Reports on Visits 2008 23 April 2009 - Cambridge and Cambridge University Botanic Garden
21 May 2008 - Amersham and Chenies Manor 24 June 2008 - Folkestone and Godinton House 23 July 2008 - Rye and Great Dixter 21 August 2008 - Stamford and Elton Hall and Garden 17 September 2008 - Hove and St. Mary’s House 8 October 2008 - Banbury and Upton House |
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Everyone was pleased to be on the first
outing of the season. No matter how
many times you visit Cambridge it is always an interesting and enjoyable experience. We were dropped off and walked into the
centre. We resisted the tempting offer
made by a very nice young man to take us out on a punt and instead found our
coffee shop. After a walk around the main area
admiring the architecture of the buildings, we found the small market square
and made some purchases. Nearby was a
small park where we had our picnic lunch and in the warm sunshine sat and
watched the world go by. Back on the coach for a short drive to
the Botanic Gardens where we were left to walk slowly round in the sunshine
stopping to admire the plants and water features and glasshouses. Afternoon tea was taken outside with everyone
commenting ‘we can’t believe the weather’! We left time to visit the gift shop and
bought some presents and cards. After a good journey home, we all
quickly sent in the form for the next outing! |
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We had lovely weather for our trip
despite the forecast of poorer conditions as one went towards the Midlands. New
Amersham, at which we were dropped for lunch has the shops, cafes and station,
but we learnt that Old Amersham, down the hill, was the tourist centre. It had
an enormous church, and some interesting old buildings. It proved to be 25
minutes walk, so we were surprised on entering an old coaching inn for lunch,
that we had been beaten to it by several members of the society. After lunch,
we drove a short distance to Chenies Manor House.
The house is an attractive brick
building parts of which date to 1460, but on the site of an older building, and
with inevitable additions of later date. A curiosity was that the long wall of
the manor house was almost without windows: we were told that this was the
direction facing London, and it was believed that it would help stop the plague
blowing into the house. The most intriguing feature of the inside was the
freestanding chimneybreasts with stairs behind. The various attractions on the
site included a well, a maze, several outhouses and a church containing the
mausoleum of the Dukes of Bedford, as well as several delightful gardens, each
separated by hedges. The deep well once supplied house and village, but now was
used only for watering the garden. We were too late for the fruit blossom
in the orchard, but could therefore see the vegetables growing healthily in the
kitchen garden. We had missed most of the tulips. But to make up for it there
were lots of really healthy plants growing in profusion. Everywhere was
sprouting with spring. Only one essential garden item was missing. They had an
almost non-existent collection, especially compared with Upminster gardens, of
slugs. In fact we saw but one chewed hosta amongst hundreds. The physic garden contained a wide range
of medieval medicinal and culinary herbs. Most plants were labelled both with
their name and their medicinal use: it was interesting to learn that many of
the plants we regard as weeds or even as legitimate plants in our garden are
considered to have medicinal or poisonous properties. The most attractive
garden was probably the sunken garden, exquisitely planted with a plethora of
shrubs, perennials and annuals. We went into the maze but did not manage to
reach the centre. As it was getting near departure time the picture of being
trapped overnight in it led to discretion being the better part of valour. A
topic of conversation on the way home is that Chenies is between Chalfont and
Chorley Wood underground stations, which showed that another visit was in
contemplation in several minds. |
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The tour of the house was carried out
expertly by the guides who were most informative and friendly. The gardens themselves were a real delight
not only by the extent of them but by the variety. Some areas were dominated by formal topiary,
others were set as major herbaceous areas but for me the smell emanating from
the spectacular Philadephus delavayi in
the garden, protected by hedging, was worth the visit in itself. Then to crown
it all there was the Delphinium border which was at its peak. In fact Les chose this time for the visit
because of the fame of this border. It
was a brilliant day out. |
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The promised barbecue summer had so far
failed to materialise but the weather was fine enough when we set off for our
July trip. A quick, trouble free journey
soon saw us arriving in the historic city of St. Albans. The coaches emptied and we dispersed to
pursue our various interests in the way of food, drink, shopping or
history. There seemed insufficient time
to do justice to the Verulamium Museum with its Roman treasures and I had
toured the Cathedral on a previous occasion, so I opted for the Museum of St.
Albans which tells the story of the city from the departure of the Romans to
the present day. There was also a large
collection of craft tools, a wildlife garden and a special exhibition about the
wartime evacuation of children from London some of whom were sent to the St.
Albans area. After a pub lunch there was
time for only a brief look at some of the market stalls which seemed to stretch
in a never-ending stream along the main street.
We soon arrived at Knebworth which has
been the home of the Lytton family since 1490 although probably best known
nowadays for the pop concerts first held there in 1974. I had seen the house referred to as a ‘Gothic
Palace’ and externally it was certainly very ornate but quite attractive in a
quirky sort of way. Inside there were
countless rooms to explore, some very grand and others more intimate. The family are perhaps less well known than
the owners of other stately homes but a tour of the house soon provided
information on their exploits over the centuries. Amongst all the grandeur on display my eye
was caught by an exhibit of early ski clothes and equipment. Apparently the Lyttons were among the
pioneers of skiing for pleasure. Also of
interest was a special Raj Exhibition recalling the family’s connection with
India. All this passed in something of a blur
as there was so much to see and so little time if I was to explore the
extensive grounds. As it was I only
managed to visit the walled garden which I found a little disappointing but I
thoroughly enjoyed the dinosaur trail where huge numbers of life-size models
were to be found lurking among the trees.
