I have never watched Bake Off but Nancy has and she knew of Welford Park, the location where it has been shot. The grounds are not normally open to the public – only paying TV crews – but once a year they open up for the snowdrops which I previously posted about. After walking through the woods and seeing the flowers, we came back to the main house where they had a café since a spot of lunch was in order.

Having not watched the show, I am not familiar with the layout of the grounds. However, I am told that the steps down to the lawn from the house are a feature of some of the TV footage. The house itself appears in shots and the lawn area, which was clear while we were there, is where they have the tents in which the contestants undertaken their challenges. If you have seen the show, hopefully these shots will be recognizable to you.

Start Of Fall Colors At Stourhead

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A previous vacation to the UK had included a visit to Stourhead and, we liked it so much, we decided to go back on the latest trip. We went with a load of the family for lunch and then a walk around the grounds. The weather was lovely and there was a hint of the onset of fall in the foliage. The place is just gorgeous and wandering through the grounds on a sunny day with your family is hard to beat.

Holkham Hall Estate Buildings

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The north Norfolk coast is the location for Holkham Hall. We had been to the beach up there many years ago (if you have watched Shakespeare in Love, the final seen of her walking ashore on a Caribbean beach is actually Holkham) but we hadn’t visited the estate. The Hall looked like it would have been worth a bit more exploration of the estate but we only had a short time to be there. We stopped off at the entry to the estate and visited some of the buildings there. They were rather interesting looking buildings and we will go back if the opportunity arises.

Disused Water Mill

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As we left the house at Chatsworth, we walked along the river that led back to where we had started our walk from. It is a pretty large river and has a strong flow including a cool weir. Shortly before we got back to the car, we came across an old mill house. I am not sure whether the river has realigned over time or whether there was a strong flow down from above that is no longer in place but there was once a working mill in this location.

The stone walls of the building are still in good shape. The roof and any other wooden elements have pretty much gone at this point. Inside the building you can still see some of the iron work and the remnants of the axle of the waterwheel. There are gaps in the walls that show where other parts of the building were once located. The entrances are closed off so it isn’t possible to get in to the building. The wildlife obviously finds a way in. A sheep was quietly using the walls as shelter while we were there.

Rock Garden

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Plenty of people have rock gardens. When you have a country estate, the scale of your thinking can change. A rock garden now turns in to something that is a little more grand than average with rocks that should really be classified as boulders. We were actually beginning to wrap up our visit to the gardens at Chatsworth when we came through the rock garden. This place would be phenomenal if you are a kid. So many places to climb on and jump across. The opportunities for bumps and bruises would be many but it would be so worth it.

Cool Bench

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Just a quick picture from the gardens at Chatsworth. An old tree trunk had been sculpted to make a rather cool double sided bench.

Grotto Pond

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Exploring the grounds of Chatsworth House took us to places we had not seen on previous visits. Even if you exclude the majority of the estate and just focus on the organized garden areas, there are so many parts to see that it is easy to overlook them. This is why, despite having been to Chatsworth on a number of occasions, this time I saw areas that I had not seen before. One of these was the Grotto Pond.

Because this area is one of the furthest away from the main house, the number of people making their way that far out is pretty small. It is not deserted by any means but it is pretty quiet. This is ideal given how tranquil the setting is. It was very easy to just stand and look. Given how far out in the country you are, there isn’t much background noise so you can let your mind wander…

Kitchen Garden

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If you have a big country house, you will be housing a lot of people. No doubt, there will also be times when you will host a large gathering. You need to be able to feed everyone. The estate produces a lot so it will cover many needs but the kitchen also has to have its own garden. Located a short distance from the main house and slightly up the hill, Chatsworth’s kitchen garden is very extensive. It has a lot of space and many different types of food in production.

As with everything else about a place like Chatsworth, function does not override form. The gardens are laid out beautifully and with structure. They are functioning still yet they are a place worthy of visit just for the appearance. Some areas are restricted to keep the visitors from inconveniencing everything too much but much of the space is fully open to wander through. The staff is busy but were willing to talk if you had questions.