Nottinghamshire Notes

Rowsley Flower Festival 2008

2008-06-28T23:37:00.001-07:00

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I just love Flower Festivals. They're a real sign of summer and you walk into some delightful little church and are overwhelmed by the perfume and the colour that greets you.

That was certainly the case yesterday when I visited the little church of St Katherine's, tucked away up above the little village of Rowsley (pronouced Rose-Lee by the locals) in Derbyshire. Built in 1855 by Anthony Salvin, eldest son of his more famous father it cost just £850. The Duke of Rutland - from nearby Haddon Hall, gave the site and contributed liberally to the building costs.

The theme of the Flower Festival was 'Inspired by Art' and what a clever title it turned out to be. Here are just some of my favourite arrangements, with comments from the most comprehensive information sheet.

Degas - "... When his sight began to fail in 1875, Degas began to experiment with pastels, capturing momentary images with a departure from classical poses.."

Gaugin of course had to be depicted with the vibrant colours of the tropics representing the time in 1891 he sailed to Tahiti and lived in a native hut using the native women of the islands as his primary subject matter.

Renoir on the other hand had this lovely arrangements in white, with just touches of violet relecting the pale shadows in the painting - very clever I thought.

"Renoir painted during the last 20 years of his life, even when arthritis severely limited his movement, and he was wheelchair-bound. He developed progressive deformities in his hands and ankylosis of his right shoulder, requiring him to adapt his technique. In the advanced stages of his arthritis, he painted by having a brush strapped to his paralyzed fingers."

Constable on the other hand loved to paint the countryside around his beloved Suffolk and how well this was reflected in this clever arrangement that greeted visitors as they walked through the door. It was just lovely how the sunlight caught the scene.

Another thing I really liked about the Rowsley Flower Festival was that the majority of the money raised is donated to local charities. This year the money was going to the Greenaway Workshop for the disabled. The workshop provides an opportunity for adults who, for whatever reason, are unable to hold down a full time job, especially in high pressure or stressful environments. This is a place where personal dignity is restored and new skills are learned in a working environment that provides a social and economic purpose.

And finally the stunning arrangment depicting Paul Cezanne.

I really appreciated the enormous amount of thought and effort that had gone into this truly outstanding Flower Festival - it certainly gave me enormous pleasure.

Youlgreave Well Dressings

2008-06-24T01:00:00.000-07:00

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Youlgreave is a gorgeous little hamlet high up in the Peak District full of centuries-old stone cottages and dominated by All Saints Parish Church which dates from around 1150, and now incorporates many different styles from the large Gothic chancel to the Tudor windows, and the perpendicular style 15th century bell tower.

It was in the church yard that I photographed this delightful well dressing - such a summer feature in Derbyshire. It has been created by the 1st Youlgrave Guides and shows music notes and paintbrushes to show their creativity, as well as outdoor activities such as climbing and canoeing - together with toasting marshmallows over a fire!

Deeper in the village was this lovely musically-themed well dressing.
And then my absolute favourite at Bank Top Well. The designed was based on the praise song 'Rejoice, this is the day the Lord hath made' and reflects the pleasure obtained from the three allotments in the village, where no only are wonderful vegetables grown but are also places for fellowship and sharing. This particular welldressing took approximately 250 hours work spread over 4 days and tucked into the design are a mole, dog, rabbit, dove, robin, spider, and a snail - but no slugs!!

Another one I also really liked was entitled 'Let there be light'. The centre picture was inspired by an installation by Andy Goldsworthy at the South Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The sunflower and lion in the headboard are both symbols of the sun. The seven colours in the rainbow reappear in the little bowls of light in the side panels. The geometric patterns in the bottom corners are in a mosaic floor designed by Antoni Gaudi in the Church of Santa Paula in Barcelona.

The feet represent the human element and our need to tread lightly on this earth.

I think this description gives some slight idea of the amount of thought and effort that goes into the design of these beautiful creations - which of course remain in places for just a few days. It is well worth the effort of going to see them if you possibly can.

Perlethorpe's Annual Hayride

2008-06-22T11:16:00.000-07:00

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Perlethorpe is the little hamlet not far from Thoresby Hall, near Ollerton. It sits amidst over 1,000 acres of parkland and farmland - none of which is accessible to the public.

Therefore it's a real treat to go on the Annual Perlethorpe Hayride as this gives access to places normally impossible to visit.

The Hayride started some 11 years ago when the villagers decided they wanted to raise money for a Millennium Party and charging to ride round the estate seemed a good way to do it. It proved such a success that it's become a popular, much anticipated, annual event. It now raises money for charity and over the years thousands of pounds have been collected in this way, and they reckon they can cope with around 200 people participating.