No time left for tea but perhaps this was just as well as I gathered
from others that the catering arrangements left something to be desired. The journey back took considerably longer
than the outward one, due to traffic jams and an accident on the A127 which
necessitated a detour, but we eventually arrived home safely after a very
enjoyable day. |
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Thursday 20th August
2009 Northampton and Cottesbrooke Hall
Northampton was our first stop. Once famed for its many shoemakers, now only
two manufacturers remain. A few
Victorian facades are signs of an affluent past. Many of Northampton's fine
historic buildings were demolished in the nationwide demolition of the 1960's and have been replaced by familiar
chain stores and shopping malls.
Happily, several of the old red
telephone boxes have stood their ground.
Of the newer developments, the local museum is an outstanding success,
bringing to life a colourful history from Stone Age relics to bright “kinky
boots” in a well-designed and absorbing display. Northampton is a hilly town so exercise
was a bonus. An early shower and a gusty
wind seemed as if they might spoil our day but - as ever - Outings Organiser Les
Spicer kept his grip on the weather and we drove off to nearby Cottesbrooke
Hall amid sunshine and blue skies. The Hall is impressive with Corinthian
columns, parapets and a graceful doorway.
Similar in design to Buckingham Palace, it was built in the same era
(early 18th century). Cottesbrooke is
one of several houses thought to be the pattern for Jane Austen's novel
Mansfield Park. It is a family home with a friendly
atmosphere. Unusually light with its
many large windows, there are no closed curtains, no forbidding signs. The china corridor is especially bright with
its pale walls and myriad windows.
Exquisite china, instead of being locked away in cabinets, is arranged
on tables along the gallery as in a room that is lived in and enjoyed. The decor throughout is mostly
soft-toned with windows looking out on green and leafy vistas. Everywhere there are sporting pictures
and the collection is said to be the finest in Europe. The paintings are of horses mostly, either
hunting or racing and our guide was at pains to point out at length the many
equine details, so that we were left awash with shiny rumps and flying
fetlocks. The grounds appeared to go on forever
and we managed just a few acres of the elegant scenery, the beautiful lake, the
pools, the fountain and the time-worn statuary that blended naturally with fine
trees and immaculate lawns. Thirstily, we made our way to the Old
Laundry (where else?) for refreshment. For me, the trip to Cottesbrooke was
special. A little bit of magic, a very
happy memory. Right on cue the sun came out as we
arrived in Brighton for our coffee stop.
With two hours of sea air, many strolled along the front, on the pier
for an ice cream or a look around ‘The Lanes’ and shops. One new addition along the front is a very
interesting fishing museum. Back on the coach we made our way to
Parham, a beautiful house and garden which was one of the first to open to the
public in 1948. The foundation stone for
the house was laid in 1577 and the house now contains many fine portraits and
furnishings. There is also an
outstanding collection of tapestries and early embroidery. In the 1960s the family wanted to put their
mark on the building and had the ceiling in the long gallery painted by Oliver
Messell, a famous theatre designer. This
is a design of branches, leaves, birds and flowers. Although our trip was in September the
beautiful walled four acre garden was a riot of colour especially the
dahlias. All the lovely flower arrangements
in the house came from the garden. After a delightful tour of the house and
garden with the backdrop of the South Downs we ended our trip with the
customary tea and cakes! Thursday 8th October
2009 East Grinstead and Standen
This was a horticultural trip with a
difference. For the first time that I can remember the coach arrived late. We were then told the second coach had broken
down and a replacement would be needed. It was decided our coach driver would
inform all the waiting groups. We finally set off for East Grinstead at
10.13am, passing the second coach arriving. Fortunately we had a good journey to our
first stop. As time was limited we only managed to see the very interesting
Parish Church, St. Swithun, which was reconstructed after a lightning strike in
1684 and was finally completed in 1789. Restoration is, however, ongoing with
work taking place on the tower and clock, plus the stonework. All the windows
were stained glass. Two of the interesting characters remembered in the church
were Henry Standon who served in the Second World War and was badly burnt. He was treated by Sir Archibald Mclndoe and
formed the Guinea Pig Club. In the sanctuary, the mosaic floor was the work of
a Kent girl condemned to death in 1865 for the murder of her brother. She moved
to Australia and lived to old age after her release from Prison. A Harvest
Festival had been held in the Church and there was a display of 20 scarecrows
made by young children. In the town there was a farmers' market near the War
Memorial. We left East Grinstead at 1.30pm for our
visit to Standen House. This was the country home of the Beale family from 1894
to 1972. What a treasure trove this was a beautifully decorated house in the
style of William Morris with classical pictures of Rome, drawings in Japanese
style and numerous examples of embroidery. It had the feeling of a well loved
home. The landscaped views of the gardens from the windows were magnificent. How lucky we all were to enjoy such a
great day out, the icing on the cake being the perfect weather. |
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