Crocus lawn

The forecast was for wall to wall sunshine, and after all the atrocious weather we've had recently we decided to make the most of it and go out for the day. I wanted to go to Wallington to see the snowdrops, and MrM voted for a walk in the hills, so we did both.

The gardens at Wallington were much busier than anticipated (we'd forgotten that it's half term), but even so they were an absolute joy! The snowdrops were amazing, but the crocus lawn stole the day! There were all sorts of  Spring flowers in profusion throughout the grounds (extras), and in the greenhouse the heady scent of jasmine and more-exotic flowers (extras) filled the air. 

After Wallington we drove to a parking spot near Elsden where we ate our picnic lunch with a view of The Cheviot. Then on to High Green for a walk on a short section of the Pennine Way. The first part was quite hard-going on a narrow track through heather and bog, much easier on the way back though. We were surprised to see a herd of wild ponies near the start of the walk. Back at home we 'Googled' them, and it seems that they're Exmoor ponies brought in to maintain the natural balance of the flora in the area.