UK Trip Day 8 Wimpole Hall

A visit to Wimpole Hall

We took advantage of a lovely warm day to visit nearby (Nearby? So say Barb & Susan.  It was nearly half an hour away!) Wimpole Hall near Duxford.  Geoffrey was tied up with volunteer work at the Duxford Air Show that's been running yesterday and today, so we took the dogs with us.  Daisy and Bella are very well behaved and remained on leash without complaint all the while we were there.

Getting started.  Whither shall we go?

The tractor drawn bus. 
It had a conductor who shoo-ed people out of the way

Our first port of call after arriving at Wimpole Hall was to go to the restaurant for a cuppa, then Susan retired to the gardens with the dogs while John and Barb did a tour of the house, parterre gardens and walled gardens.

Susan always has a nose for the nearest cup of tea

The house was a large mansion in a state of gentle decline. It must once have been a very bustling concern, with a sizeable estate. We enjoyed looking around and chatting to the many volunteers who seemed to man every room.  They were happy for us to take photos (without flash), so of course Barb went mad with the camera.

Not bad, huh?

Nope.  Not bad at all

 

The library.  With so many books in sets and
looking unopened the suspicion is that they
were bought by the yard

 

The (unconsecrated) chapel.  The frescos were
quietly stunning, seeming to stand out from the walls

The gardens were beautiful too, although perhaps not in quite the same level of pristine repair as those at Audley End. There were huge crowds milling about, having picnics or just strolling in the gardens like us. We particularly liked the walled gardens and kitchen gardens.

Country pad, 18th century style

The Folly

Gate to the walled garden.  The notice requests
the gate be kept shut to keep out the rabbits

Just a border in the walled garden

Gate with a view

We tracked down Susan in the old stable courtyard which now houses a café and variety of shops.  She was chatting to another couple sitting at the table with her and kept being interrupted by people stopping to admire and pet the dogs.  (Barb was very miffed that the shop advertising fudge had, well, no fudge.  A nice lady who had taken to the dogs came back after a few minutes absence to point Barb in the right direction.  Oh joy, oh rapture!).

The stable yard

We headed home to Susan's place in time for Hamida and her family who were going to call in for afternoon tea and watch the Duxford planes from the back garden. John whipped up a batch of chocolate chip cookies for Hamida's kids John and Sophia, which they really enjoyed.