12 Comments CherryPie on Apr 30th 2015
Just outside the grounds of Doddington Hall and Gardens lies St Peter’s Church.
St Peter’s Church dates back to the medieval period, and is visible in the Kipp print of 1707. In 1775, after completing the work in the Hall, John Delaval rebuilt the church in the flamboyant Gothick style, which he copied from the surviving medieval side of the chapel.
An imposing lead spire was removed in 1949, having become unsafe.
The church contains memorials to many of the Jarvis family who lived at Doddington or often died soldiering abroad. For a church of its size, St. Peter’s Church also has exceptional stained glass windows.*
*From Doddington Hall & Gardens handbook
12 Comments CherryPie on Apr 29th 2015
Remaining faithful to the original Elizabethan layout, mellow walls provide the framework for the formal East Front and West Gardens. Beyond the West Gardens begin the lovingly restored Wild Gardens. Over the generations, most recently by Antony and Victoria Jarvis and Claire and James Birch, the gardens at Doddington have been restored, cared for, nurtured and developed to their fullest potential.
A spectacular pageant of spring bulbs begins in early February with wonderful Snowdrops and Crocus Thomasianus, continuing through March and early April with drifts of Lent Lilies and our unique collection of heritage Daffodils, Aconites and Snake Head Fritillaries until May when our famous Irises steal the show in the West Garden. There are also winter-flowering and scented shrubs, Rhododendron, and an underlying structure is given by topiary and some wonderful trees – the ancient, contorted Sweet Chestnuts that overlook the croquet lawn are still productive.
Meandering paths lead you to our Temple of the Winds built by Antony Jarvis in memory of his parents, a turf maze that he made in the 1980s, and if you look hard you may find the ‘dinosaur’s egg’ (a large boulder that he put in the branches of a field maple tree to surprise the grandchildren).
Thanks to a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the formerly neglected two-acre Walled Kitchen Garden was restored to its former productive glory in 2007. Just a stone’s throw from the Hall, the Kitchen Garden now provides an abundance of fruit, vegetables, salads and herbs which take centre stage on the Café and Restaurant menus and are regularly for sale in our Farm Shop.
12 Comments CherryPie on Apr 28th 2015
On Sunday morning I awoke to brilliant sunshine, which was welcome as we were planning to visit one of the Shropshire gardens. We headed off to Dorothy Clive Garden in time for lunch. I was well behaved and avoided the temptation of a ‘naughty cake’ and opted for a delicious cherry scone with butter.
I have not visited the garden at this time of year before and was surprised to find it full of colour with spring bulbs and Rhododendrons that were just beginning to come into flower. In places I noticed that the garden looked a lot more open and empty than on my previous visits. I was saddened to learn from a sign board next to the stump of a felled tree that a number of Oak trees in the garden had succumbed to Phytophthora ramorum (sudden oak death) meaning they had to be felled to try and stop the spread of the disease.
When we had finished enjoying the garden we weren’t ready to go home so we opted for a scenic detour which led us to find the delightful Sugnall Walled Garden and Tea Room. We enjoyed a refreshing drink, in my case Elderflower Presse, whilst looking out over the walled garden and watching the rise of the moon in the sky. After being suitably refreshed we took a stroll around the kitchen garden before heading off home. I hope to have the opportunity to visit the garden in a few months time when the produce is more advanced and in full fruit.
4 Comments CherryPie on Apr 27th 2015
Amor saca amor.
St. Teresa of Avila
Love begets love.
14 Comments CherryPie on Apr 26th 2015
Doddington Hall is still lived in as a family home, the current owners are Claire and James Birch.
Begun in 1595 by Robert Smythson, one of England’s foremost Elizabethan Architects, Doddington Hall was completed in 1600 and has never been sold or cleared out since. An example of a fine late Elizabethan Mansion, it is still a lived-in and much loved family home, alive with history and interest.
Originally built for Thomas Tailor, the registrar to the Bishop of Lincoln, Doddington’s mellow brick exterior with its walled courtyards has barely changed. However, in 1749, the Hall was inherited by John Delaval of Seaton Delaval in Northumberland and he carried out an extensive internal re-decoration, incorporating the light & elegant Georgian style still seen today.
In 1830 Colonel George Jarvis inherited the house from Sarah Gunman, heiress to the property, and the present owners are direct descendants of his.
Over 400 years of unbroken family occupation has resulted in fascinating collections of furniture, weaponry, paintings, ceramics, textiles, household objects, porcelain and a wealth of amusing stories all to be found in and around Doddington Hall.
A visit to Doddington offers a unique insight into family life through the ages and the challenges of looking after such an estate in the 21st century.
10 Comments CherryPie on Apr 25th 2015
As we walked around the cathedral to see it from all aspects I happened to look up and see this curious stone head mounted on a wall.
Look on the right just past James Street and opposite the Deanery. From out of a wall on the right of Eastgate pops a single stone head. Some say it’s the dean’s wife checking he wasn’t going to the old Swan public house. Others think its’ the choirmaster checking on Choristers late for practice.*
*From the Pitkin City Guide to Lincoln.
10 Comments CherryPie on Apr 24th 2015
