I left you during my last post on
Belsay Hall at the Grecian mansion. As we left here, we headed out into the gardens. These are Grade I listed, so we were expecting something beautiful.
Just outside the house are some beautiful beds surrounded by privet hedges with gravel paths with some very well tended shrubs. We chatted to one of the gardeners and you could tell he loved his job!
Again, Sir Charles Monck was responsible for shaping the landscape as it largely appears today, following a wild naturalistic look rather than a conventional landscape. He used the quarry on site for the stone to build the Hall and so what was left, became the quarry gardens.
It felt rather like entering the secret garden when we left the main gardens and headed into the quarry gardens.
We saw a great variety of plants and much as I hate mushrooms, I was intrigued to photograph these toadstools up close.
The rugged, towering walls of the quarry gardens were very impressive making one feel Lilliputian in size.
Sir Charles' grandson, Sir Arthur Middleton was also a pioneering gardener and he extended the quarry garden adding exotic plants and further spaces as well as planting a rhodedendrum garden, a winter garden, Yew tree garden and Magnolia Terrace.
I couldn't help but feel these trees reminded me of a Doctor Who monster-
the SilenceI love these gargantuan plants. I always call them 'Giant Rhubarb' but my Mum insists they are called something else, which currently slips my mind!
We really enjoyed the gardens but the most exciting part was soon to follow...
..The Medieval castle!!!!
More anon.
xx
