Prior Park National Trust...

 

Belonging to the National Trust on the outskirts of Bath lies the beautiful green space of Prior Park. Prior Park is quintessentially English with hidden follies, wild garlic covered woodlands and grand buildings.  This gorgeous estate occupies a hidden valley with incredible views leading down into the centre of the City.

Armed with a packed lunch and a magnifying glass we embarked on a Spring discovery. We tramped through the wooded hills, stealing glimpses of the bridge and lake below.  Stopping to discover Ants, Bumble Bees and daffodils.

At the lake we made boats from waxy leaves and sticks, launching them from the lake side only to see huge  curious Carp submerge them in an instant.. annoying!

Lakeside you can find the best placed cafe ever.  A small hut selling the usual tea, coffee and cake, with a small children's den area to the side.  But more importantly a chimnea with a roaring fire to warm your bones as you soaked in the atmosphere.  Sitting there supping my tea I realised that the only sound around me was bird song and children having an adventure. Perfect.

Snowdrops in the sunshine...

Friday was a glorious warm spring like day.  A day to spend looking at carpets of white snowdrops.

We jumped in the car and headed to the Cotswolds, to the National Trust house - Newark Park, close to Stroud.  

The sun was wonderfully warm, we wandered through the gardens peeling off layers of coats and scarves, noticing the small differences between clumps of white belled blooms.  The boys ran through the trees, discovering the ruined folly (jail as they called it), before stumbling across a shimmery blue Peacock basking in the sunshine.  Spellbound they stood for ages marvelling at it's deep blue colour, before the bird became bored and flew up to the high wall, away from curious boys.

Now is the time see snowdrops in their full glory.  For more information have a look here for properties close to you.

x

doing little and nothing...

 

After the week we have had, the best medicine for poorly people is fresh air - doing little and nothing.

One of our favourite family places to play is our local National Trust property Tyntesfield.  A place we can relax, know the lie of the land, every hill, tree and blade of grass.  Perfect for chilling, tree climbing, rolling down hills and general silliness.

We collected fir cones for future Christmas decorations, found the perfect spot for rolling, and played hoopla in the garden.

It felt good to laugh.  

x

Cornish Holiday part 6 - Minack & the Mount

Before we went to Cornwall there was 2 places high on my list to take the boys.

One was the Minack Theatre and the other was St Michaels Mount.

Both magical and steeped in history.

The Minack Theatre is a place of wonderful beauty. Carved out of the rock face over looking the Atlantic Ocean and Porthcurno Beach, a steep amphitheatre of granite seats and beautiful planting.  We made our way tentatively down to the bottom, stepping down the cliff face.  The sunshine blazing away.  At the bottom a small stage with a carved ornate set, behind the sea as a back drop. A place of true magic.  

Rowena Cade bought the craggy headland back in the 1920's and began to carve out a small theatre space for travelling theatre companies... the Minack Theatre was born.  An incredible story.

I had booked our tickets to the theatre before we had left. The show was designed for kids called Skillywidden.  A silly slapstick comedy about Cornish little folk the piskies, fairies, brownies, knockers and skillywiddens. It was hilarious. Silly & captivating. Stories of the fairies, of the hedgerows and of Cornish folk lore. My two boys absolutely fell in love with it's charms.

After lunch we headed along the coast to the National Trust property St Michaels Mount.  

A castle on an island out to sea... to small boys, that is pretty magical!

As we arrived the causeway (footbridge) was covered by high tide, so we caught the ferry to the island. That in itself was pretty special. Sailing out to the castle.

Once on the island the gardens were beautiful. Italianate terraces filled with tropical planting, palms, succulents and far reaching views.

Charlie completed the children's trail that the National Trust has for each property. Ticking off landmarks as we went. His final drawing of the view with boats and a helicopter was pretty cool.

By the time it was for us to leave the causeway was revealed and we walked across water back to the mainland.. rock pooling as we went.

