Wentworth Castle Gardens

The weather forecast looked good, so we planned a trip out. Our season ticket to Wentworth Castle Gardens runs out soon.

The grounds looked slightly spooky!

This is 'Earls seat'. A stunning view point, but not today.

Thomas Wentworth called his mansion a castle. But it was not a real medieval castle, so in the late 1720's he built a motte and bailey castle at the highest point of his estate.

This is how it would have looked originally.

You can climb the restored castle, start at the bottom of the dragon's tail and follow it to the top...

There are national collections of Rhododendrons, Magnolias and Camellias.

They are just starting to come into bloom.

Although we couldn't enjoy the magnificent views today, I think it made us enjoy and see things closer at hand.

I loved this bracket fungus.

This is the winter garden, it first appeared on the restoration programme ten years ago. Funding has at last been secured to renovate it. Next month it will be taken down. It will return next year and open to visitors in Summer 2013.

It was built for William Thomas Vernon Wentworth.

When it was first built it was described as 'fairy like in nature'.

Finally the promised fine weather arrived.
Time for a quick go on the playground.

Back in our own garden...

Geoff and Rosanna planted potatoes.

and I did more weeding and pruning!