This year the charities were the Lincs. & Notts Aitr Ambulance and St. John's Perlethorpe. The hay wagons behind the tractors are gleaned from a number of sources - the one I went in had been borrowed from Brackenhurst Agricultural College in Southwell.

The procession of tractors leaves from Home Farmyard and it's nice that each person is given a map - so you have some idea where you're going and what points of interest to look out for!
For example
2. Whitemoor - the line of Lime Trees marks the route of the old highway (A614)

8. Norman's Oaks - planted with trees grown from seed taken from the veteran Oak Trees.

10. Old Oaks at Buck Gates - there is a bigger concentration of veteran Oak trees in Sherwood than anywhere in Europe - the Longhorn cattle are grazing the woodland to control growth of bracken and other invasive vegetation.

The ride was fantastic - helped by the most perfect weather. We saw not only the longhorn cattle, but deer, in every shade from creamy white to almost black, a wild hare scampering across a field and high above in the clear blue sky, a beautiful bird of prey. Sometimes we were in wide open spaces with cultivated fields, sometimes squeezing through narrow woodland paths.

Then we got to the picnic site - a really beautiful location overlooking the lake. Each person was given a carrier bag containing a large cheese cob, a bag of crisps and a small kitkat. Some people had taken their own picnic, but this snack suited me fine. (There were also much needed port-a-loos at this stop!). After an hilarious charity auction if was off again.

The reverse of the map gave interesting facts about the produce from the farm - like
Pre Pack Potatoes 6,000 tonnes - 3,000,000 x 2 kg bags
Sugar Beet 6,822 tonnes - 1,090,000 x 1 kg bags of Silver Spoon Sugar

Reluctantly we headed back to Perlethorpe, to go to the Community Hall for a drink and the drawing of the raffle. It had been a fantastic evening - it's just a shame I'll have to wait a year before I can do it again!

The National Gardens Scheme

2008-06-17T10:26:00.000-07:00

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'The Garden Scheme' was started at the suggestion of Miss Elsie Wagg, a member of the council of the Queen's Nursing Instiute, as part of a national memorial to Queen Alexandra whose deep and sympathetic interest in district nursing was well known.

Although this country was renowned for its gardens, few people had the opportunity to see them, so that when 600 were opened in 1927 the response was such that the experiment became a national institution. Now more than half a million people visit the gardens each year and this raises more than £2 million annually for national nursing, gardening and other charitable causes.

I think it's the most marvellous scheme and am always impatience for the arrival of the familar yellow booklet! This year Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire have been combined with is really handy.

A couple of weeks ago I visited the little village of Oxton where 4 small gardens were open, and lovely it was too - and very popular. This last weekend I fancied something completely different, so I went through the 'yellow book' and found this fantastic place called 'Cashel' in Derbyshire. Only open once a year, it clearly was a place people make a point of visiting annually.

Covering 3 acres of undulating landscape it features huge wood sculptures created by local artists and a terraced ravine with a little stream running through.

However, my favourite feature was this stunning stone circle - it got even better as the shadows lengthened. Everywhere it was possible to see miles across the most breath-taking Derbyshire countryside as it's not that far from stunning Carsington Water.

It was a fabulous way to spend an afternoon - not only admiring the stunning garden, but indulging in home made cake and buying lots of very reasonably priced plants too. What could be better!

And there's still all the summer to enjoy even more gardens under the National Garden Scheme!

Magdala

2008-06-15T02:41:00.000-07:00

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Magdala are the most superb group and have given me huge pleasure for years. It is a charity, wholly dependent on grants, sponsorship and generous donations from local businesses and individual supporters.

They are a small, artist-led community organisation whose purpose is 'To open up opportunities for people, through singing, to realise their potential, creating experiences which are life enhancing, life changing and life affirming'.

Magdala offers poeple from all backgrounds the chance to discover their voice, the experience of making music together and the challenge of doing so to the highest possible standard.

And how true this in with their superb concerts. Last night I went especially to the Parish Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Newark, said to be one of the largest and finest parish churches in the country - and it certainly is quite breathtaking, from the 222 ft vista when you walk in, to the ornate ceilings held in place by angels!

Part One of the concert consisted of wonderfully familiar pieces like Ave Maria and the quite wonderful Hallelujah Chorus, followed by pieces by Verdi, Puccini, Mozart and ending with the Victory March from Aida.

The second half of the programme was completely different being a semi-staged performance of Puccini's Tosca Act 1 with visiting professional soloists Neil Allen, Maria Droulou and Ashley Holland. I particularly liked this part - where Mario Cavaradossi 'paints' a portrait, causing jealousy with Tosca.

