Thursday 26th July

Another lovely evening at Harlow Carr listening to jazz followed by admiring the vegetable garden while listening to the thunder getting closer. The downpour arrived a few minutes before we reached the car.

Tuesday 24th July
We enjoyed a family day out at Chester Zoo and reluctantly left at closing time.



Sunday 22nd July

The hydrangeas at Dunham Massey were just reaching their best this afternoon. The cool planting schemes and shady areas were very welcome on a hot day.

 

Thursday 19th July
Late night opening at Harlow Carr every Thursday in July. Live music and picnics on the lawns. A jazz quartet this evening. Warm sunshine and a beautiful setting for a lovely summer's evening.

Tuesday 10th July

Roundhay Park was the perfect place to enjoy a hot afternoon.

 

Sunday 8th July
Wallington Hall near Morpeth still feels like a family house and was such until 2011.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wallington

 

The China Pond is one of several within the beautiful woodland which was created in the mid 1700s.

The walled garden was one of the best we have seen anywhere.

The conservatory was full of spectacular plants.

Just outside was this stunning and colourful border which shimmered in the sunshine.

There were several smaller gardens backed by the distant views of the fields and hills.



Saturday 7th July

Last night's empty quayside was transformed into a huge car boot sale area this morning.

 

The views upriver were a peaceful contrast.

There are many well cared for allotments on the inland side of the town.

The route of the old railway line forms a long green space through the length of Amble. The track was raised so that the loads of coal could be tipped into the waiting barges.

The bridges and the railway lines have gone but the long jetty remains.

The funfair arrived last night.

We drove a couple of miles inland to explore Warkworth Castle which featured in Shakespeare's Henry IV.
www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/warkworth-castle-and-hermitage/

On arrival we were told that the Hermitage was open and to follow a path by the river for about 15 mins.

This brought us to the ferry crossing.

We were fortunate to be the only people here and enjoyed the crossing and the atmosphere of the hermitage and surrounding woodland.

The carvings date from at least the 1400's and were extremely well preserved in the three spaces which can be explored.

The castle is also larger, much more extensive and better preserved than we had expected.

A view from a castle window of the River Croquet flowing out to sea at Amble.

The town of Warkworth has many fine buildings.

The old bridge as seen from the new one.

Alnmouth beach is just three miles north and has a huge expanse of sand.

We saw three fields of thistles that look as though they have been grown deliberately but we don't know why. They looked lovely contrasting with the grass.