Sunday, July 04, 2021

At Biddulph Grange

It's well over a year since we visited Biddulph Grange, it must have been towards the end of 2019,  as I remember we sat in a very cold 'make do' tea room for a warm cup of coffee.  Things have changed over the last year.  The cafe has been moved into what was the shop and there is far more seating both there and outside along the terraces.  The 'porta-loos' near the entrance have gone and there are now permanent ones at the back of the shop, again near the entrance, plants sales and kitchen garden.    The people on the reception were lovely and welcoming and had plenty of advice about where things were situated and about the long and short walks and one way system.

On our way out of the cafe we saw the resident black and white cat waiting at the 'private staff only door' - perhaps it wanted elevenses too.  No photo as I was carrying coffee to take outside.  We sat overlooking the gardens where the volunteers were hard at work, pruning, cutting and tidying.

After coffee we set out on the long walk.  Everything was well planned out and the few visitors we came across were all politely keeping to the left hand side instructions and standing back for people in the one place along the Wellingtonia Walk where the one way path doubled back on itself.  It was a pleasant visit and we felt very relaxed afterwards.

Below are some images of the morning's walk.

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All was very lush and green although the tall tree tops were slightly misty in the hazy sunlight. 

It's raining here today, it's quite harsh rain and flowers have been dashed, there are petals everywhere.  The stoic male blackbird is digging worms from the lawn to fill the open beaks of his second brood who follow him around the garden, mouths open.  All for now.

28 comments:

  1. It's all looking wonderfully green - and, yes, I know why! I must admit to finding it all a bit of a faff visiting places with all the restrictions in place.

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    1. Ha, yes! It can be a bit of a faff having to book on line, takes the joy of spontaneity out of visits:)

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  2. Biddulph Grange is lovely but,as I remember,lots of steps.My OH did his back with the steps and was out of action for weeks!!As. a result he won’t go back which is a shame as we are going to Congleton next week to meet a friend.

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    1. Oh dear, what a shame about your OH's back. Yes, there are lots of steps down from the house into the garden and in some of the buildings too and around the Chinese garden. I hope you enjoy your visit to Congleton:)

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  3. Beautiful photos of Biddulph Grange - your new camera looks really good. The gardens are so lovely and I would like to return one day. Good to hear about the one way system and people behaving as they were supposed to. It is nice when you visit somewhere like this and feel relaxed afterwards. Although goodness only knows what will happen after the 19th July - prefer not to think about it to be honest. Have a good week and take care.

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    1. Thank you, I'm getting used to the camera very slowly, I'm not very techinical, I like things to stay as I know them:) The system at Biddulph was good, we were lucky when we visited that there weren't too many people, when we left the car park had filled up so I guess it got a lot busier. I think I will still wear a mask in enclosed areas and still carry sanitiser and wash hands regularly for a long time to come, it seems sensible to me to do so. Take care:)

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  4. Another place to add to my list. How lovely to get to visit there again. Normality is gradually creeping back. Hope your garden enjoyed its drink. B x

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    1. It is a wonderful garden to visit and not far from Little Moreton Hall also National Trust. We used to visit every year in each season so it was good to go back after a year to see the changes. Garden now too wet:) Never satisfied:)

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  5. What a beautiful spot for your coffee. I remember a charming garden from our visit years ago with all the different rooms and it's great to see it all looking lush and green in your photos. The rain seems to have been going on for weeks, all our flowers are wet and droopy, we've more rain to come this week too. 😊

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    1. Yes, it is lovely and set out in different countries like China, India and Egypt. Raining here still although yesterday afternoon it was warm and dry enough for a walk:)

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  6. You took us on a wonderful tour, such beautiful photos. So glad that you had a lovely time and were able to relax. It really makes a difference when precise instructions are in place, makes for a relaxing tour.

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    1. Thank you, we did have a lovely time it was almost likea mini holiday, just for a couple of hours:)

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  7. Doesn't it look lovely and green everywhere, it sound like it's all managed very well and i'm pleased you came away feeling relaxed :)

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    1. Thanks, Pam. It was all very lush and green and well kept and nice to get away from everything for an hour or two:)

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  8. You must really feel that life is on its way back to normal. I've just caught up with your June and July posts and really enjoyed the summery vibes - flowers, fruits, foxes, frogs and flutters. Just beautiful. Take care, Rosie. x

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    1. Thank you Mrs T, some kind of normal I hope although I will stick with masks in enclosed spaces for a while longer I think in case people don't keep up the social distancing bit. I've tried to keep things light and summery on here so I'm glad that came across. Take care:)

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  9. It looks like a wonderful place to visit Rosie. Just my kind of thing! :)

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    1. Thank you Simone, I'm sure you would love wandering around the different areas of the garden:)

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  10. The booking aspect I find a challenge so we haven't visited a NT garden yet this year. However, I've enjoyed your photo tour of Biddulph Grange. I'm glad you found the experience a refreshing change. I have a recording of a television series about such gardens including Biddulph Grange. It's not the same as being there, but does cover a lot of the beautiful garden areas on the site.

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    1. It is a nuisance having to pick a time and stick to it - rain or not - we were lucky to have good weather. It was lovely to be somewhere different. The recording sounds interesting. We've been watching Carol Klein's Great Gardens recently and one or two of them we have visited including Wollerton Old Hall Gardens which was featured on Monday:)

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  11. The green is so captivating. The gardens are beautiful, so well cared for and manicured! I think I can spend an entire day walking and pack myself a simple lunch and sprawl on the grass and eat. But of course it will not be allowed cos like you said, have to keep to a time. What a lovely morning walk.

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    1. Thank you, yes it was fine and dry enough to sit and have a picnic if times had been normal, perhaps next year we will be able to do those things again:)

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  12. There are so many lovely day-trip destinations in your part of there world. This must be one of the prettiest.
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. Thank you Amalia, weare lucky to live close to many lovely places, just a short car journey away:)

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  13. Where have I been all week? Great photos. I like the square format and so much I recognised from our visit there together. If we had Biddulph so close I would be a regular visitor.

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    1. I would say you have been busy in your garden or writing at Dough Mother:) I hadn't realised the photo format was square I just highlighted 'large'. We hadn't visited Biddulph Grange for about eighteen months but we usually go once or twice in each season:)

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