H is for Hestercombe

Well, what a contrast to last week's trip to Glastonbury which was rained off when I got there!

Today we had glorious sunshine and warmth so I just had to get on the road and head over to Hestercombe.  I think this is my shortest trip so far - just 15 minutes from home, in Cheddon Fitzpaine in Taunton, a beautiful countryside drive minutes from the centre.

Hestercombe is a collection of 3 gardens - a Georgian Landscape garden (40 acres of woodland, lakes and temples), a Victorian Terrace and an Edwardian Formal garden all of which surround a beautiful house.

A lovely long driveway led to the house with a field of ewes and lambs all along the right hand side.  A really beautiful spring scene!

And here is the house at the end of the drive

As it was lunchtime and I had not had any lunch I started off my trip with a visit to the Al Fresco cafe' which boasts fabulous homemade food using the best local and seasonal ingredients.  I was not disappointed with my lunch, perfect for a sunny Sunday afternoon - smoked chicken and mango salad.  Here is a picture of it!

Very tasty!

















After lunch it was time to explore the gardens.  I have visited Hestercombe once before.  During my first week in Taunton several years ago a friend took me there, but I have not driven there before and I did not take many photos last time, so thought it was high time for another visit!

So here are a few photos of my very pleasurable afternoon strolling through the different gardens.  So difficult to choose which of the 56 photos I took to include! Its a very photographable place!  Again, all these pictures are taken on my mobile phone.

......through the oval window a field of lovely Somerset cows!

and through the other oval window a lovely Somerset country view!

A lake lies through this window

This duck has the best view over Somerset!

The Orangery

Inside the Orangery

Me lying in a field of primroses!

More primroses and woods

Swan on the Mill pond

 Pear pond

                                                                                

Octagon Summerhouse















Mausoleum

View of the Pear Pond from the Mausoleum

Gothic Alcove

View of glorious Somerset from the Gothic Alcove.  It was so sunny and bright the view could hardly be seen!

Looking accross the Great Plat to the house

So that is just a little glimpse of the lovely Hestercombe - definately somewhere to return to on my doorstep.  It was a little pricey -£9.50 entry for an adult. You can get annual tickets which are quite good value if you go alot and family tickets too.  Its pushchair friendly and the place was teeming with people from tiny babies to pensioners.  If you are in the area its well worth a visit!

See you sometime soon from somewhere beginning with I!

The Tor continues

Today, finally the chance arose to visit letter G of my driving alphabet tour of the Southwest. It was a lovely sunny day here (and still is!) so I decided to head to Glastonbury, just 40 minutes away from home.  I had decided that I would like to see the Abbey and the Tor there.
I arrived in the town and headed for the Abbey car park.  That was full as were most of the other car parks! I ended up parking in Morrisons and having to go shopping in Morrisons, so that I would be a 'customer' and so allowed to park there for a little while!  That was OK because I needed to get some lunch!
The first things I noticed as I drove into 'Glasto' were the not -so -common- in- other places hairstyles and fashions that I saw quite a few people wore.
By the time I had walked from Morrisons into the centre of town and to the Abbey entrance I was absolutely drenched!  So drenched that my jeans were stuck to my skin and my hair looked like I had just come out of the shower!
The only places open to shelter seemed to be new age, crystal, witchcraft and other shops and I did not really want to go in to them to keep out of the rain.
I have heard from friends who have visited the town that it has an interesting' atmosphere, so I knew what to expect really.  The first thing that hit me apart from the not so- common- in -other places fashions and hairstyles that I saw quite a few people wore was the smell of incense and other interesting smells wafting from the shops as I walked through the town.
I would have loved to have seen the Abbey and climbed the Tor, but today was not the day to do it!  I was just SO wet so decided to get back to the car and head home via the Morrisons petrol station - saved me a trip to the one here on my return!
I would have liked to have put up some photos of my trip, but the weather was so bad that I did not take any! I could barely see anything with the rain pouring down!

I will add a few photos here from Google images so you can see what I would have seen, had I not been so wet! 
Well, I would add an image or two if blogger would let me!  Its playing up!  Good job I don't have any photos of my own to upload or I would be quite annoyed that it is refusing to upload any pictures at all! 

I will try a couple of links instead!  Click on them to see some photos and read all about their fascinating history.

Glastonbury Tor

and    Glastonbury Abbey

Hopefully letter H will provide sunshine and opportunity to take some nice photos and hopefully blogger will let me upload those photos!  It seems to be having a bit of an 'off' day today as its having problems saving my blog to drafts every other minute too!

'Think I will end here and  I will see you soon from somewhere beginning with H!