MUSINGS FROM THE BOWER 10

Goodness, it’s hot today. That’s when the bower really comes into its own – shaded by climbing plants, it’s a cool green refuge from the sun when the heat is too much to bear. When the table is loaded with a jug of iced water, fruit, a snack and a novel by a favourite author, I can while away the hours. The bower now has a new addition – a metal sign bearing the legend ‘Welcome, Friends’, which I bought at the Norfolk Lavender Farm last week. I feel it is appropriate, somehow, for readers of this blog.

Norfolk is another of my favourite places, and so my daughter and I decided to take a short break to visit Holkham Hall and Pensthorpe Nature Reserve. We also found time to call in at Sandringham, Norfolk Lavender and Hunstanton. Luckily, the weather wasn’t too hot. In fact, it was rather on the chilly side and it rained whilst we were at Holkham, which didn’t diminish our enjoyment in the least. As well as the Hall itself, Holkham Hall has a wonderful museum of bygones and a vintage vehicle collection, so there was plenty to see, even though it was too wet to visit the gardens. The home made lunches served at Holkham are delicious – especially the cakes. We had enormous cream-filled meringues, drizzled with strawberry and chocolate sauce. They were delicious, but we knew we would walk off all those calories the next day when we visited Pensthorpe, so we didn’t feel too guilty!



Vintage car at Holkham Hall



The cakes at Holkham were delicious!

Pensthorpe is beautiful, and very visitor friendly. For those who can’t walk far, there are gardens, duck-filled lakes and walk-in aviaries right near the visitors’ centre, but my daughter and I decided to explore the larger lakes, the River Wensum and the ‘Scrape’. At the Scrape you can enter a hide and watch waders and ducks as they go about their day. It was especially good to see the avocets; such graceful, elegant birds with their long upswept bills and smart white and black plumage.

Pensthorpe Nature Reserve

Once we had left the popular areas around the wildfowl lakes, it was as though we had the reserve almost to ourselves, and we spent ages taking photographs, watching the birds and just revelling in being out in the Norfolk countryside on such a beautiful day. There were butterflies and dragonflies in profusion, and in some places we had to be careful where we trod as there were lots of newly metamorphosed toadlets. Flowers were everywhere; native plants such as foxgloves, cow parsley and willow-herb provided a spectacular backdrop to our walk, while the beautiful gardens were filled with cultivated species.

Sandringham is, of course, one of the Royal Family’s holiday homes, and is a delightful house to visit. It is light and airy, unlike so many other ‘stately homes’ that tend to be dark and claustrophobic, and is, of course, filled with beautiful things. It is a very personal house – there is always a half-completed jigsaw puzzle around (Her Majesty is fond of puzzles) – and there are plenty of photographs, ornaments and other items to remind us this is a home still occupied by a family.

On this occasion, however, we weren’t visiting the house itself. Invariably when we go to Norfolk, we use Sandringham as our base! You see, there is free parking (in woodland, much nicer than tarmac) and a large visitors’ centre that comprises a restaurant, shop (which sells gifts, books and locally produced foodstuffs), an ice-cream parlour and a plant shop. There is also an enormous area of parkland and woodland. So if we are anywhere in the vicinity we call in for a meal or a snack, or a mooch around the shops – several of our garden plants have come from Sandringham, including a chocolate scented cosmos, some dazzling pinks and a rosemary bush.

There is plenty of seating around the visitors’ centre and the locally-produced ice cream is delicious. A couple of years ago, when the temperature was nudging the nineties and it was too hot to do anything, we spent a relaxing day at Sandringham sitting in the shade, reading. This time, though, the temperature was cooler, so we treated ourselves to a ride on the tractor and trailer, which tours the Sandringham estate, taking in areas that visitors don’t normally see. We really enjoyed it, especially the ancient oak trees, the tree-lined paths and the hares bounding amongst the grass. The driver gave a fascinating commentary.

We also managed to fit in a trip to Norfolk Lavender – a haze of purple at the moment – and a VERY blustery walk on Hunstanton beach (I think we were the only ones foolish enough to brave the wind!) amongst other stops. The sunset at Hunstanton was fantastic. But then work beckoned, and so we left Norfolk with its vast skies, back to our tiny but pretty garden with its flowery bower. And my daughter hung the notice on the bower for me.

Sunset at Hunstanton, Norfolk