Bowood 2013 #1

I live just a few minutes drive from Bowood House and Grounds, and in fact part of the estate is visible from my study, but until this year I had not bought a season ticket, and having visited the house once when I first moved to Calne all future visits were restricted to public footpaths and permissive areas.

Bowood opened for business on 20th March and I was there straight away, as I plan to photograph it regularly, at least once a week if possible, throughout the seasons until it closes to the public for the year on 5th November.

There are three distinct areas that I hope to record over the next seven months or so: Tractor Ted's Little Farm (newly opened this year); the parkland, designed by Capability Brown, especially Bowood Lake; and the formal garden adjacent to the House itself.

I began my visit at Tractor Ted's Little Farm, staffed by two helpful young women and then containing chickens, chicks, rabbits, hamsters, ewes and lambs, Gloucester Old Spot piglets and a friendly pony called Winnie (Winnie has already left as her owners were missing her too much, replaced by two calves). From there I made my way to the gardens and down to the lake, where I photographed this boat house, which is fenced off for health and safety reasons. The lake was fairly quiet: a few pairs of grebes, some ducks, black headed gulls and a couple of Canada geese, but will get busier as the year progresses. It was a bleak, cold day, but as I walked back up to the entrance I was rewarded with the sight of a hare, playing dead several feet to my right. It lolloped off as I raised my telephoto lens.

L.
31.3.2013

Blip #938
Consecutive Blip #000
Day #1091

Alternatives:
Winnie
Garden Sculpture
Bowood Lake

Lenses: Pentax 17-70mm, Sigma 70-300mm

Bowood series
Blues Run The Game series

Lozarhythm Of The Day:
Simon & Garfunkel - Blues Run The Game (recorded 21 December 1965)
Paul Simon had produced the original version by Jackson C Frank and was probably the first to cover the song, but it remained unreleased until the Old Friends box set in 1997.

One year ago: Dyrham Park NT