Undoubtedly the majestic Water Terraces on the west front are a major part of the 9th Duke’s outstanding legacy to the Palace. A remarkable 20th century achievement, they have been compared to the Parterre d’Eau at Versailles. The Duke took his inspiration from Bernini whose river-gods fountain, now on the lower terrace, is a scale [...]
Archive for the 'Out & About' Category
Filed under Heritage, Out & About
Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace was built in the early 18th Century to celebrate the victory over the French in the War of the Spanish Succession.
In particular, it was built as a gift to the 1st Duke of Marlborough, John Churchill, the military commander who led the Allied forces in the Battle of Blenheim on 13th August 1704. [...]
16 Comments CherryPie on Jun 2nd 2015
Filed under Anecdotes, Gardens, Heritage, Out & About
Bank Holiday Weekend
The weather forecast for the weekend wasn’t very inspiring so we picked what looked the best day (Monday) for a day out to Blenheim Palace. Despite it being the bank holiday we had no problems with traffic and arrived at Blenheim having made good time. The weather was kind to us, although it was cloudy [...]
14 Comments CherryPie on May 26th 2015
Filed under Anecdotes, Gardens, Out & About
Westonbury Mill Water Gardens
A short walk in the Garden
You enter the garden by a bridge over the Curl Brook and meet the Stone Tower where water is raised from the stream by an antique water wheel supplying the water which spouts from the gargoyles at the top. It is also home to a flock of white doves.
The Bog [...]
10 Comments CherryPie on May 22nd 2015
Filed under Out & About
Dudmaston Estate
Enchanted wooded parkland, sweeping gardens and a house with a surprise, Dudmaston is something unexpected in the Shropshire countryside. A much loved home for over 875 years you will find the family rooms scattered with photos and perhaps an odd pair of shoes or two peeping out from under a table. The unexpected galleries create [...]
10 Comments CherryPie on May 21st 2015
Filed under Out & About
The Severn Valley Railway…
…from Arley Arboretum
Arley Station
Out in the leafy Worcestershire countryside, Arley is a lovely place for picnic, either the station, where there are a number of excellent spots, or by the river which is just 200 metres down the lane. A footbridge will take you over the river to the village and, after a short walk, [...]
10 Comments CherryPie on May 19th 2015
Filed under Anecdotes, Gardens, Out & About
In Search of Bluebells
The weather yesterday was lovely and sunny so we set off on a bluebell hunt. We settled on Packwood House and Garden as our destination. Due to a hold up before we set off, we arrived at the property rather late (just in time for lunch) and were told that there were no tickets left [...]
8 Comments CherryPie on May 5th 2015
