I recently had a trip to Hull, where they have white telephone boxes, to Visit Libraries and Longhill Primary School – he’s a video about it
Again, the National Trust came up trumps. On Tuesday afternoon, as I was travelling towards Southampton, I stopped off to see what happens at Golden Cap.
A scarily rutted and potholed road brought me to the car park from where I started walking through the woods. It was a beautiful day – the first real warm day of spring.
Golden Cap is an enormous cliff on the jurassic coastline, east of Lyme Regis. I imagine it got its name because it is covered in Gorse bushes. Have a look at the video.
How wonderful is the National Trust? After a tiring day in Okehampton School, I was on my way back to my hotel, when I saw a sign to Lydford Gorge. On instinct, I changed direction and went in pursuit.
I arrived as they were closing, But the nice lady let me in! I so glad she did. The narrow gorge ends in the Devil’s Cauldron, a circular space around which the water rushes and crashes. It hadn’t rained fro a bit. I imagine, after the rain and in full flood, it must be really quite loud and spectacular. The gorge is lush and green and close to the quaint church and old castle of Lydford too. If you are in the area, don’t hesitate to have a look.
Coming back from Dewsbury on Thursday, I took ther opportunity to stop off at Hardwick Hall near Chesterfield in DerbyShire. Built by Bess of Hardwick the second most powerful woman in England after Queen Elizabeth the First.
The Main Reception Hall upstairs is quite extraordinary. I think it must one of the most fabulous rooms in the world. The walls are almost all glass, the huge plaster frieze is like another little world and must have been amazing when it was freshly coloured. With the wall hanging tapestries too, it must have made jaws drop when it was first built. Made to impress, it does its job. The rush matting adds a sense of smell to the whole. I love it. What a fantastic studio it would make!
Go see if you are passing, its well worth the visit.
I managed to get to Bodnant Gardens this afternoon. Not at it’s very best at this time of year, it is none the less a lovely place to go for a walk nestlings, as it does below the Snowdonia Mountains, which are still topped with snow at the moment.
I did enjoy the trellissing in the rose garden. There us something very Parisian about it, almost as if they are girders from the eifel tower.
