An autumnal wander at Belton

After a pretty dismal and completely non-inspiring stop at a motorway services on our trip to West Sussex I was pleased when MOH suggested a detour to the Belton Estate on our return trip. While we stopped earlier on the journey back, we just took a quick break and avoided repeating the previous McAwful experience (something that tasted bland, yet was overly peppery at the same time!), and let’s face it a National Trust cheese scone, pot of tea and a slice of cake would always be a much more preferable option.

Plus we got the chance to properly stretch our legs, the sun was out and it was too good an opportunity to waste. And if I was lucky I’d be able to have a nose around the orangery and see how that had changed since my last visit, and see how it was faring in a different season.

Unfortunately my luck was out, as the orangery was closed for the day - ah well, as Belton is just thirty minutes from home it gives me the perfect excuse to head back another day, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Of course, that didn’t stop me peering into through the glass though as you can see taking photos was pretty futile - though I kind of like the effect, but only for a photo or two!

All was not lost though as Belton still has plenty of beautiful gardens (and a large estate) to explore, but we were only here for a short journey-breaker this time, so treated ourselves to a wander around the area at the back of the orangery where the roses grow up the walls, and there’s medlar trees in the quadrants.

It’s also an area of the gardens which have some intricate topiary designs, which you know I’m also keen on.

It’s probably a part of the garden I overlook in my keenness to check out the orangery, so that being closed for the day was really no bad thing. Next time I’ll be sure to head for this bench so I can admire the exterior of the orangery as much as the inside!

With the orangery and the small walled garden behind it checked out, we headed to a golden tree which had caught our eye as soon as we entered the garden with its leaves appearing to burn against the bluest of skies.

The leaves seemed to ‘burn brighter’ the closer we got to the tree.

Isn’t it gorgeous?

Google tells me this is a tulip tree and with the, what I presume are, flower heads it’s easy to believe this suggestion. Looking again, it tells me that the tulip tree is part of the magnolia family and again I can see the likeness with the bud/flower head. Either way, it’s a beautiful tree and such a beautiful colour - there wasn’t a tree around it that had the same vibrancy.

There really isn’t anywhere better to wander on a bright autumnal day - let’s hope there’s more days like this to come.

Walking East Stoke's Lanes: August 2024

It’s still later than I hoped, but much less late than last month’s post - the photos in this post are from a couple of walks, one to the pub in Elston on our way to steak night, and the second later in the month further along our usual walking route of Moor Lane.

I don’t remember seeing teasels in flower before, though I’m sure I must have, but seeing these only just in flower made me think how such a delicately coloured flower can conceal such a prickly inner!

MOOR LANE

Along the bridleway/path to Elston there were clear signs that summer was soon be done - the sloes, or are they damsons, the blackberries - we never did get back to pick any this year, and most of all the rosehips with their jewel-like berries being restrained by the fencing.

It’s lovely to watch the changing of the seasons, but it seems a little early this year - and I’m still in denial today!

As we left the path and walked along the lane to Elston I was pleased to see what is I think one of my favourite views in our new area - and I was even more pleased when I saw how I’d symmetrically captured this shot.

HEADING TOWARDS ELSTON

A few days later we headed back along Moor Lane again, this time it was the seed heads of these cow parsley which caught my attention, getting ready to disperse their seeds far and wide I’m sure.

The newly laid hedgerows had been growing well all summer, and it’s easy to see how well in the photo below.

It wasn’t long before we reached our turning point of the bridge, and after a few moments to see how the view had changed this month - a freshly ploughed field and a mown edge - we turned and headed back towards East Stoke.

It really is a glorious place to live, and to observe how the seasons and farming and the local landscape change throughout the year.

Thanks for joining me this month, hopefully I’ll be back to sharing the next instalment around the third week of the month, but in the meantime if you enjoyed this post you may also like some previous series where I revisit the same place - there’s my year in Greenwich Park and remember that time when I followed a tree?

Walking East Stoke's lanes: July 2024

I’m still half chuckling about the newly tarmac-ed verges from my June update, but only half chuckling in despair more than anything. However, my July update is here - and later than usual, and for no good reason I can think of right now, other than it just never happened before now.

The hedgerows and verges were alive with colour as you’d expect from a summer month - I need to identify some of the plants I’ve included here, and while my phone suggests this might be lesser burdock, I’m not sure and I don’t trust what it’s telling me for the second photo at all. However both had great form and structure and the camera has captured these well.

It was great to walk alongside the crops whilst walking across the Red Gutter path, though I suspect they had some more growing to do after these photos was taken.

For the first time we walked further along the river to find the weir having heard of its existence on a local Facebook group - and it wasn’t that far from where we’d walked on previous outings, just along rather than up. It was suitably signposted and behind barbed wire, as it should be.

Retracing our steps, again we decided on another first for us as the weather was so good. Instead of heading up towards the Fosse Road we double backed on ourselves along the river path and past where the Red Gutter path brings us out. It looked as if we would be able to walk all the way along the river, up to Church Lane which is also one of our regular walks from home. And if we couldn’t then we’d turn back and work it out which of our usual routes we’d take if we needed to.

As it turned out we didn’t need to, though as we entered this wooded area we were less sure, but soon enough the path opened up into a field of golden crops.

The haw berries were already making their presence felt, alongside the poppies growing in the golden crops.

Next we walked past masses of these pretty and almost orchid-like flowers - it’s another one that I’m not sure I’m trusting my phone on, but the phone says it’s a Policeman’s Helmet, which is an invasive species. I’m not sure, but if you know I’d be pleased if you could share.

And then we were back at the end of Church Lane, the small wooden jetty which we’d first spotted last month was out of sight again, but now we know it’s there we knew where to look.

This view as we headed back to the village is one that never fails to make my heart sing, well in the dry weather anyway!

Thanks for joining me this month, I’ll be back to sharing the next instalment around the third week of the month, but in the meantime if you enjoyed this post you may also like some previous series where I revisit the same place - there’s my year in Greenwich Park and remember that time when I followed a tree?