As I was cycling from Cambridge to Ely, I passed Wicken Fen. I hadn’t realised I’d be doing this when plotting the route. However, it was no accident, since NCN Route 11 includes a section called The Lodes Way. This little route was put together by Sustrans and National Trust and links Wicken Fen to Anglesey Abbey, a place I would be visiting the following day. Of course, since it was lunchtime when I arrived, I started off by having…
For Sarah’s birthday this year, we opted for an overnight stay in Bakewell. On the way, we decided to pop into Chatsworth House. It was a long time since either of us had last been there. It is quite expensive to visit the house and gardens, but thankfully there is plenty to see and do to make the ticket purchase worthwhile. We started with a cuppa in the old stableyards. Then moved on to the house. Everything about this house…
Sarah and I have been combining a working site visit to Syston alongside an opportunity to visit friends. Today we were returning home. However, before we returned home we took the opportunity to visit the Wimpole Estate near Cambridge. We started at the stables by having a cuppa. From there we moved on to the Parterre or Dutch garden in front of the house. This was an area lost for centuries but restored in the 1990s. Next, we moved on…
Sarah and I were enjoying a short break in Leicestershire. Well … I was enjoying a break. Sarah was working away. On our second day, while Sarah went back to Syston, I took the opportunity to visit Calke Abbey in Derbyshire. The house didn’t open until after 12, so I took the opportunity to have a look around some of the estate. I began by following a path that led up to St Giles Church, which is situated within the…
While on a circular cycle ride from Syston to Rothley, I passed Stoneywell, a National Trust property. I decided to take a look around. The cottage is difficult to find. Indeed, the only way in is by hopping on to the shuttle bus from the nearby car park. You are strongly advised to book a tour place in advance if you wish to look around the house. Though there are gardens and woodlands you can walk around as well, the…
