Sunshine & Surprises at Burghley House

Hi there everyone 😀

Determined to make the absolute most of our weekend away in Stamford, instead of heading straight for home on the Sunday, we’d arranged to meet up with Sue and Ken, my cousin and her husband. 

We’d not seen them socially for a long old time and, as they live in Peterborough, the Burghley House Orangery for breakfast, followed by a mooch round some gardens we hadn’t seen before, made for the perfect place to meet up …

It was another scorcher of a day, with plenty of sunshine and The Orangery made the perfect setting for a leisurely breakfast: bright, airy, and beautifully serene. The breakfast was tasty and it was just lovely slipping straight back into conversation as if no time had passed at all …

Of course, we couldn’t resist a little browse in the shop before we set off to explore the gardens — and somehow I came away with a rather fabulous new hat! 

Our next stop was the Garden of Surprises, which lived up to its name in all the right ways. There was something truly magical about weaving through hidden pathways, bubbling fountains, and playful water features — all while trying not to melt in the scorching heat! 

There were certainly plenty of ‘oohs’ and ‘wows’ heard as we turned a corner to find yet another unexpected surprise. There were also plenty of times when it was very tempting to ignore the rules and go barefoot for a cooling paddle … though we did all manage to behave ourselves and resist …

Thankfully, there were plenty of shady spots to pause and cool down a little, and the sound of water trickling through the garden made it feel an absolute delight …

Next, we made our way over to the sculpture trail. The walk took us through peaceful woodland and wide open parkland, dotted with striking sculptures that ranged from quirky to thought-provoking. We are always fascinated seeing how art interacts with nature — and this trail definitely gave us a bit of both …

There were certainly plenty of moments to just stop for a while and just take it all in …

At the moment there is also an outdoor art installation … Botanic Tapestry … on display. This exhibition of striking botanical flags celebrates the harmony between, art, nature and history. 

It certainly was looking striking on our visit … with the brightly coloured flags waving in the breeze … 

… atop a mound covered with the most spectacular of wild flower displays …

By the end of our visit, we were warm, slightly sun-kissed, and definitely feeling the need for some cool refreshment in The Garden Cafe. 

It had been a lovely way to spend a sunny Sunday and to finish off our weekend away. I’m certain it’s somewhere we will come back to as I would love to visit the house too. 

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A Weekend in Stamford

Hi everyone 😊

We are not long back from a lovely weekend away in the pretty little town of Stamford in Lincolnshire, where we met up with my old work friends for our annual catch up.

If you’ve never been, it’s well worth a visit – full of character, charm, lots of independent shops, a bustling market and plenty of lively al fresco places to stop for a breather and a bit of people watching.

We didn’t have lots of plans, just a couple of nights away with plenty of opportunities for catching up on the news, enjoying some good food and company and for making the most of the sunshine.

We arrived on Thursday afternoon, following our visit to Barnsdale Gardens on the way. We were staying at the Riverside Apartments, which ended up being fabulous. Our apartment was smack bang on the side of the river and just a short walk from the centre of town. The only drawback was there not being anywhere convenient for unloading, but we soon got sorted and were settled in … with a view to die for …

We met up with the rest of ‘the gang’ at Wetherspoons, for a quick drink before heading to Paten & Co for dinner, and very nice it was too …

We then found a good spot in the sunshine outside of The Golden Fleece on the square for another quick drink before heading back for an early night with plans for a full day of exploring on the Saturday.

We met up mid morning, back on the square … by ‘the spike’, as we were calling it, and we found a lovely spot in the shade to wait for the others. We really could have been in a coastal village in The Med …

We started with a wander into the town centre for the market – and what a treat! Stalls full of fresh local produce, plants, handmade gifts, and the usual bits and bobs. We all came away with a few bits and pieces.

We spent the day strolling through the streets, dipping in and out of the independent shops, some very nice more well known brands and charity shops … and a few hostelries for rehydration stops … it was very, very hot …

It really is a lovely little town, right by the river, a very cosmopolitan feel, beautiful old stone buildings and lots of little side alleys and ginnels.

