Pear arch

A nice early walk with the ladies and one man this morning (we were one over the permitted number - 6 for this time next week and there were two missing! Need to think out of the box)

Late yesterday we decided to go to another NT property this afternoon. Looked up nearby places to see what was available for bookable timed slots and decided on Beningbrough Hall near York. The earliest time available was 13.00 so we got there in time for coffee and a very nice lunch sitting outside.

We then walked around the walled garden the highlights of which were the fruit trees and especially these arches of pear trees with espaliered bushes along the sides.
Still some nice flowers in bloom with attendant insects and  the slightly weird, I always feel, autumn crocus under the trees.
The spaces around the garden amongst the vegetables seemed to have been filled with pumpkin plants in various stages of growth. A taste of the season to come.

We did go into the house to look at an exhibition in the gallery. The theme being ‘Well Being’. Can’t claim to have understood it all but enjoyed the Henry Moor painting of Two Women Winding Wool and a Lowry seascape. There was an amazing photograph too of Austin-esque regency women fading in to a black background. Hard to explain but very clever.
Probably the most interesting thing was having mounted the main staircase to the gallery we had to return, following the one way system, down the service stairs. Very narrow and twisty - a bit dizzy making, what those servants had to put up with!

I wouldn’t rate it as the best visit we’ve made but it was a pleasant afternoon though it remained mainly overcast.
There are big plans for redeveloping the garden next summer with a Chelsea gardener - Andy Sturgeon in charge. Might be interesting to revisit next year.