Change of plans

Our original plan for the day was to go to Tegg's Nose Country Park nr Macclesfield, and then on to Buxton. We did indeed go to Tegg's Nose and did some walking and enjoyed the exhibits on the history of stone quarrying in the area. Then we went to the Cat and Fiddle pub for lunch. The pub is situated at the highest point of the road, which has taken its name, between Macclesfield, Cheshire and Buxton, Derbyshire. The road is famous for its scenic views across the Peak District National Park and the Cheshire Plain, and for its many bends. Unfortunately we weren't able to enjoy the extensive views today as the weather was pretty poor. The road is extremely popular with motorcyclists, and is regularly classed as one of the most dangerous roads in the UK. While we were having our lunch, some bikers came in and sat at the table next to ours. They mentioned that they had come from Buxton and something seemed to be going on there. We decided to go check it out, but we barely got to the edge of town, and there was a diversion sign, and then the traffic ground to a halt. Apparently it was Buxton Carnival.
So, we changed our plans and retraced our steps and instead spent the afternoon at Biddulph Grange Gardens in Staffordshire. These gardens were designed in the mid 19th century by James Bateman to display specimens from his extensive and wide-ranging plant collection from around the world. The garden is set out in a series of connected 'rooms'. Tunnels and pathways link individual gardens inspired by countries around the world, including China (shown in the picture), Egypt and Italy. To read more about this fascinating garden and the extensive restoration work undertaken by the National Trust and see more pictures, please check out this article written by Ohio State University Horticultural Department who visited there on a study abroad.