I’ll let Jo explain: “It’s not a challenge, you see. Walking is one of the great pleasures of my life. Ever since I began my blog I have enjoyed introducing people to new places, and the walks are another way to do it. Many of them are local and well known to me in my north east of England home. Others are a bit more exotic. So, how does it work? Every week I will publish a walk on a Monday. If for any reason I can’t make it, I will let you know. When the walk is published, anyone is welcome to leave a link in my Comments, to any walk that they have taken. It doesn’t have to be on a Monday. It can be at any time and of any duration. The amount of detail/photos, etc. is up to you. Free and easy, you see?”
Whilst in Surrey over the early Spring Bank Holiday, I suggested that my daughter and I had a day out visiting Hever Castle and Gardens in Kent. It was a hot day so we didn’t have enough energy to stroll around the lake, nor did we visit the Tudor Garden with the topiary chess set! Two good reasons to return.
Dating back to the 14th century, Hever Castle was once the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII and Mother of Elizabeth I. It is well worth a visit especially of you are interested in Tudor history.
But for this post I am only exploring the beautiful gardens which were laid out between 1904 and 1908 by Joseph Cheal and Son. Until William Waldorf Astor bought Hever Castle in 1903, only a modest garden existed around the castle walls. One of the most magnificent areas of the gardens is the Italian Garden, which was designed to display William Waldorf Astor’s collection of Italian sculptures.
The impressive Loggia at the lake end of the garden is flanked by pillared colonnades and descends by balustrade steps to the piazza below with its classical sculpture inspired by the Trevi Fountain in Rome.The Italian Garden. Covering four acres, the long sweeping lawns and tall clipped yew hedges form the central area of this magnificent garden, bordered by two twelve foot high walls made from local stone.Along the south side runs the Pergola Walk with its shaded grottoes planted with ferns and moisture loving plants.Pergola WalkItalianate sculptureEntrance to the Pergola Walk and the Italian Garden with the stunning golden gatesOn the north side is the Pompeiian Wall which contains small bays showcasing antiquities in stone and marble enveloped with shrubs and climbing plants.Italianate sculptures and antiquities
In one of the recessed baysPompeiian WallHidden in the centre of the Italian Garden behind a tall hedge lies the Sunken Garden, an oasis of peace and quiet.Sunken GardenAt the beginning of May the gardens were full of tulips, irises and wisteria. The planting is stunning and there is so much to see. Far more than I can possibly put in one post.And to end, a glimpse of the lake from the Pavilion courtyard.
Then there is the Rose Garden, the setting for over 5,000 roses which flourish from June until the end of September. Yet one more reason to return.
The Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park, Surrey, is a 40 acre woodland garden set within a Victorian woodland plantation planted in the 1830’s. First opened to the public in 1953, it is best known for its evergreen azaleas, which line the ponds and streams and at their peak of flower in late April and early May.
My previous visit was in late August 2022 and the floral offerings were somewhat disappointing although it was still a lovely place for a walk. The timing was perfect this month though, as the long queue to the car park indicated.
Let’s take a walk and immerse ourselves in the glorious colours of this garden.
If you do visit Montreux, Switzerland then don’t spend all your time along the lakeside, beautiful though it is. A ten minute climb up above the lake you will find the Old Town with cobbled streets, beautiful buildings and panoramic views (even better when the fog isn’t hiding the Alps) and plenty of bistros for a coffee or glass of wine.
Don’t forget to look out for the many fountains fed by natural spring water, often with beautiful floral displays.
The streets and buildings boast steep winding lanes and pastel-painted houses. Stop at Montreux Museum for insight into town history.
Rue du Pont
Rue du Pont
Rue du Pont
Continue above the Old Town along Rue du Petit Chêne and you will find yourself among grape vines.
Views from the vineyard above Montreux
Grape Vines
From here you can walk to the St. Vincent temple where the views are also magnificent with Chillon Castle along the lakeside and yet more vineyards on the steep slopes.
St Vincent in the distance
Vineyards
Castle Chillon in the fog
St Vincent
The Old City is also the departure of beautiful walks. The trail to the wild Gorges du Chauderon leads along the Baye de Montreux River to Glion or Les Avants.
Over the Bank Holiday weekend I spent a couple of days visiting my daughter in Surrey. After a morning of gardening we decided to skip a visit to Wisley and instead head off to Richmond Park, one of the Royal Parks in London. It’s a place we’ve been to before when the grandchildren were small, but not for many years for me.
Isabella’s Plantation was a favourite spot with a pretty stream leading to a pond and stepping stones and tiny bridges for youngsters to enjoy, but it was rather disappointing to find it very overgrown with reeds, Greater Willow herb and Joe Pye Weed in particular. So much so that we couldn’t even see the stream and most of the ponds were hidden from view. I’m all for rewilding places, but they still require management and maintenance. However, it is still a popular place for families to find some peace and enjoy a picnic (relatively speaking as huge planes pass overhead constantly and the non-native ring-necked green parakeets screech above your head).
Isabella Plantation
Erica / Heather Garden
Lythrum salicaria / Purple Loosestrife
Greater Willowherb
Reed / Grass
Lythrum salicaria / Purple Loosestrife
Pickerel Weed (Pontederia cordata)
Erica
The Isabella Plantation is a 40 acre woodland garden set within a Victorian woodland plantation planted in the 1830’s. First opened to the public in 1953, it is best known for its evergreen azaleas, which line the ponds and streams and at their peak of flower in late April and early May. The site is managed very much with nature in mind and the gardens are run on organic principles. Native plants commonly grow alongside exotics throughout the Plantation. [source: Isabella Plantation]
I think spring time is probably the best season to visit this garden as there are many camellias and rhododendrons and azaleas planted and the native stuff would have died down over the winter.
