Happiness is the absence of the striving for happiness.
Chuang-tzu
10 Comments CherryPie on Oct 19th 2020
It seems a lifetime ago since we took my Father in Law to Middleton Hall for Fathers Day last year. We had lunch in the courtyard coffee shop be exploring the hall and gardens.
The history of the hall spans over 1000 years:
Our history spans over 1,000 years so this means that we have a lot of stories to tell. Over the centuries the Hall has grown and changed as have the people that have called this place home. During your visit you will meet the commander of the Norman cavalry at the Battle of Hastings; a Medieval Lord who escaped a prison sentence; a Tudor explorer who died whilst trying to find a North-East passage to China; our two famous seventeenth-century naturalists; A Duchess renowned for her love of music and of course our team of volunteers who have spent the last 40 years restoring and caring for our Hall. The buildings themselves tell their own fascinating story, of construction styles from the Medieval through to the Georgian period and therefore changes in the methods and materials used.
Our eighteenth-century Walled Garden boasts original heated walls which are amongst the oldest of their kind date from the eighteenth-century and also an original bothy. The Georgian bed design is planted full of flowers loved by pollinators over the summer months. Within the walls is also our herb garden, dedicated to our two famous naturalists John Ray and Francis Willughby and our working Smithy. Our gardens also contain a heritage orchard, short lakeside walk through seasonal displays of snowdrops, daffodils and bluebells, and our West Lawn upon which you can while away the hours playing croquet.
10 Comments CherryPie on Oct 18th 2020
The Coldstones Cut is a piece of public art on a monumental scale. Created by the artist Andrew Sabin as a sculptural response to the Coldstones Quarry at Pateley Bridge, the sculpture functions as an array of platforms from which visitors can view both the spectacular quarry hole and limestone quarrying operation, and the landscape of the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Beauty and beyond. The sculpture also functions as an interpretive medium for the surrounding landscape, its industrial heritage and its relationship with the quarry.
The Coldstones Cut combines the curious conventions of a contemporary streetscape with the brute impressiveness of ancient stone block constructions. Perched at a height of 1375 feet above sea level, it can be freely explored by visitors who can walk the street and the various winding paths within and experience the extraordinary vistas which the platforms expose.
6 Comments CherryPie on Oct 14th 2020
At the beginning of October I ventured into Apley Woods. Over the summer months I found the woods too busy so this was my first visit for some time. This visit was a stark contrast because, with the exception of the fishermen, I saw only a few other people, which meant that I was able to explore pathways I had not travelled before.
Along the way, I remembered that I am supposed to be plotting a walking route around the area to share with other walkers.
4 Comments CherryPie on Oct 12th 2020
There is nothing like walking to get the feel of a country.
A fine landscape is like a piece of music; it must be taken at the right tempo.
Even a bicycle goes too fast.
Paul Scott Mowrer
8 Comments CherryPie on Oct 11th 2020
The service we received at breakfast was particularly attentive. As a change from previous days I chose scrambled egg on sour dough toast. I found it to be a delicious combination of flavours.
After breakfast we checked out and headed towards Brodsworth Hall and Gardens for which we had a pre-booked ticket. On our way there we realised that we would arrive an hour early for our pre-booked time slot. I researched what was nearby and found Conisbrough Castle. Luckily, we were able to book a ticket that would allow us to arrive in the next ten minutes. The castle was enjoyable but brief, allowing us to arrive at Brodsworth for our timeslot.
Currently Brodsworth Hall is not open and there is a one way system around the garden. This means that sometimes you have to make a choice in direction of travel but the good news is that you can go round again and choose a different direction to enjoy the things missed on the first circuit of the garden. The teashop is currently located outside the house with purchases packed as takeaway. The weather was glorious so we were able to sit on the picnic benches for an Alfresco lunch. Suitably refreshed we chose to do another circuit of the garden to view some more things we had missed.
I would love to go back and visit the garden at a different time of year and also the Hall when it is allowed to re-open.
After we left Brodsworth we stopped at a farm shop we had noticed as we arrived at Brodsworth in order to pick up something for fine dining back at home. Much later we enjoyed a delicious pork chop roast dinner. What a fine way to end a holiday adventure.
2 Comments CherryPie on Oct 11th 2020
