" Burghley House and Grounds "

Date & start time: Friday 27th January 2012 12.30 pm start.

Location of Start : The car park at Burghley House, Lincolnshire, Uk. ( TF 051 063 )

Places visited : Burghley House and grounds, Stamford.

Walk details : A local walk around the grounds, 3 hrs including lunch.

Walked with : Angie, Jenna, Ann and the dogs, Bailey, Harry and Bethan.

Weather : Blue skies and sunshine but definitely gloves weather.

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Today, we meet up with our daughter Jenna and four of us enjoy a walk around the grounds of Burghley House just outside Stamford.   A sunny walk, local deer herd, a sculpture garden and finally lunch completes our short visit to Angie and David's at Castle Bytham. - - - o o o - - -   But I get ahead of myself . . . . This was the signboard at the car park where we all met up. Late January is the winter season and the house and the Gardens of Surprise are closed, but the rest of the grounds are open for folk to wonder around.

Picture of folk wondering around . . .

Jenna, myself and Angie with Bethan, Harry and Bailey.

The magnificent looking Burghley House.

Angie says it is as beautiful inside as it appears to be from out here.

It has been the preferred location of many period costume dramas on film and TV.

A grand set of gates in the perimeter fence.   - - - o o o - - -       There's always one isn't there !   This is Ann.   She was missing from the previous photo.     - - - o o o - - -

This is a Haw Haw.

Not "a loud, boisterous laugh" but a "boundary or marker set in a ditch"

The wall is designed to keep animals (and people) off the lawns and is virtually invisible when viewed from the main house

Some trees grow tall, others live a more horizontal existence.

Walking away from the house we arrived at The Lion Bridge which has been built across the ornamental lake.

Recent landscaping work has opened the bridge to view but they are currently repairing the fence, hence the temporary wooden supports.

One of the lions of Lion Bridge.

There's a fine view of the house from here . . . and presumably vice versa.

The opposite side of the bridge.

The shallow nature of the lake at this point allows the Burghley Horse Trial events to cross the lake with spectacular effect.

At the far end of the Deer Park is the Jubilee Plantation created to mark the jubilee of Queen Victoria's reign.

Her reign went on to last a record 63 years and 7 months as the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

Our present Queen Elizabeth also celebrates a Jubilee this year but it is for a mere 60 years on the throne.   Do you think . . . a) . . . someone will plant a Jubilee Woodland for her b) . . . she's counting down the next 3 years, 7 months and a day ?

We walk around the perimeter of the Deer Park and head back towards the car.

The dogs are on the lead because there are lots of deer about . . . naturally.

This is a domesticated herd so they are well used to people passing.

They take an interest but are not overly worried as we approach.

These are Fallow Deer

intermediate in size between roe and the red deer.

An absolute delight to get up close and photograph them.

Later we saw the males (bucks) grazing separately.

There are four main variations of coat which usually have the characteristic white spots.

. . . but not always !	Walking back we pass these mistletoe covered trees.

Back towards the main house . . . as seen through the Sweet Chestnut trees.

The Gardens of Surprise is closed during winter but the rest of the Sculpture Garden is open so we leave the dogs in the car and walk across.   To download a copy of the Gardens leaflet please click here or on the image opposite.

The Ice House . . . not a sculpture but a practical addition to the collection of buildings at Burghley.

It used to store ice for use in the kitchens of the main house.

Inside was a light sculpture that lit up the inside store.	One of my favourites, right at the start . . . The Shaft of Light

This sculpture was a set of nylon chords arranged to emulate the rays of the sun.

Mike Kenny's sculpture . . . "Like Milk Spilt upon a stone"	. . . the wheel shape changed dramatically as you pass by.

Rick Kirby ~ Vertical Face 1	A very subtle Vertical Face 2 across the way . . . can you spot it ?

Not all beautiful things were sculptured by humans.

Numerous metal rods are bent to form an arch into the next part of the garden.

At the top of the slope, the other end of the Deer Park lake that we walked alongside earlier.

The Boat House taken from the embankment.

A tubular globe by Julian Wild	This looks like a Derwent Bay Bear.

The sun catches on this arrangements of reflective discs	Denis O’Connor's ~ Tower 4

Sophie Dickens ~ Balance	Two of the three wooden sculptures high in the trees.

You could pass by and miss them if you were not paying attention . . . and that would be your loss !

- - - o o o - - -

The grand courtyard and the back of the main stable buildings.

The Orangery.

Classically a large warm glass-fronted house that would enable the garden staff to grow oranges and other sub-tropical fruit indoors.

Now it is set out as a rather nice restaurant, the south facing windows letting in the warming light of the sun as planned.

What you can't see , but which filled the air, was the wonderful scent of the hyacinths set on each table.

A tempting display next to the serving counter.

Soup and a filled and toasted panini will do nicely.

Thanks to the gentleman of the restaurant . . . a complete picture of the four of us is always better than one with somebody missing.

- - - o o o - - -

Technical note: Pictures taken with either Ann's Fuji Finepix Compact or my Canon G10/1100D camera.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

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Previous walk - 26th January 2012 Wansford's Nene Way with Angie

A previous time up here - 7th August 2010 Clipsham's Yew Tree Avenue

Next walk - 28th January 2012 Camberley and a Party