Altogether it was the most marvellous, and memorable evening, but what shocked me was that in the past Magdala have, quite rightly, received funding from the Art Council because the innovative nature of their work in the community has been recognised and valued. However this funding is due to end at the end of 2008 - and their future looks very insecure.

Considering they also run a schools-based programme, called Opera Start, which engages young people from the most deprived communities in creative prohjects that build self-belief and raise lovels of aspiration - this funding decision seems quite unbelievable.

Yet another reason to support Magdala whenever possible and to urge other people to do likewise.

Regent's Canal Waterbus - Camden - London

2008-06-03T08:51:00.001-07:00

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No trip to London is complete without a visit to one of the famous street markets. Camden is one of the biggest with stalls trading every day, but with 4 or 5 times as many at the weekends. Certainly when I visited there were street after street just heaving with stalls and people, selling everything from antiques to pop art, with food from just about everywhere.

However, for a refreshing break from all the jostling nothing can be nicer than a trip on a boat and the Regent's Canal Waterbus was just amazing.

This is a view from the boat, and you can see more by watching my video.

The Regent's Canal linking Little Venice to the Thames at Limehouse, was first opened in 1820, providing an important industrial transport route. Today, with its unique architecture, industrial history, wildlife and scenery the canal offers a unique and interesting view of London.

One of the first places we passed was London Zoo. Opened in 1828 it was possible to see both the antelope terraces and the Snowdon Aviary. The Zoo today is not just a home to animals but a centre recognised for excellence in conservation and education. The Waterbus has its own gate into the Zoo, providing a pleasant way to arrive and avoiding the queues at the main gate.

Perhaps one of the best bits of the hour-long journey was going through the Maida Hill Tunnel which goes under the Edgware Road. It's 272 yards long and just excellent for photography!Really felt this was an unexpected treasure on a visit to London - a quite inexpensive delight which will be well worth repeating.

Newstead Abbey - Nottinghamshire

2008-05-30T00:56:00.000-07:00

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Newstead Abbey is north of Nottingham on the A60, so is really easy to get to. It is best known as the former home of the poet Lord Byron. He inherited it in 1798 when he was only 10 years old, when it was virtually empty and almost in ruin due to the 5th Lord Byron running into financial difficulties.

In 1817 Byron sold it to his friend Thomas Wildman, who had inherited a large fortune from plantations owned by his family in Jamaica - much of which he spent on the repair and restoration of Newstead.

After Wildman's death in 1859 Newstead was purchased in 1861 by William Webb a wealthy landowner. The African explorer Dr. David Livingstone, a friend of the Webbs', was their guest at Newstead in the 1860s. On Webb's death it passed to each of his four surviving children, then to his grandson Charles Fraser who sold it to Nottinghamshire philanthropist Sir Julien Cahn who presented it to Nottingham Corporation in 1931.

However, it had been realised as early as 1824 that the public were fascinated with Byron - so despite the fact that he probably spent less than a total of 6 months at Newstead, everything to do with him and his work has been collected and preserved by all the owners, and because of this has been a tourist attraction since Victorian times.

Originally it was an Augustinian priory founded by Henry II in about 1170. A small religious community existed here until Henry VIII dissolved the monastery in 1539. Permission was given to convert the priory into a house. In some places this is easier to see than others. In this room - known as the Plantagenet Room - is the original stone-vaulted ceiling. It was the site of the monastic warming-room, the only room in the priory - apart from the kitchen and infirmary - where a fire was permitted.

Much of the rest of the Abbey is of a more lavish style with really beautiful over mantels.

The room I found the most interesting was Byron's bedroom. The poet brought the bed and bed steps with him from his undergraduate rooms at Trinity College when he moved into Newstead Abbey in 1808. The bed has a domed canopy and a gilded tester with four carved gilt wood baron's coronets (the poet was the 6th Baron Byron of Rochdale). The hangings are hand sewn reporductions of Byron's original chintz ones, printed with green and yellow pattern of Chinese pagodas.

Of course no visit to Newstead would be complete without a visit to the stunning grounds which cover some 300 acres. Unfortunately due to shortage of staff - now down to only 3 permanent gardeners - much of the elaborate planting has had to be abandoned but it's still nice to walk by the lake and visit the Japanese Garden.

In fact Newstead Abbey is a lovely place to spend an afternoon.

Dunge Valley Hidden Gardens - Cheshire

2008-05-25T03:05:00.000-07:00

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David and Liz Ketley came across this remote site whilst out walking in 1976. Situated just 3 miles south-west of Whaley Bridge and not far from the Goyt Valley, it consisted then of a dilapidated house and a patch of rough grassland, with a small valley beyond. Most people, especially with two small sons, would have run a mile, but not the Ketley's, who had the incredible vision to create a garden - a sort of minature Himalayas - in this most unpromising of locations.