Magic!

x

This is my final episode of our Cornish Holiday. I do hope you have liked it.. I've really enjoyed writing about it. If you have any favourite spots I should check out on future holidays please let me know... or (being very cheeky) if you have a holiday cottage or home you'd like us to 'test drive' please let me know (as if, but it's worth an ask!).

If you have missed the past posts you can check them out here:

Part 1 - National Trust Trenwaington
Part 2 - Barbara Hepworth & St Ives
Part 3 - The Beach
Part 4 - Beach Food
Part 5 - National Trust Glendurgan

Cornish holiday part 5 ... National Trust Glendurgan

 

 

 

Our final visit to a National Trust garden during our holiday was to Glendurgan gardens.  I think personally we saved the best til last.

Glendurgan House is set high up on a hill with its garden set into a deep valley. Winding leafy pathways snake down to a small hamlet and stony beach to the Helford River.

At each of the National Trust properties we have been to, there has been a well thought out children's trail  for the boys to complete. A little leaflet and pencil was handed to them at the reception. It sparked an instant interest and were eager to look for clue's along the way.  Ticking off when they saw a prickly plant or counting how many palm trees lined a certain walk.

With this trail in mind, my two happily bound on through gardens searching for the next item to tick off, leaving Dan and I to wander and enjoy the tranquillity.

At Glendurgan, halfway down the valley there is a quite fabulous maze. Twisty, organic in shape, with a palm fringed hut in the centre that made me think of South East Asia.  Charlie and Rufus ran happily through the maze and reached the centre with a cheer.

Down through the garden we came across the small stony beach and the estuary of the Helford River. The water was glassy and flat, quite unlike the wildness of the Atlantic Ocean at Sennen Cove. Dan taught the boys to skim stones, but apparently chucking massive ones in with a loud splash is far more fun!
x

Cornwall part 1 - National Trust, Trengwainton

This holiday we made full use of our National Trust pass.

When the heat of the sun became too much for the beach, most days we headed to the cooling canopies of a National Trust garden.

Trengwainton was the first on our list.

With it's promise of a walled kitchen garden and large exotic woodlands... it didn't disappoint.

It is beautiful.

Large tree ferns mixed with banana plants and hydrangeas in the colours of many a blue rinse.  Gave inspiration to imaginative games of dinosaurs, crashing through the dense vegetation.

Pooh sticks were launched off the little bridges and raced after down the streams.

The kitchen garden was where my heart was led... rows of neatly planted vegetables with companion plants of nigella and nasturtiums.

Pom pom headed dahlias and wildflowers a plenty.

Good for the soul.

x

meeting Father Christmas...

Today in this glorious sunshine, we visited the man in Red to give him our Christmas wishes.
Tyntesfield Estate never looked more wonderful, traditional & magical.
We waited in the small courtyard below the estates chapel, the sunlight glinting off the stained glass windows.
Once inside we were shown the toy packing room, and the feeding area for the reindeer's.  Rudolf had a carrot, a brussel sprout and 6 cherry tomatoes to keep nose rosy red.
After this we carried on through into the kitchen and met Mrs Christmas. The boys helped her to stir her Christmas pudding and we all got to smell the spicy mulled wine.

Rufus whispered to me 'Mummy, where is the baby?'
I asked 'What baby?'
He replied 'Baby Jesus'
Then he realised... 'Oh, baby Jesus and Father Christmas aren't the same thing!'.
He is so sweet.

Finally after much anticipation we went through into the main hall of Tyntesfield to meet Father Christmas.  The Great Hall has a grand staircase, with a large carved stone fireplace, with old oil paintings covering the walls.  A dramatic home to meet Santa.
Charlie never one to be shy, spoke on behalf of both boys. And typically he told Santa that he wanted something he hasn't even mentioned to us before - HexBugs ???
Father Christmas knew exactly what they were and they had a chat about the tracks and how they vibrate. (I hope he brings him one, or I will have to dash out and get one!).
Afterwards we wandered through the estate, to the play area, boys playing with their juggling balls and wooden flute.
I love the National Trust, such a magical way to meet the man in Red.
x