The home of a great inventor

One place that has been on my ‘must visit’ list for a long time is Cragside, near Rothbury. Today we made it. And what a place!
 
Cragside was the home of an extraordinary man – William George Armstrong (1810 – 1900). He was a scientist and technical innovator of genius and one of the most important industrialists of his generation. What began as a modest country retreat quickly became one of the most technologically advanced homes of its time packed with ingenious gadgets and modern conveniences. It was the first home to have electricity powered by water. But it was also furnished lavishly in the modern styles, including much in the Arts & Crafts fashion. It is an amazing house to explore.
 
And then there is the whole hillside estate – gardens, lakes, woodland. We wandered the house, had lunch in the excellent café and then did the 6 mile Estate Drive, stopping off for a lovely 2 mile walk round the lakes. A great place to which we will return.
 

We had some sunny weather for our walk, although it was a bit cold, but as we arrived back at the car and continued the drive to the Exit, it clouded over and started to rain. As we were driving back to Craster, the temperature went down dramatically and we had a sleet shower. It’s a bit wild here now.