First they had to get the farmhouse in order and then they turned their attention to the garden - the quarter of a mile long, steep sided valley. From the beginning they wanted to manage the land and the gardens with maximum biodiversity, not using any sprays or fertilisers, and pulling out weeds by hand. Although initially from a non-gardening background, now David went on trips to China, Nepal and Bhutan to gather seeds for their beloved rhododendrons.

And what a successful garden they've created - it quite takes one's breath away. Apart from the lovely area round the farmhouse with it's lawns and perennial borders, there's the wonderful Dell to explore with it's twisting paths and delightful little seats, the whole area ablaze with rhododendrons, azaleas, acers and mature conifers.

I particularly enjoyed the little stream that runs down the valley - with waterfalls, small bridges and bog garden planted with iris, primulas, ligularias and astilbes.

There's also a small tea room and, my favourite bit, and really wonderful plant nursery. I brought home a pot containing the wonderful blue poppy (Meconopsis Betonicifolia)- which was flowering in several parts of the gardens and looked amazing.

It will be the perfect reminder of a breath taking garden which I can well believe is different on every visit.

Dunge (pronounced Dungeon) is only open from March til August and only the garden round the farmhouse is suitable for the disabled.

Chatsworth's newly opened 'Quebec' area

2008-05-13T03:35:00.001-07:00

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It's hard to imagine that Chatsworth could get any better but this year, 2008, a new area just below the Canal Pond has been cleared and restored to its former glory.

The Canal Pond was dug - of course by hand - under the direction of the 1st Duke of Devonshire in 1702, and is 314 yards long. The marvellous Emperor Fountain was added by Paxton in 1843 when it was thought Czar Nicholas, Emperor of Russia might visit. (He didn't!)

Waterworks were a feature of the 1st Duke's garden and this cascade was fed by the overflow water from the Canal Pond. However for over a century the area had been overgrown with Rhododendron Ponticum. It has taken some two years of very hard work by the gardens team to reveal a 4 area area known as 'Quebec' and this has been newly opened to the public.

Of course there has been much speculation as to the rather strange name. Certainly the 9th Duke of Devonshire was Governor General of Canada in the early 20th century and he and his family grew to love the love the Canadian landscape, so maybe they named this part of the garden on their return. The present Duke says the gardeners have another, longstanding theory, which is that it was called Quebec because it was so hard to get to!

In the spring the new path leads through an area full of bluebells and most interesting, sculptural seats. It contains magnificent trees, as well as giving superb views through the Park, across the river Derwent and up the hill towards New Piece wood. It is said that these views give a superb insight into the genius of Capability Brown's landscape - probably better from here than anywhere else in the garden.

Trees will continue to be added to this interesting area - mainly indigenous ones from North America in order to continue the Quebec connection.

The main feature is the 300 year old waterfall, which in the past could be heard but not seen.For this in action just see my video

Joseph Wright at Derby Art Gallery

2008-05-08T01:00:00.001-07:00

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Joseph Wright was born at No. 28 Irongate, Derby on September 3rd 1734, and attended the Derby Free Grammar School. He then went to London to study painting.

His biggest collection of paintings are held in Derby Museum and Art Gallery and I could hardly wait to go and look at these lovely pictures.

When Wright returned to Derby in 1757 he bgan taking portrait commissions from the landed gentry and middle classes living in the area.

His friends now included several important scientists, including Erasmus Darwin, who was to form the Lunar Society. This group of like-minded friends met at around the time of the full moon (hence the name) so they could ride home by moonlight. By this time Wright was particularly interested in the effect of light and shadow and depicted this often in his striking paintings. This famous picture is titled "A Philosopher Giving a Lecture on the Orrery" and was exhibited in 1766.

However, my favourite was this one - "The Blacksmith's Shop" painted in 1771. I love this one - which shows three men forging a horseshoe, by moonlight, for a traveller with a lame horse.
Joseph Wright painted a surprisingly wide range of subjects - from formal portraits of the great and good of the period, to this slightly strange one called 'The Indian Widow' which shows the wife of a North American chieftain mourning his death on a stormy cliff top, with his weapons hanging on a tree behind her.

Altogether it was a grand visit - enhanced by two things in particular. Photography was allowed - for the price of a £1 permit (although in the end I thought the professional postcards were probably of a better standard than I could achieve), and secondly the very friendly and knowledgeable staff - who really made my visit so enjoyable.

