Sunday was a beautiful day. The sun was shining. It was reasonably warm for the time of year and it was my birthday. To celebrate we went for a walk in a nearby National Trust parkland, Berrington Hall, where a new route has been created through the broadleaf-woodland, followed by coffee and cake in the courtyard with live music from a folk group celebrating the apple harvest and a last lingering stroll around the walled garden and orchard simply dripping with apples of all colours and sizes. Care to join me?
We decided to follow the blue route but cut alongside the lake and then follow the yellow route to cut across and join the blue one again. Although we have visited Berrington many times, it has always been during the period when the lake walk is closed due to grey herons nesting there between March and July.
Looking back towards the house, built in 1775 by Thomas Harley and designed by Henry Holland in the latest French influenced Neo-classical style.
The park, which has spectacular views west towards Wales and the Black Mountains, was developed by the infamous ‘Capability’ Brown, father-in-law to Henry Holland.
Sheep are always to be found in the surrounding pasture land.
Many types of water birds visit the lake at different times of the year, including mute swans, great crested and little grebe, grey-legged geese and a number of species of duck.
The pair of swans suddenly rise above the water and with a whooping sound they stretch out their long necks and flap their wide wings and glide elegantly to another section of the lake.
Leaving the lake behind we headed up towards a convenient bench at the top of the hill and then turned left and back into the woodland.
The native woodland is full of shadows and patterns as the sun dips behind the clouds now forming in the west. The tap-tap of an invisible woodpecker disturbs the silence and small leaves slowly descend upon our heads like a golden snowstorm, whilst the ominous thud of falling nuts causes us to grin nervously.
Once out of the woodland and back across the field the landscape opens up again with views towards Croft Ambrey an Iron Age hill fort.
And directly in front of us the west front of the mansion can be seen in all its splendour. A young girl merrily performing cartwheels on the lawn, the ha-ha forming a boundary between the house and the park (the installation of a ha-ha prevented the livestock in the park -cattle, deer, sheep- from encroaching on the more elegant and refined part of your estate.)
Music in the courtyard, with the faint tang of apple cider in the air.
I’ll leave the walled garden and the orchard for another day, but I hope you have enjoyed your stroll in the Herefordshire countryside.
If you enjoy a walk, long or short, then have a look at Jo’s site where you are welcome to join in.
TRAVEL WORDS 
Amazing clarity of light and delicious autumn colour. I love that path strewn with golden leaves, and the three circles, and your nervousness about nuts. Why infamous Capability Brown?
infamous as in notorious / popular / well-known rather than dishonourable. Have you ever been hit on the head by falling nuts? It hurts!
No. I’ve only been rained on by a deluge of small berries. I wouldn’t have laughed if you’d been hit. I developed coconut phobia in NQ
Ah, but they are BIG nuts!
Happy happy birthday! What a gorgeous place to spend it 🙂
I’d rather it have been the Cape Point Reserve, but beggars can’t be choosers 😉
Nah, it’s cold and windy here at the moment 🙂
No, that won’t do! I’ll stay where I am for the moment then 😉
I was told to expect rain but the weatherman lied. There was a light drizzle then sunshine and today was glorious, so pack your bags 🙂
Happy belated birthday, dearest Jude! Nature put on quite a display in your honor 😀 we ooh and ahh over the vibrant trees but it’s the grasses that capture my heart – their turns to rusts, purples and golds are exquisite. I’m glad you posted them since I haven’t dug through my recent photos to get them into a post. Also love the trio of berry photos.
I also adore the grasses. We don;t get a lot of prairie style planting over here, but some of the bigger gardens incorporate it in their borders. The reeds here were tinged with orange, which looked beautiful from a distance. Thank you for the birthday wishes Sammy, the years are passing far too quickly though!
They sure are!! Whizzing by.
I was surprised to see many more grass varities in Michigan landscaping on my visit. Obviously they are being cultured to thrive in more grow zones which spreads theur use and beauty beyond previous limitations.
This seems to me a delightful way to spend a birthday – sunshine, fresh air, beautiful vistas and snacks at the end of a lovely walk! You have some great English countryside photos here.
I live in a very rural county surrounded by beautiful countryside so I am very lucky.
Yes you are and thank you for sharing😊
What a lovely way to spend your birthday Jude, even the weather was worth celebrating. You have really caught the beauty of the English countryside with the warm touch of the autumn colours, the lake, the sheep and the falling leaves as you walked us through the woods all beautiful. If I came back for a visit I would come in autumn.
Yes, Herefordshire is typical pastoral scenery. Lots of sheep and tractors… 😉
A lovely walk Jude, glad I could join you.
Glad you could come along 🙂
I enjoyed this walk very much, thank you for inviting us. It’s always lovely to have a walk on a bright day, and to finish with coffee and cake and music sounds ideal to me. 🙂
I only wish NT places could make really GOOD coffee …sigh!
Actually you are right – and I realise now why I tend to stick to tea, or peppermint tea!
This is a wonderful photo series for a virtual walk. It must have been magical hearing the music from across the lawn getting louder as you got closer. That bench at the top of the hill also sounds like a wonderful place to rest and meditate.
Thanks for joining me Iris. It is a lovely spot in the Herefordshire countryside. Very peaceful.