Peg’s Pond Gate
We exited through Peg’s Pond Gate and walked around the perimeter of the garden under the large trees – oaks, beech, horse chestnuts – enjoying the filtered light and listening to the parakeets. It must have been a welcome shady place to be during the heatwave.
Dappled shade
On arriving back at the car park we decided to walk up to Pen Ponds in the centre of the park so the dog could have a run off the lead. You still need to be careful with your dog as there are deer roaming freely in the park and during May – August dogs must be kept on leads throughout the park.
Pen Pond Reflections
By the time we reached the ponds the sky had turned very black to the south, though still blue towards London. Despite the look of those clouds it didn’t rain a single drop.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
And we were lucky enough to see a few of the deer.
Tavistock is an ancient stannary town on the border of Devon and Cornwall and supposedly the home of the cream tea. Once home to the wealthiest Benedictine abbey in Devon founded in 974 it grew to become a market town (named after the river Tavy and ‘stoc’ which is an Old English word for settlement) and a significant producer of woollen cloth.
After the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539, Henry VIII transferred the abbey and most of its assets to John Russell, the first in a succession of Earls and Dukes of Bedford to own most of the town. In the 19th century Tavistock’s economy and society were transformed by the expansion of metal mining, mainly for copper, around the town and in the Tamar Valley.
Francis the 7th Duke of Bedford by public subscription 1864
The 6th and 7th Dukes used the revenues from copper mines on their land to redevelop the town centre, provide fine public buildings including the Guildhall and Pannier Market, and erect ‘model’ cottages for industrial workers. The Pannier market has different themed markets throughout the week and you can find unusual crafts, second-hand items and clothing. Shops and cafés line the outside pedestrian walk.
Entrance to the Pannier Market
Town Hall
Guildhall
Cheesemonger’s sign
We selected the town as a base to explore this western part of Devon as it is on the doorstep of Dartmoor National Park. Tavistock is especially rich in independent stores: a brilliant bookseller and music shop, butchers, an award-winning cheesemonger, clothiers, a fine delicatessen, framers, fruit and veg shops, hardware, lighting, and stationers, among others.
Abbey Chapel
We stayed in the unusual looking Bedford Hotel which is opposite the Parish Church and close to the impressive Guildhall. The Bedford Hotel takes its name from the Duke of Bedford, who appointed the architect Jeffry Wyatt (who was also responsible for the transformation of Windsor Castle in 1824) to transform the inn into The Bedford Hotel which was completed in 1822, and a ballroom was added in 1830. Although somewhat old-fashioned we enjoyed our stay there, the room was rather tired, though clean, and on the 3rd floor (no lift) but the food was excellent and it is in a perfect location for exploring the town and the area.
The Bedford Hotel
At the back of the hotel is a rather lovely secret walled garden. We didn’t manage to sit out in there, but on a warm evening it is probably a lovely spot to take a bottle of wine and relax and smell the many beautiful roses.
Remains of the cloister of Tavistock Abbey, destroyed during Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries, can be seen in the churchyard of the rather beautiful St Eustachius church which is directly opposite the hotel.
St Eustachius Church
Remains of the Abbey Cloisters
The church is well worth visiting though we never managed the time to revisit and use the helpful information leaflet to guide us around.
There are lovely walks alongside the River Tavy as it meanders softly over granite pebbles and slate stones beside the Abbey walls and the nearby canal, which was created (most of the labour being performed by French prisoners of war from the Napoleonic Wars) to carry copper to Morwellham Quay on the River Tamar, where it could be loaded into sailing ships weighing up to 200 tonnes.
Abbey Weir looking towards Abbey Bridge and the weir.
Abbey weir
Abbey entrance
River Tavy
Another interesting find was Betsy Grimbal’s Tower, one of the entrances to the Abbey, which dates from the fifteenth century. Its popular name is probably a corruption of Blessed Grimbald, a ninth century saint revered by the Benedictine monks.
Remains of the Abbot’s lodging and western gate house. Traditionally known as Betsy Grimbal’s Tower it opened onto the gardens and fishponds. Below the archway is a sarcophagus unearthed when the cloisters and chapter-house were demolished in the 18th century.
The buildings around Bedford Square (header image) are quite unusual. Here you will find the Guildhall and the Pannier Market and this gateway.
Grade I listed Court Gate – one of the original entrances to the Abbey
An unusual weathervane on the Bedford Hotel sits above a turret over the Portrait Room. It’s not old, it was created in copper in 2001 by Greens Weathervanes, who at that time had a workshop at Tor Royal in Princetown.
The Portrait Room Veranda.
Based in design upon the White Rabbit, Herald to the Queen of Hearts, drawn by Sir John Tenniel for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the vane is a veritable work of art.
White Rabbit, Herald to the Queen of Hearts Weather Vane
And I even managed to capture a Cheshire Cat…
Tavistock is definitely a town worth visiting and there are plenty of pubs, restaurants and cafés to enjoy as well as walks to discover the many medieval remains and the newly opened Guildhall Gateway Centre formerly a courtroom and police station. And in the autumn the famous Goose Fair is held on the second Wednesday of every October and sees fair rides, stalls and activities take place. The fair dates back to the 12th Century, when a Michaelmas Fair was held every 29 September.
TRAVEL WORDS 