Bess of Hardwick & Derby Cathedral

2008-05-04T23:57:00.001-07:00

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Elizabeth Talbot, Dowager Countess of Shrewsbury - better known as Bess of Hardwick died on the 13th February 1608. She was probably 80 - her exact date of birth is unknown. Certainly a vast age for this period.

Her body was embalmed by an apothecary as she was to lie in state in Hardwick Hall, while her funeral arrangement were by the Garter King of Arms. The funeral was delayed because her 18 year old grandson, William was to marry Christian Bruce, sister of Lord Kinloss. The bride was only 12 years old, but Bess was anxious for this union as it would bring the Bruce estates into the family, and nothing as inconvenient as a funeral were to delay such an important business contract.

Bess' lead coffin was laid in the great chamber at Hardwick, the room so swathed in yards of black material it formed a giant tent. Even the stone stairs leading up to the room were draped. Although Bess wrote "I especially will and require that my funeral be not over sumptuous, or otherwise performed with too much vain and idle charge" she still left £3,000 to be spend on it - a fortune in those days!

Bess had already chosen Derby Cathedral - then known as All-Hallows for her final resting place. The church was draped in black including the lectern and the pulpit and there are the records at Chatsworth showing a bill for "1,000 blackhead pins purchased to hold the black cloth in the church at my lady's funeral." After the funeral service Bess' body was interred in the vault below St Katharine's Quire. Above is the flamboyant monument which she had designed and had made by Smithson - the architect of Bolsover Castle. In 1601 - some 7 years before her death she had made all the arrangements so that everything was 'finished and wants nothing but setting up.'

On Sunday 4th May 2008 Derby Cathedral held a special 'Bess of Hardwick Thanksgiving Service' and I wouldn't have missed it for the world!

This delightful watercolour painting is by Louise Rayner, dated about 1865, entitled 'Irongate, Derby', and is inside the Official Guide to the Cathedral. Surprisingly the approach remains much the same. The first reading of the service came from The Great Bible - which is also known as the Treacle Bible - the Authorized Version not appearing until 1611. It was known to have been used at Bess' funeral and comes from Proverbs 31 10-31. It begins "Who to findeth an honest faithful woman, she is much more worth than pearls. The heart of her husband may safely trust in her, so that he shall fall into no poverty. She will do him good, and not evil, all the days of her life....."

A fitting tribute to a great lady who achieved her ambition of forming a dynasty with descendants in all the great families of Britian today.

Denby Pottery Derbyshire

2008-04-21T01:00:00.000-07:00

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The pottery is 8 miles north of Derby, and is easy to get to by car. I went on a bus, and they stop right outside the pottery.

The story starts back in 1806 when clay was discovered during the building of a new turnpike road. William Bourne who owned nearby Belper Pottery came over and examined it and realised that it was of exceptional quality and particularly well suited for use on a potters wheel.

At first the clay was carted to Belper but by 1808 some huts and a kiln were put up at Denby and a pottery business started. In 1812 William placed is youngest son Joseph, then only 24 years old, in charge. This proved a good move, as Joseph was a good businessman who took out patents on fully vitreous stoneware bottles, and introduced a new style of kiln. By 1832 Denby had the largest output of bottles in the country.

His son then joined the company and the name was changed to Bourne and Son, which was used until 1976. At the Great Exhibition it was awarded a medal for its excellent stone ware bottles. This Joseph married a young woman caled Sarah Elizabeth Topham, and when he died at the age of 49, it was Sarah who took over the running of the pottery.

She was a strong, independent woman, who drove her own horse and carriage, and at a time when few women had positions of power, she managed the workforce and expanded the business.

In the early days Denby specialised in making stoneware bottles and jars for holding such things as ink, ginger beer, polish, cream and preserves. All the bottles were made on a potters wheel, and at one time there were as many as 90 throwers producing hundreds of pots every day.

Hours were long and conditions hard. For a 66 hour week a man could earn around 25 shillings (£1.25). Children as young as 10 worked hard for as little as 2 shillings (10p) a week. Workers had to bring their own candles and the pottery had no drinking water or canteen.

By the 1900s the range of pottery included domestic pots and bottles, quirky items like novelty footwarmers, telegraph insulators for industry and even bird feeders. This photo - taken from one of the many interesting information boards, shows workers in 1909.
Over the years Denby pottery has continued to flourish, always coming with new and contemporary designs that have proved very popular with the public. Until fairly recently all the decoration was painted by hand with up to 70 paintresses employed by the company. Now there are only three, working mainly on commissioned pieces. One was giving a demo in the craft room at the end of the really excellent, and most interesting tour.

I came home with a really lovely, and unusal teapot and a little frog made in the craft room! Two delightful souvenirs from a grand day out.

