A wet weekend in Derbyshire (July 2008)

Despite the weather this summer, Cheryl and I achieved what we wanted from a few days in Derbyshire. We visited Fanshawe Gate garden and Haddon Hall and used spare time to walk in Derbyshire.
Fanshawe Gate garden is just open on a few days during the year so we drove from Hereford to the garden near Dronfield. We decided to put full rain gear on and this did make the rain ease off! The family that created these gardens were very much to the fore and it was an enhancement to talk to them about the decisions they made in creating the garden.

There were several aspects to the garden - its tiered aspect with trees representing jousting Knights - the approach to the road - the clever distribution of water from tanks to ponds

and I took particular pleasure in stepping through a gate in a hedge to a new vista.

Then there was the old house itself.

Haddon Hall dates back some 800 years or so! The buildings are probably the main attraction

and I was fascinated by original furniture - however if you build a table out of oak 6” thick then it will last!

The views of the garden and from the walls to the river were lovely.

Our base was an excellent B&B (California House) in Dronfield and we had a walk along Stanage Edge - perfect when the weather isn’t good and so most people will stay away! We had an idyllic walk along the Derwent around Chatsworth with beautiful views of the house. Best of all was a walk up Mam Tor, along the Great Ridge and through Hope and Castleton. 8.5 miles and a cumulative climb of 450m made it a testing walk, particularly when it was blowing a gale on top of Mam Tor.