Everyone came to us to eat on Saturday night … curry with all the trimmings … and it was so nice to he within walking distance.

On Saturday we had a bit of a slower start. We let the others have another wander round town and visit the ‘cheese shop’, before finding ourselves another nice spot in the sunshine …

We then opted for a bit of a walk across the meadow and by the river …

… before declaring it too hot and heading into the very welcome air conditioning of Wetherspoons for lunch.

We ate together again on Saturday night … this time it was a chilli night and our turn to walk to where the others were staying … 

We had a lovely evening and were even treated to a spitfire fly past … on its way to the Battle Proms at Burghley Park.

On our walk back Martin and I also got treated to the end of night fireworks in the distance …

Sunday morning and we were up bright and early for packing up and heading off. Loading up was a lot easier on a quiet Sunday morning and we were soon on our way … off to Burghley Park … we really did squeeze every drop out of our weekend 😀

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A Day at Barnsdale Gardens

Hi there everyone 😀

It was time for our annual catch up with my old work friends and this year we were meeting up in Stamford, on what ended up being an absolute scorcher of a July weekend.

As usual, we tried to fit in a visit to somewhere nice on the way to our meet up and this time we ended up at Barnsdale Gardens. It’s somewhere we’ve been wanting to visit for a while … but it’s a bit far for a day trip and it’s not in an area that we visit often.

As garden lovers and followers of Gardeners’ World … we were quite excited to visit one of the earlier Gardeners’ World Gardens … from the time when Geoff Hamilton was at the helm.

It was a lovely drive over. The garden is nestled in the heart of Rutland, just a stone’s throw from Rutland Water. It really is like a patchwork quilt of small individual gardens … each one distinct and full of character, yet all flowing beautifully together …

Our first stop was The Helenium Tea Room where, with literally one minute to spare, we were just in time for breakfast. Phil & Sue, one of the couples we were meeting up with had had the same idea and they were just finishing off their cream tea. After we’d finished fortifying ourselves … we were ready for a good wander in the soaring temperatures and headed into the garden. 

The garden guide was invaluable and made sure that we took the best route so as not to miss any of the 38 individual gardens that there are to see. I certainly have to take my hat off to anyone who has the vision and motivation to take a plot of land and turn into something like Barnsdale.

Whilst we were just a few weeks too late to see some of the gardens at the best there were still plenty of pops of colour to be found …

We ambled along at a very leisurely pace, stopping often to admire the planting, take photos, and just soak it all in …

The heat did make our visit a bit of a challenge, but one of the things we really appreciated was how well thought-out the layout is – there are plenty of shady spots to rest, and benches dotted around at just the right moments. It made such a difference being able to pause, sit down and enjoy the gardens from a cooler, quiet corner …

The garden really does have everything … from a traditional cottage garden, to more formal layouts, wildlife-friendly areas, and even a small kitchen garden packed with herbs and veggies. It’s one of those places where there is plenty of scope for inspiration …

One of my favourites was the Formal Pool and Knot Garden – a lovely, cool and peaceful space that felt a bit like stepping back in time. There were plump lavender hedges, absolutely humming with the buzzing of hundreds of busy bumble bees …

I was also very taken with planting at the front of The Allotment …

The whole of the garden was abuzz with wildlife … butterflies and bees simply everywhere …

By the time we had made it to green number 34, The Courtyard Gardens we were all flagging a bit and Sue and Phil opted for ice creams, whilst Martin and I very swiftly had a look at the last few … before doing the same …

We’d really enjoyed our visit, in spite of the heat. The only thing that would have made it better would have been a shady spot to sit somewhere with our ice cream … after we’d come out of the garden. We ended up in the car with air con blasting. 

There is also a shop and a plant nursery but it was too hot for us this time and we were glad to be heading off to Stamford for the rest of our weekend … very grateful for modern car air conditioning. 

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