Poole's Cavern, Buxton, Derbyshire

2008-03-30T23:41:00.000-07:00

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This popular visitor attraction is just on the edge of the delightful market town of Buxton in Derbyshire.

It is claimed that it's name comes from the fact that it may have been used as a hide-away by an outlaw in the 15th century.

Certainly the Cavern has long been an attraction for visitors on tours of the Peak District when they visitied Chatsworth Park, Peak Cavern, Buxton Spa and Mam Tor. In the 1700s they were met by willing guides from local cottages. After a long crawl through the original low entrance, their guides would sometimes threaten to extinguish the candles and run away unless paid more money!

Subsequently the Duke of Devonshire owned the cave and in 1853 he realised that he could make money from it! He installed a custodian, added a museum, bandstand and monkey house, and then had an entrance blasted through. Huge candelabras were installed for lighting.

Candles were soon replaced by gas lamps which glowed until the Cavern was closed in 1965. Buxton Civic Association took over the Cavern and re-opened it in 1976 and it is now a most interesting place to visit - quite regardless of the weather!

When I visited, on a cold, wet day just after Easter, tours were leaving every 20 minutes, and excellent they were too - as can be seen from my video

I particularly liked was how easy and safe the paths were and although there were some steps they were wide with firm hand rails. Nowhere felt slippery or unsafe, and it was very educational for everyone with such a range of amazing stalacites and stalagmites.

Altogether a most excellent place to visit in a fascinating area of Britain.

Chatsworth's water system

2008-03-26T00:52:00.000-07:00

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Water has always played an important part in Chatsworth - helped by having a plentiful supply from the Derbyshire hills.

However, it wasn't until the 6th Duke of Devonshire asked Jospeh Paxton to create a huge fountain in honour of the Emperor of Russia that serious consideration was given to changing the previous gravity feed system. The new method would involve lakes on the moors high above Chatsworth and the water would travel down hill by a series of conduits before reaching the cascade and eventually the Emperor Fountain and ending up in the River Derwent.

I knew this story but it wasn't until Easter Monday that I went to Chatsworth and started to explore the area behind the gardens. And what a treat it turned out to be. The first discovery was of the aqueduct. Built by Paxton about 1840 it is based on one that the 6th Duke had seen in Germany.

From just above the aqueduct it was possible to get the most stunning views of Chatsworth House - like I'd never seen it before.

Then it was a case of following the trial even higher up until eventually the path opened out onto the beautiful Emperor Lake. This covers nearly 8 acres and is about 6 feet (1.8m) deep - which involved moving nearly 100,000 cubic yards of soil - a huge task which was of course all done by hand. Now it is a beautiful, quiet area, a haven surely for wildlife and a peaceful sanctuary even on a busy Bank Holiday.This is only one of three lakes that feed the water features in Chatsworth, and the engineering involved is quite staggering. Conduits and channels were dug back in the 19th century including the Emperior Stream which carries water from the moor down to the lake and is some 2.5 miles long. The pipe to the Emperior Fountain drops 400ft (122m) from the lake, and in places trenches, up to 15ft (1.6m) deep, had to be cut through rock to maintain the gradient. The pipe work Paxton required weighed a staggering 220 tons.

Even today the water in the Emperor Fountain jet comes out with such force that the valve has to be turned on very slowly to avoid shock damage. The system works entirely by gravity and no supplementary electricity is involved.

Discovering the top lakes was really good - although there's still a lot more to see in this lovely area. Certainly I will look at the Sea Horse Fountain and the magnificient Emperor Fountain with more appreciative eyes in the future.

Kew Gardens - March 2008

2008-03-19T04:09:00.000-07:00

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Kew Gardens covers more than 300 acres, and as it lies just south of London I thought it was high time I paid it another visit. The train service from London was fast and easy, and with the gates opening at 9.30am it was possible to have a full day.

My first stop was at the wonderful Temperate House. It was designed by Decimus Burton and built in stages between 1860 and 1899. It has 4800 sqare metres of floor space - twice that of the more famous Palm House. It ended up three times over estimate, the final cost coming to the equivalent of £11 million in today's money. Complete restoration was carried out between 1977 and 1980 to Burton's original design. Rainwater is collected in 6 underground storage tanks, with a total capacity of 540,000 litres.

It houses mainly tender woody plants, arranged geographically as originally intended when it was designed. One thing that struck me was the high humidity - everywhere there was water, in ponds, on the paths, dripping off the leaves. No wonder it is so hard to replicate these conditions with our house plants!

Then it was off on a tour - using a little trailer - with such a good commentary. I would really recommend this - as it gave a good idea of the layout of the Gardens, and I could then decide what I wanted to see in greater detail. Here is a small sample from this 35 minute tour.

