Packwood House

We said goodbye to Charlecote Park and went on to Packwood House, another National Trust property nearby.  These two were ready to continue adventuring, not without the drama of hugs one minute and practically boxing each other's ears the next! I've just noticed that Mr J has apparently caught on to Lefty's style of wearing his socks.  

Packwood House was originally built in the 16th century but is very altered from its original design, as  a timber framed building.  It was restored in the 1920s and 1930s and filled with unusual collections of tapestries, furniture, and more eccentric items.

This tapestry, "Africa", is just one of the many tapestries collected by Packwood House's last owner, Graham Baron Ash.  It had a twin hanging nearby, "America", but this was stolen in the early 1990s by intrepid thieves, as we were told by our informative house guide.

There's just something about this blue and white tiled bathroom that I love.  Perhaps it's merely the late afternoon sunbeams; it's quite possible that it's very ordinary and not impressive at all in the morning without the sun.

Through the arch...

... and out into the sunshine on the other side.  Further, beyond this Carolean Garden, is the Yew Garden.  It's an unusual grouping of giant yew trees, apparently a representation of the Sermon on the Mount, trimmed very particularly.  It's quite impressive and awe-inspiring, especially after hearing that it takes a team of gardeners 2 1/2 months to cut the yew trees once a year, but we were tired, and the camera's battery had given up. A minor toilet accident was had and numerous misunderstandings stumbled through, and it was time to encourage our crew back to the car, sufficiently steeped in enough National Trust country houses to keep us going for another few weeks.

Charlecote Park

Today we National Trusted our way to Shakespeare's County --that's Warwickshire-- and visited Charlecote Park.  Apparently the Bard was caught poaching on this estate belonging to Sir Thomas Lucy before making his fortune in London, later immortalising Sir Thomas as the fussy Justice Shallow in The Merry Wives of Windsor.  Or so legend has it.

That's an edition of the 1632 Second Folio --protected by glass-- upon which Coo is casually resting her arm.  Apparently it was the done thing for all prominent Warwickshire families, proud of their association with Shakespeare, to own a copy of the 1623 First Folio, but the Lucy family of Charlecote Park had to make do with a Second Folio due to financial constraints.

The Lucy family have lived at Charlecote [in an earlier home] since the twelfth century.  Sir Edmund Fairfax Lucy still occupies a wing of the present sixteenth-century house with his family, though it is owned and administrated by the National Trust.

Dan, Lefty, and Righty are currently reading through the spy novels of John Buchan, and I happened to notice this lovely photograph of the mother of the present baronet, identifying her as the daughter of John Buchan!  The place immediately held a new charm for the older two lads and I think they might have slipped into spy-world for the duration of our visit.

My favourite room was the library.  Isn't it lovely?  Apparently, it's one of the finest libraries in the care of the National Trust.  It boasts a finely illuminated late 14th-century Book of Hours, and an early 16th-century manuscript copy of Machiavelli's The Prince.  Of course, I was more impressed to see the above group of well-worn Jane Austen novels, and can't help but wonder if they are first editions.

I was trying to capture Coo here but she ran, and I ended up with a selfie and her elbow.  She stood still for me here, among the shadows.

Below is a writ of summons to the Barebones Parliament, signed by Oliver Cromwell, sent to Richard Lucy, the owner of the house in 1653.

That's the River Avon there, and they are looking at dragonflies and tiny minnows.  Under closer observation, their clothing choices are fascinating.  Mr J appears to be on African safari, while Lefty is clearly under the impression that stripes do indeed go with plaid and socks are meant to be pulled up quite high.  Righty looks very relaxed in bare feet, with his prized, much-loved hat perched on his head.  Coo also dressed herself, with a black dress and cardigan, red footless tights, and her flowered blue hat. What you can't see in this picture are the binoculars that they were carrying, and used to look at everything.  Guides in the house.  Portraits on the walls.  Faraway cows in fields.  Dragonflies.  Planes flying overhead. Birds. Me, occasionally. They do know how to distinguish themselves in their enthusiasm for a day out.

Sudbury Hall and the Museum of Childhood

This Saturday adventure to a National Trust home had been planned for a long time.  Accompanied by our friends Steve and Teresa and their daughters Lizzie and Alice, it turned out to be a lovely, fun-filled afternoon.  Sunshine shone strongly all day, and it was hot enough to be thankful for the cooler indoors of the hall at Sudbury, in Derbyshire.  

After a picnic and plenty of time running about on the lawn, Coo waited patiently for the doors of the hall to open so we could have a look around.

Meanwhile the lads and dad, who were joined by a small Davy Crockett, explored the stonework  of the house.

Once inside, we first noticed the enormous entrance hall.  I love the fireplace but have to confess I'm not keen on the peachy pink wall colour!

This was the family's smaller downstairs dining room, put to use after they shut up the grander rooms of the house when in reduced circumstances in the early twentieth century.  Davy Crockett is displaying his "famous toothy grin"!

Behold the enviably lovely kitchen...

