Out and About

I've been trying to upload these photos for the past three days but Blogger wasn't having any of it. At last though I've managed. Over the past few weeks we have been so busy taking care of family matters that we haven't had much time to do much more than eat and sleep. This weekend though we've been out and about. On Sunday we went to Winderwath Hall and Acorn Bank with the U3A Garden Club. It was hot and the gardens were at their best. First call was at Winderwath Hall near Penrith. It's a private house with wonderful gardens owned by Jane Pollock. The garden is well know for rare alpine plants as well as trees and plants from South Africa.

The colours were really bright and cheerful in this part of the garden, red, white and blue, very patriotic.

Can't remember the name of this plant, there were three of them and this was the smallest. They take 13 years to flower then die!!!!

We picked up a couple of these Monk's Head plants several years back not knowing what they were. We were staying with some friends in a caravan park and their caravan was being moved from the old walled garden. The owners were putting in sewers or something when we say these bulbs just lying on the path. We asked what they were and the owner didn't know but said we could have them if we wanted them. We took them home and planted them in a border, they grew to over 6 feet!!! Gradually over the years they are increased in number and decreased in size, they were one of the victims of Keith's new shed but we did manage to save a couple of bulbs. Now I know what they are I'll probably take more care of them and they'll die off.!!

Our next stop was Acorn Bank, again near Penrith. This estabilishment is known for its herb gardens. The house itself has a chequered history and is in very poor repair, unfurnished and normally not open to the public. It started off as a religious house for the Knights Templars in 1228 then passed on their suppression in 1323 to the Knights of the Hospital of St John, an order of nursing monks. They held it until the dissolution of the monastries and then in 1543 it became the property of the Dalston family. The Dalstons refashioned it and put a new frontage on in the 1740's and most of the latter buildings are now either lost or incorporated into the building.

Such as the original staircase to the tower rooms. This became the servants staircase.

Acorn Bank with its 18th centurary frontage, the to floor windows on the right are painted on, this being the original stable block.

The day before, Saturday we went to the Woolfest in Cockermouth where I had a wonderful time drooling over all the colourful wool tops. I came away with a big basketful so I have no excuse now for not getting some felting done. On the way we stopped in the layby just outside of Eggleston for a view over Teesdale. We did not take buster with us as he really is not a good dog with sheep but he too drools over the wool tops and I had a great deal of difficulty keeping his head out of my bag when we returned home.

As you can see Buster has taken over the garden completely and is becoming spoiled. This is Julie who is only there to rub his tummy.

Buster at Gibson's cave in Teesdale, he wasn't too sure of the waterfall but loves to play in the water. He's determining whether or not to go in, he decided not to. We took him for a walk yesterday round one of the local nature reserves where there is a large duck pond. The ducks were quite unconcerned, they'd dealt with dogs before but he loved running in and out of the pond. On the way back to the car he decided to do what dogs do against clumps of weed and fell into a deep pool headfirst. His expressions was wonderful and we couldn't stop laughing, well until he shook himself all over us.