The cottage built for Queen Charlotte, and only glimpsed through the trees on the tour, sounded fascinating, so I headed off there. It was originally built so the Queen, who lived from 1744 - 1818, could bring her family for picnics! The cottage and its grounds belonged to the Royal Family until 1898 when Queen Victoria gifted them to Kew to commemorate her Diamond Jubilee.
Another fascinated building is the Princess of Wales Conservatory where you can see a variety of plants from cacti to orchids, and a big pond with amazing sting rays gliding about!
What made my visit even more memorable, and a contributing factor on my deciding to go at this time, was an amazing exhibition of Henry Moore sculptures. Could they ever have been in a more beautiful setting? Surrounded by 100,000 daffodils, blossom trees and magnolias it was truly a memorial visit.

Belton House Lincolnshire

2008-03-10T08:14:00.000-07:00

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Belton House is 3 miles from Grantham and is one of the finest examples of restoration domestic architecture in the country. It was built between 1685 - 88 for Sir John Brownley and it is possible to tour the fascinating rooms, which range from 17th-century, Regency, Victorian and 1930s in style.

I was particularly taken with the fine Grinling Gibbons carving in the entrance hall, but being the National Trust no photography was allowed. This interior picture was taken from their brochure.
Certainly the interior is well worth a visit as the rooms are relatively small and it's very easy to imagine living in such a lovely home.

Outside is even more stunning with 36 acres of immaculate gardens - the topiary is particularly fine. This view looks towards the Orangery which even at the beginning of March had Camellias in full flowers.In addition to the formal gardens there is a delightful Lakeside Walk and of particular interest is the Boathouse. Commissioned from Anthony Salvin by John Cust, 1st Earl Brownlow in 1821, by the middle of the 20th century it had sadly become derelict. (This is one of the surviving Salvin water colour paintings.)

Once the balcony had collapsed the whole building slumped towards the lake. The National Trust decided that action had to be taken to restore the boathouse. They were anxious to retain as much of the original building as possible to ensure that this important landscape feature appears much as it was originally intended.

However, what made my visit so outstanding were the spring flowers - there must have been thousands of daffodils, interspered with snowdrops, scillas and crocuses.

Altogether a most memorable and delightful visit.

Point to Point at Welbeck

2008-03-04T00:51:00.000-08:00

http://www.nottinghamshirenotes.com
Point-to-Point is for amateurs and is over fences using hunting horses. The horses have to have hunted for at least 4 days in the season before racing starts in January. The fences are made of birch and are approx 4 foot 6 inches high.

To discover that the Grove and Rufford was to hold their Point-to-Point on the Welbeck estate was quite a thrill - as this vast parkland - originally home to the Duke of Portland - is never open to the public.

Entrance was through the Lion Gates, which is normally only used by Lady Anne Bentinck, and is situated just outside the market town of Worksop. Then there was about a 2 mile drive along a narrow tree-lined roadway surrounded by thousands of wild daffodils.

The site for the racing was just below Lady Anne's imposing house and the lake, and breathtaking it was too.

There were a few stalls, including one from the recently-opened Welbeck Farm Shop which was selling cheeses, cordials and hot food. The long queue for these potatoes was well worth it!Of course there were all the marquees associated with the racing, a row of betting stalls and the parade ring. Knowing nothing about racing I could at least appreciate how beautifully groomed all the horses were, and it was nice at the end of every race a prize was given to the groom for the best presented animal.

For pictures of the actual racing see my video

Altogether it was a real fun afternoon in a fabulous setting, and certainly something to look out for in the future.

Bakewell Farmers' Market

2008-02-25T00:55:00.000-08:00

http://www.nottinghamshirenotes.com
On the last Saturday of each month Bakewell holds a Farmers' Market - and I thought it was time I went and paid it a visit.
Held in the award-winning Agricultural Business Centre - just on the edge of the delightful Derbyshire town of Bakewell it was nice to find parking was going to be no problem.
It works on a 'Pay and Display' system.

The market occupies the foyer of this striking building, plus an adjacent Hall and even spills outside. The first thing that struck me was how many people were busy shopping. These Farmers markets seems to be just what people want. The criteria is that it has to be 'local' with all the goods grown, raised, baked, made or caught within 30 miles of Bakewell. The only exception is if there is no business supplying a particular product within this radius - and this applies to sea fish which had come from Grimsby, and interestingly there was always a long queue at his van!

Inside it was a real hub of activity - and by arriving around mid-day it was quite obvious that a lot had already been sold. Clearly it's a good idea to arrive early at Bakewell Farmers Market!

