Kedleston - the return

Shady Oaks and Splash Pools

Friday 13th 2019

  

With several of our number otherwise engaged four of us gathered on a glorious morning with not a hint of Friday 13th in the air, well done Jo for ordering perfect weather and a picture perfect venue.

We started with a stroll around the gardens to see the stunning wild flowers recommended by the lady volunteers in  the ticket office and also to give Bob and Betty a chance to let off a bit of steam and anything else they might feel the need to let off!

   

They really were quite a sight to behold

 

But we did decide that none of our gardens were really big enough to recreate the effect and also none of us have the team of volunteers needed to maintain such a scene.

 

Next on the agenda was coffee and a good long chat catching up with all our summer adventures, in fact the chat lasted so long it almost turned into lunch.

 

 

 

Armed with the trusty National Trust walk leaflet in the capable hands of Maggie our duly elected guide for the day we set off on the 'long walk' which the leaflet told us should take an 1hour and 20 minutes, however with such a lot to chat and about and so much to see (including birds that required spotting) we were worried that it might take twice that and that there would only be cake left in the café for lunch.

 Maggie proved to be an excellent guide and pointed out the Sulphur Bath House which none of us had ever spotted before despite several previous visits - not sure that bathing in sulphur sounds like much fun.

 

Hard to believe that Jo didn't have a notebook with her - but bird list making equipment was soon found and was soon followed by some excitement when a nice gentleman from Dudley gave us a false sighting of a shoveler on the lake - his wife was very dubious as were we and it didn't make the list - he tried to redeem himself with some Brummie jokes - mainly for Maggie's benefit.

 

 

Betty looking longingly at the water.....

 

 

.........and getting her own way - as usual.

 

 

Onwards up through the shady oaks, taking in the views and admiring the beautiful striped lawn. Our guide informed us that this is one of the best examples of an 18th century circuit walk in the country.

 

 

Enjoying the view and the lovely benches in Vicar Wood and wondering what the vicar actually got up to in the woods - and also what the priest got up to in Priest Wood which are also known as Pleasure Garden Woods - probably better not to know!

 

 

Back through the gardens and back to the café  which thankfully still had lunch left - still lots left to chat about - Jo and I couldn't compete with Julia and Maggie's famous people that I met on my holiday stories - quite a quartet of Greg Dyke, Noel Fielding, Lynn Faulds Wood and John Stapleton and then Maggie topped it all by spotting her chum Lord Curzon sadly he was in his land rover so couldn't stop to chat.

 

Our Bird list for the day:

 

Coot

Mandarin Duck

Little Egret

Heron

Mallard

Crow

Swan

Canada Geese

Buzzard

Black headed gulls

Wren

Great Crested Grebe

Grey lag Goose

Hacksaw
Pied Wagtail

House Martin

Long tailed fit
Tufted Duck

 

Not a bad list considering that we weren't really concentrating and a lovely day was had by all.