Secret Gardens of Bridlington Old Town

I have often browsed in the art galleries and antique shops in the narrow streets of Bridlington Old Town with its Georgian terrace houses which give directly onto the pavement.  Little did I imagine the  delights of the secret gardens to be found at the back of the buildings. 

 

The twenty plus gardens are open to the public once a year for charity and this is just a sample of what was to be found.

 This yard was full of various breeds of geese, ducks and hens

 There was interest at every turn in this garden with its attractive summer house (see below)

 A narrow path opened up into this huge garden with a fine view of the church, which an artist was drawing

 Just room for one at a time on this garden path

 The owner of this garden is a stonemason.  he had a fine collection of old, carved stone from various sources.  We were invited to try our hand at it.

 Sometimes you believe you know a neighbourhood quite well but you can be surprised!

Lincolnshire Gardens

Our gardening group recently visited three wonderful gardens in Lincolnshire.  I loved all three but my absolute favourite was Mill Farm.
http://gardenersfridayforum.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/three-gardens-in-lincolnshire.html

Circular walk Market Weighton to Goodmanham, East Yorkshire

The walk began at Market Weighton, a small market town in East Yorkshire at the foot of the Yorkshire Wolds.  The town is the birthplace of William Bradley in 1787, Britain's tallest recorded man at 7 ft 9 ins, who was exhibited around the country in a freak show.

The area has many paths, some being former railway lines, but locals were able to point us in the right direction to the village of Goodmanham, where we ate our picnic lunch.  However, had we known about the pub, the Goodmanham Arms, and the cafe, The Fiddle Drill, we wouldn’t have bothered carrying food and drink with us. 

 There is also the 12^th century All Hallows church which is said to have been built on the site of a pagan temple and a microbrewery of the same name.

We returned along yet another disused railway track with interesting benches, sculptures and an ancient well dedicated to St Helen. Next to the well is a tree with different coloured ribbons tied to it, said to bring good luck and good health to the person offering a portion of cloth. I had nothing with me that I could attach.

A walk through Londesborough Park

A stroll along the Yorkshire Wolds Way took us through Londesborough Park.  For those of you who are not familiar with this National Trail, The Wolds Way actually stretches over 79 miles, so a fraction of it was covered on this occasion.  The trail does cross stunning landscapes, so you may see more of it on my blog over time.

Londesborough Hall itself is not open to the public, but from the footpath which goes live through the estate, it is possible to catch glimpses of the Hall and imagine what it was like to live there many centuries ago.

For more of its history:

http://www.parksandgardens.org/places-and-people/site/2141/history

 

National Gardening Week 10 - 16 April 2017

Are you planning a project in your garden or to visit a garden during National Gardening Week?
This week, I'm hoping to visit a Himalyan garden in North Yorkshire and have other visits lined up including a day trip to visit gardens in Lincolnshire later in the year.  
I'll leave you with a couple of gardening quotes I like:  "Gardening isn't my whole life but it makes my life whole" "Gardening forever, housework whenever" and a link to the blog of my gardening club
http://gardenersfridayforum.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/mini-spring-show.html

Hull; City of Culture 2017

It has been a long time since I last visited Hull so, as it is this year’s City of Culture, I decided pay it a visit.

First stop was to see the installation Weeping Window by Paul Cummins (artist) an Tom Piper (designer).  Using thousands of handmade, ceramic poppies, the stunning art work is on the Maritime Museum, formerly Hull’s Dock Offices.  Many ‘Pals’ battalions joined up in Hull in World War I and Hull suffered many raids in World War II.

Inside the museum, many interesting exhibits were to be found from Hull’s maritime history.

Opposite the museum in Queen Victoria Square is the Ferens Art Gallery, which has recently been refurbished.  It has an extensive collection of paintings and sculptures, including works by European Old Masters and various exhibitions have been scheduled throughout the year.

 Old and new Hull

 Humber Dock

 Top of the range leisure crafts

 Old warehouses are now upmarket bars and bistros

 The Deep is in the background

The Docks area has certainly changed since Dockside, Hull was painted by John Atkinson Grimshaw in 1882.  Hull may have lost most of its fishing and shipping industries, but the area is vibrant with its impressive shopping centres, bistros and bars.

The old features of Hull are still to be seen too

 Paragon Arcade

 

It was a wonderful visit – all for free - and it won’t be my last this year.