Friday, August 21, 2009

Holiday time . . .

. . . in the Peak District of Derbyshire. [I started this message ages ago, and gave up because it wouldn't let me move the pics around. Coming back to have another go today, 12 Sept, I still can't do it and have decided to post anyway. So they are a bit muddled! But hopefully nice to look at!]
Well dressings are a feature of summer life in the Peak villages and this was one of 3 in Bradwell, neat Great Hucklow where we had a cottage. The pictures are made with flower petals, leaves, seeds, all sorts of plant pieces. Another place we visited is Eyam, a village famous for cutting itself off during the Plague in 1665 so that the infection wouldn't spread. Nice Celtic design cross in the churchyard.
Now this is in the gardens at Chatsworth! Talk about dodging around! Its a viewpoint
from which you can lock down over the rock garden.
This isn't a stately home but the cottage we stayed in, at least, the lefthand end of it is!

Flowers at Chatsworth.

WE had the use of the patio at our cottage and very nice it was in the sun, though here it was raining!

Here's a nice old stone house, typical of the area, local stone. It is in Eyam, one of a number of cottages where the plague victims who died in the house are listed on a board outside. So many from each family, so sad.

. . . and the famous fountain at Chatsworth.

We were there with grandchildren so a visit to the farm was obligatory, and most entertaining with these little rascals wriggling and sucking.

Another visit was to Caudwell's Mill where they have examples of different sorts of grain growing and sell lovely flower ground on the premises in the historic mill.

And up on Baslow Edge we did some kite flying with grandson, sharing the space with . . .
. . . some not-so-local looking inhabitants! (The grandchildren had come all the way from Scotland to find highland cattle here.) . . .
. . . and some radio-controlled planes.
A brilliant view . . .
. . . in all directions.