Cider with Rosie Country

A beautiful day for a walk through the Slad Valley near Stroud, Laurie Lee country, trekking Frith Wood. Carpets of wild garlic, bluebells, rare woodland violets, blackthorn blossom and the most amazingly picturesque countryside with panoramas to match.

Frith Wood is a nature reserve and an ancient beech wood that straddles the ridge overlooking the Painswick and Slad Valley's. There are a number of footpaths that go through the reserve. Rare plants also include wood barley, white helleborine and yellow bird's nest. The nature reserve is part of a larger site of special scientific interest (SSSI) that includes Bull's Cross and Juniper Hill.

Croome and Bylane

Earl's Croome is a village and civil parish near the Malvern Hills, Worcestershire. The village is mentioned in the Doomsday Book circa 1086, as Crumba. The first part of its name is derived from the Earl of Coventry who had Earl's Croome Court as a residence opposite the village church. It contains some gems including:

Bylane

A two acre herbaceous garden, paddock with wildlife pond, vegetable garden, and chickens, wood with mature trees and bluebells to the rear of Croome Garden Centre.  Lovingly developed by the owners, converting an overgrown scrub-land over 20+ years. 

We have a blackbird who has adopted our garden but here 'Willy' Wagtail has taken on the mantle -

Croome Park and Manor

Croome Court is a mid 18th century Neo Palladian mansion surrounded by Croome Park which was Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown’s masterful first commission, with commanding views over the Malverns. Croome Court was once home to the Earls of Coventry and is currently undergoing a significant repair programme.

Having undergone a number of incarnations, the foundations and core of Croome Court, including the central chimney stack structure, date back to the early 1640s. During the WW II it housed the Dutch royal family, who were escaping the Nazi occupation of Holland – also during the war the top secret base of RAF Defford occupied part of the Croome Court estate. The house was listed on 11 August 1952; it is currently Grade I listed. From 1979 to 1984 the hall was taken over by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Hare Krishna movement), who used it as their UK headquarters and a training college called Chaitanya College.

Croome Park has a man-made lake and river, statues, temples and other buildings with the Court as the central focus. The other buildings around the park include Gatehouses, a Grotto, a Church and buildings termed "eye-catchers". These are Pirton Tower, Panorama Tower, Dunstall Castle and Park Seat. They are set away from the core of the Park and are intended to draw the eye into the wider landscape.

St Mary Magdalene’s Church, perched commandingly on the hill, is a Grade I listed building and was built in 1763 by Capability Brown for the Earl of Coventry. A medieval church nearer the Court was demolished to make way for this church, the interior of which was designed by Robert Adam.

original bell mounts

Bluebells are Blue

Siccaridge wood is in the Frome Valley and is about half a mile west of Sapperton. It is adjacent to the Sapperton Valley and Daneway Banks nature reserves. This is semi-natural ancient woodland has been managed as coppice for hundreds of years and is situated next to the Thames and Severn Canal. Access to the reserve is either from the canal towpath or from the road to Daneway and Tunley.

The wood includes ash, silver birch and beech and there is a glade noted for its lily-of-the-valley. Uncommon species found in Siccaridge Wood include angular Solomon’s-seal, herb Paris and bird’s nest orchid. Bluebells carpet the woodland floor in spring. It was this display we had come to see and whilst there are carpets of indigenous single stalked bluebells emerging we were about two weeks early for the full display.

The reserve is part of the National Dormouse Monitoring Scheme, where monitoring takes place monthly. There are also huge wood ant nests throughout the woodland floor and the open rides attract silver washed fritillary and comma butterflies. 

Historical records have been traced to 1576. At that time it was called Sickeridge Coppice and it belonged to the lord of the manor, Bisley. The name Siccaridge comes from the old English sicor hyreg which means 'secure, safe ridge'. The Bathhurst Estate acquired the wood in 1861. 

The path runs picturesquely between the Frome and the disused Severn Thames Canal. The canal leaves with mixed feelings. Whilst there is a fascinating display where nature has reclaimed the canal, if restored it would make a wonderful rural addition to our canal system.

dismantled locks

Brockhampton Estate

Just the other side of Bromyard lies Brockhampton Estate. 

Lower Brockhampton is a timber-framed manor house dating back to the late 14th century. The house is surrounded by a moat and is entered via a timber-framed gatehouse, built circa 1530.

primarily a hunting lodge

WW1 kit

There are miles of walks through the park and woodland, featuring ancient trees, the picturesque Lawn Pool and various sculptures depicting parts of the history of Brockhampton and the local area.

inside the gatehouse

mini mobile sheep rearing workshop

traditional wood turning in practice

Ralph Court Gardens

This really was a hidden gem. 12 themed mini gardens, and cafe, in a three acre garden. The tour starts, appropriately enough, with a cup of tea beneath Phileas Fogg as he begins his around the world 'garden' tour.

The tour begins in the fantasy world of:


Alice in Wonderland

 and Wind in the Willows

You travel through:

Italy - with a focal point musical fountain

Japan

Africa

You can travel by pirate ship

round the dragon pool

Then on to the land of mythology

Jack in the Green - but beware, as I was not, so intent on getting a close up of this amazing effigy in fir cones, I failed to heed the warning - he doesn't just spit, I got drenched!!

Persius in the Medusa temple                        Triton calling the waves

and the amazing elves in their conifer forest

even the toilets were themed

All in all a magical mystery tour

So if you ever find yourself near Bromyard in Herefordshire it's well worth adding Ralph Court Gardens to your itinerary.