Wimborne Wanderings [Part Three] **

On Tuesday we went to Wimborne early,for a coffee in the Coffee Saloon – then on to nearby National Trust property, Kingston Lacy.

I went here more than 20 years ago with Liz and Steph [we were on holiday, and Bob stayed behind at the caravan for some reason] I loved KL, and was determined to visit again one day, and take him with me. We walked round the beautiful grounds for an hour or so before our guided tour inside.

So many lovely flowers- in every season there are things to see. We’d missed the best of the snowdrops – kind friends offered to take us to see them a few weeks back, but we were just too busy then [next year perhaps…]The strange green sentry boxes are covers round the garden urns, to protect them from frost through the winter. These will be coming off soon, the guide told us.

The men and women tending the plants were all working so hard- but seemed willing to stop and talk to visitors with questions about the plants. This is part of the Japanese Garden

Mags- you’d have loved the Camellia Walk!

At the end of the Kitchen Garden was a little man with a van – and a refreshment hut. He says his [refurbished] Citroen is 50 years old!

This picture is a cloche-up of the rhubarb bed!

The Egyptian Obelisk was interesting. As we watched the members of the school trip running towards it, we heard one teacher say

“Children, this is not a climbing frame, it’s an artefact!”

I may copy out that wonderful quote, and stick it up on the fridge. It may possibly become a Family Saying. I am still chuckling about it.

We had misunderstood the NT Handbook, which said that on Mondays and Tuesdays there were tours. In fact on these days you can only visit selected parts of the house on a guided tour. The rest of the week you can go to many more of the rooms. I will go again on another day and take lots more interior photos. The weather was turning chilly.We bade farewell to the armillary sundial and the shepherd’s hut, and returned to sit in the car and eat our picnic lunch. All this beauty less than eight miles from our new home!

**other Dorset Destinations ARE available!