We headed off to a local garden centre with lunch in mind. We enjoyed browsing around the garden centre but the lunch options did not tempt us. After paying our respects to Her Majesty we drove to Wightwick Manor only to find that the car park was closed because it was full.
We eventually found lunch [...]
After the weekend storms, bank holiday monday turned out bright and beautiful so we headed of to the Shugborough Estate. It was our first visit since the National Trust had taken over all of the estate after Staffordshire County Council surrendered the lease with the National Trust.
The context of the house and estate are being [...]
Long time friends and readers will know how much I enjoy walled gardens and will understand why I couldn’t resist exploring the walled garden at Shugborough before I left the estate.
Unfortunately on the day I visited Shugborough the tower was closed so I was unable to see the interior. This is what the guide book has to say about the tower:
The Tower of the Winds was completed in 1765 and is based on the Temple of the Winds in Athens. the Greek original derived [...]
I am now taking you on a little detour just outside Shugborough across the Essex Bridge:
The Essex Bridge links Shugborough to the village of Great Hayward at the point where the rivers Trent and Sow join.
It is believed to be the longest packhorse bridge ever constructed and was built in the late 16th century. [...]
The guide book says that it is rumoured servants who were tardy would be asked to sleep in the bedroom beneath the clock tower.. The clock chimed on the hour every hour.
For information about this monument see my previous post. The photos above make some of the details on the monument clearer.