Sudbury Hall was used in filming the interiors of Pemberley in the BBC's 1995 Pride and Prejudice mini-series. Fans might recognise the impressive Long Gallery, its walls lined with portraits of family members and connections from long ago, like an oversized family photo album.

I loved this Victorian-era library, hidden away between some of the more impressive rooms. It's difficult to see in the photo, but there in the corner is a winding iron staircase leading up to a narrow balcony that wraps around three walls of the room, creating a little second floor of bookcases. 

Above and below is the Queen's Room. This vibrantly toned room was used as the infamous "Red Room" where a young Jane Eyre is imprisoned by her abusive aunt, in the Masterpiece Theatre's 2006 version of Jane Eyre.

We have visited so many country houses in England that I'm beginning to recognise the names of these prolific families, and remember their connections.  Sudbury Hall was the home of the Vernon family, who were incredibly wealthy.  They also owned nearby Haddon Hall, which is on our list of places to see in the near future.

Next, we visited the National Trust Museum of Childhood, which is housed in the nineteenth-century servants' wing.  The children had a great time, and so did we!  I enjoyed recognising toys from my own childhood, and perusing the huge collections of playthings from the past. [A slightly disturbing facet of the above photo is that I'm starting to look like one of the kids!]

The museum contains seven permanent galleries, with the themes of Outdoor Adventure, Work, Home, School, Babies, Stories and Imagination, and Toys.  There was something to do in every room, which the kids loved.

We were all very tired at the end of the day, but visiting Sudbury --and the museum-- was definitely worth it, as was the time spent with good friends!

Middlesbrough

I've been spelling it Middlesborough.  It's the northern accent; they pronounce it as if it has an "o" between the b and the r, but it doesn't, and I've just found that out.  Oh well.  You learn something new every day.

James, who's been living with us this year, is from Middlesbrough, and when he suggested that we plan a weekend trip to visit his family and friends, the kids jumped on the idea excitedly.  I have been looking forward to going on this weekend adventure too; though we tried to explain to the boys that Middlesbrough is just another town like ours, albeit much closer to the sea.  This didn't rain on their parade at all.

We drove up north via York and arrived in Middlesbrough at tea time.  James' parents cooked us a yummy meal which was substantial enough for our hungry little horde, and then we managed to get the kids in bed.  They were bouncing off the walls with excitement over staying in a new house and the thought of going to the beach the next morning.  Looking out at the grey sky, I wasn't sure how great a beach day it was going to be.  Fortunately, I was wrong, and our day out at Saltburn-by-the-Sea was bright and beautiful.

We had the first lazy morning we've had in a long time on Father's Day Sunday, eating delicious pancakes made by James and his sister Hannah.  The four kids played happily most of the morning with James' old toys: a set of Playmobil pirates, complete with a ship and treasure island; and Star Wars Legos.

The remainder of the day was spent down the road with generous newfound friends.  We ate a delicious dinner and enjoyed meeting many new people. The boys played with Legos and Coo loved these Sylvanian Families toys.

After food, we went to Preston Park where everyone played, even the grown-ups.

The kids were very busy with new friends and new toys --always a good combination for adults who'd like to sit back and drink coffee together --at least until it was time to go home.  Then a sort of hide-and-seek ensued.  Daddy always wins, though, and eventually we walked back to the house and didn't have to wait long until our little people were asleep.  They were exhausted, and still are!

Monday morning saw us saying goodbye to James and his family, and driving through Yorkshire for a day full of adventures at Fountains Abbey and the Brontë Parsonage Museum. We drove home in the light evening through the Peak District.

Twilight didn't really fall fully until we'd arrived home an hour before midnight.  These long summer days are exhausting but beautiful, and certainly are a benefit when you're sightseeing.

We're so thankful for all the people who made our stay in Middlesbrough a fun and all-too-short trip: James, Helen and Chris, Hannah, Tom, and the Alberti family.

Fountains Abbey

We left Middlesborough this morning, planning to drive over to Keighley and then make our way to Haworth to visit the Brontë Parsonage Museum.  

Before we reached Ripon, we saw signs for a few National Trust places and decided to make a quick stop at Fountains Abbey after we noticed that it was also a World Heritage site.

Our quick stop turned into a three hour adventure! 

The grounds contain the ruins of a Cistercian Abbey, built nearly a thousand years ago.  The abbey was a thriving community until Henry VIII ordered the Dissolution of the Monasteries, when he took charge of the English church, cut ties with Rome and immediately began lining his royal pockets with the extensive wealth belonging to the Catholic churches and monasteries. Monasteries had their roofs removed to prevent the monks from returning, so Fountains Abbey's roof is now the sky --beautiful!

Today the ruins are just one part of a royal park that also encompasses an impressive water garden, a deer park, St Mary's church, Fountains Hall, and a kids' play area.  We saw it all at frenetic pace, and fell into the car exhausted afterwards, to eat our lunch.  I don't think peanut butter and jam rice cakes, water, and apples have ever tasted better!