A Grand Day Out to Baddesley Clinton

Wednesday was such a lovely day.  N and I were both at home so we decided to go out for the afternoon.  We were setting out quite late so didn't want to venture too far and were tempted by what we had read about the Priest Holes at Baddesley Clinton.    Baddesley Clinton is a National Trust property almost on our doorstep although neither of us had been there before.   

The house is beautiful.   I find a lot of the larger stately homes rather overwhelming and uncomfortable looking;  as a person who almost constantly feels cold, I am always conscious about how unpleasant it would be to live in a house with enormous rooms and no central heating.   Baddesley Clinton though was the perfect size.  Lovely well proportioned rooms, warm wood panelling  and comfy furnishings.   A fire was lit in the sitting room and it was so warm and cozy in there that I sat in one of the armchairs and was tempted to take 40 winks.

 

 

There is a very beautiful private chapel in the upstairs of the house and we saw the Priest Holes that the house is famous for.  Of course, as is the case with National Trust  properties there was a very good café and we had a lovely late lunch.   I definitely recommend the fruit crumble and custard!

 



A Week In View

My cactus (Rhipsalis grandiflora) is in flower.   This is exciting for me because although I've had it for a few years, this is the first time it has flowered. 

I am making some wrap around aprons to wear while I'm cooking or doing my chores around the house.  They are such useful garments; I remember my grandma and my mum always started off in the  morning by putting a "housecoat" or "pinny" over their clothes to protect them and keep them clean.  I suppose the "pinny" has fallen out of favour (except for those horrible joke ones with pictures of the bits of anatomy we normally keep private) because the jobs we do around the home are less dirty now than in days gone by.   I remember my grandma black-leading the range, polishing  brass and stoning the front step.  Looking after a home in those days was hard physical work.  At the risk of sounding ancient, I also remember the copper boiler in the kitchen, laundry blue and the mangle, all of which were part of the weekly laundry routine.  Without the convenience of a washing machine, modern washing detergents and easily washable clothing, mum and grandma wanted to keep their clothes clean for as long as possible, hence the "pinny".

I have modern household appliances and have never black-leaded anything in my life (it was always too messy a job for me to help mum and grandma with) but I am going to take a leaf out of their books by covering up my nice clothes with my wrap around apron

Friday was a cold frosty day perfect for a day out, so N and I went on a visit to Raglan Castle.  We spent a couple of hours having a good look around and then had our picnic.   I love a picnic and even Sainsbury's mushroom soup and some crusty bread tasted special when eaten outside.  After eating we drove into Monmouth, which is a lovely little town and one I want to go back to soon to have a proper look around.

A Grand Day Out - Hanbury Hall

N and I were both off work so we decided that we would take the opportunity to go out for the day to get some fresh air and exercise. We both love the Worcestershire countryside at this time of the year and, as it would be dark at about 4 o'clock, thought we'd stay local to admire what can be found on our doorstep. The weather was not promising with showers and high winds forecast so mostly indoors rather than outdoors was preferred.

Hanbury Hall is one of the few grand houses open to the public during the week before Christmas so we decided to go there for a stroll around the gardens and park (as much as the weather would allow) and to have a look inside the house.

As the photograph shows the house is beautiful, built in 1701 by the Vernon family. The National Trust have restored the interior to the William & Mary period; there are some terrific wall and ceiling paintings in the hall and staircase, and some very fine furniture. Sadly the upstairs was closed so we only got to see the downstairs rooms. The house was decorated ready for Christmas so it was all very atmospheric.

We had a long stroll around the gardens, which have also been restored by the National Trust. It was cold and showery so we retired to the tea room rather than exploring the park, but I would like to go back again to take the walk from the park up to Hanbury church.