Walled Garden, Valleyfield Woodland Park

Visiting Valleyfield Woodland Park today and came across the ruins of what had once been the walled garden for the estate. We explored around the outside and went inside too. Al showed a remarkable knowledge of such features, pointing out where the holes were that would have once contained props to support vines etc., and stating that such gardens had greenhouses facing both to the north and south for different types of plants to grow in. We found this old staircase on one side - it curved round like one you might see coming down from the first floor into the hall of a mansion. Covered in moss now, and with seedlings growing up between the steps, it was sad to think of how a place as grand as this had ended up neglected and left to decay, yet it was also somehow beautiful in its own way to see how nature has now embraced it for herself. Al announced that if this garden had been Victorian we should find another staircase at the other side. "How do you know that?" I asked. "Because they liked symmetry" he replied. Frankly, I was secretly impressed that he knew such facts. Unfortunately, the other side was too thick with briars and ivy that it was impossible to see what might lie under them - though Al was convinced that he saw some steps down there that confirmed his theory!