Nature uses only the longest threads to weave her patterns, so each small piece of her fabric reveals the organization of the entire tapestry.
Richard Feynman
8 Comments CherryPie on Oct 26th 2020
…in search of autumn
16 Comments CherryPie on Oct 22nd 2020
The Stray dates back to 1778 when it was created from the forest of Knaresborough to link of Harrogate’s springs together in one area. Since the late 16th Century countless springs had been discovered around Harrogate and deemed to have medicinal properties for their high quantities of Sulphur, iron and other minerals.
Over the years it has grazed livestock, been occasional side for the Great Yorkshire Show and Harrogate Flower Shows, been used as allotments and wheat fields during the second world war, and at several times been used as an airfield for light aircraft.
Today it has been returned to open grassland, and in spring takes on the beautiful colours as first millions of crocuses come into flower, which give way to daffodils, and then the long lines of cherry blossom trees and their iconic pink covering.
The Stray is protected by an act of parliament and its total area must remain constant, meaning if any of it is ever removed it must be replaced elsewhere, ensuring the great public space will always be there at the heart of the town.
12 Comments CherryPie on Oct 21st 2020
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