And what an array of delights were on offer! Quite apart from all the free tasting, which all must comply with hygiene and safety legislation, nothing genetically modified is allowed, and many producers are registered as organic. I ended up with a gorgeous quiche baked in Tideswell, a tray of mushrooms grown near Arbor Low stone circle, flour ground at nearby Heage Windmill and even a sturdy shopping bag bearing the words 'Country Markets'.

Attractive features about this particular venue are that it's all one one level, there are good toilet facilities and a large, comprehensive resturant on the same site.

I definitely intend to mark the calendar on the last Saturday of each month with the words 'Bakewell Farmers Market'. This is just too good to miss.

All Saints, Pavement York

2008-02-01T03:25:00.000-08:00

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On a recent visit to the city of York I particularly enjoyed walking along what remains of the city wall, and it was from here that I could see the beautiful Minster. During the summer when all the trees are in leaf the view would be quite different.

In the city itself I came across another striking ecclesiastical building, right in the middle of the shops! It went under the rather strange name of All Saints, Pavement, and to my considerable delight was unlocked.

Apparently it stands in the centre of one of the earliest paved streets in York, hence its striking name. It has played, and continues to play, an important role in the civic history of the city. It is the Guild Church of York and 34 Lord Mayors are buried here.

The present building dates from the 14th century, but there has been a church on this site for much longer. The earliest mention was in the Domesday Book (1086), and an Anglo-Saxon grave cover, dating from the 10th century, is the earliest evidence for a burial ground.

The elegant octagonal lantern, on top of the tower, which I thought was just lovely, was built around 1400. Throughout the mediaeval period the light was kept burning at night to guide travellers safely into the city through the wolf-infested Forst of Galtres to the north.

Inside something which caught my eye was the very striking one-legged pulpit. This dates from 1634, and the sounding board at the top was to reflect and amplify the preacher's voice.

Certainly an interesting spot to visit in a City full of fascinating places.

Jorvik Viking Centre York

2008-01-29T03:43:00.000-08:00

http://www.nottinghamshirenotes.com
The Jorvik Centre is right in the heart of the lovely city of York, and I thought it was about time I revisited it.

It was an easy train journey from Chesterfield, and by arriving at the Centre at about 10.30 I avoided all the queues which are normall associated with this place. I was a little disappointed that no photography was allowed, because without them it's hard to convey how much fun it was.

First stop was in a room where the audio visual presentation took us back a thousand years, with full Time Travel effects! Then it was into a 4 person carriage suspended from the ceiling, which glided us skillfully through York as it would have been all that time ago, complete with sounds and smells! I thought it was really good, and the accompanying sound track was available in several languages.

We ended up in the newly opened Museum - which was not only very interesting but quite interactive, so there was something for everyone. Altogether a most enjoyable experience and one I would totally recommend.

The Cutlers' Hall Sheffield

2007-12-13T02:22:00.001-08:00

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This imposing building stands directly opposite Sheffield Cathedral. It is the third building on this site owned by The Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire, the first being built in 1638, with the second in 1725. The present Hall, a Grade 2* Listed building, was built in 1832, being extended in 1867 and 1888.

During the recent, really excellent Sheffield festival called 'Galvanzie' I was able to book to go on a tour of The Cutlers' Hall - and it seemed too good an opportunity to miss.

Whilst the outside might look slightly imposing, nothing prepares you for the sheer
gandeur of the interior, which was just magnificient. Room after room was wonderful, many containing impressive display cases full of silverware collected over the centuries. A big feature are the quite fantastic chandeliers.

Altogether it was a wonderful tour, and I can quite see why people would want to hire such a place for a wedding or other special celebration.

Belvoir Castle Christmas 2007

2007-12-07T01:43:00.000-08:00

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I just love going to Belvoir Castle - as can be seen from my web page.
However, it has only been possible to visit this lovely place at Christmas relatively recently and it was an opportunity too good to miss.
Even on a damp and windy day I was amused to find the approach to the castle was enhanced by the welcome from a bagpipe player (see my video)
The Castle was spectacularly decorated and I really liked the fact that all the local schools had been heavily involved, and a very job they'd done too.

Once inside it was time to head to the really excellent resturant for a meal before going on a most interesting tour - which was set at just the right level to keep everyone really interested.

Being a Christmas event there were loads of special events going on - in fact it was impossible to particiapte in everything. We were fortunate to arrive in the beautiful Picture Gallery just as the very talented bellringers from Grantham began their performance, and really excellent it was too. Surrounded by paintings by just artists as Holbein and Stubbs it was an incredible experience.

What I really like about Belvoir is the really friendly, chatty staff - not something you find everywhere, but for me at least, this personal touch really enhances a visit and makes it into something special.