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squiz Member Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 2910 |
19th June 2023 Hiking - Walking: Helmingham Hall Wind Direction: Wind Stength: Surf / Sea State: Air Temperature: Sea Temperature: Weather: Sunny and hot :) Max Speed: Distance Covered: 5 miles (Nautical Miles - unless stated otherwise) Monday 19th June - walk ***** Helmingham Hall in Suffolk - sunny and hot. We have been treated to a couple of days out by an old friend, we went to Fullers Mill a couple of weeks ago and today managed to make it to Helmingham Hall. It opens at ten so after taking some pics of our full water butt, we actually had our first proper rain for a month, Mag is well chuffed, I was pleased to get one featured on Chris Pages About Anglia weather report this evening, so I am well chuffed too, my luck continued when one take at the Hall was on BBC?s Look East, so top day all round! Helmingham Hall is out todays Stowmarket but got a little lost after wanting to see the ford at Grundisburgh but found it in the end after a nice ride around the beautiful Suffolk countryside:) Arriving at 10.15 the impressive moated hall set in a large deer park was completed in 1510 and we parked in a quiet corner away from everyone before walking in, with an entrance fee of ?8 which covered the deer park and gardens, including a large walled garden, there was also a large sculpture exhibition with over 300 pieces on display in the gardens, to be honest I think it might have looked better without it as some of the pieces were not that that, also the number plaque at each piece did rather spoil the photo opportunity! Still the staff were very friendly, particularly the nice lady we paid, the waitress when we actually went to the tea room where we had a very expensive cappuccino and two sausage rolls but they were delicious so the ?14 did not seen too bad and we were treated to it so thank you once again, Mary:) The hall looks great surrounded by its moat which could do with some work as looks silted up and full of slimy weed, could do with dredging out and filling with water lilies and some nice big carp! Then done along avenue with the walled garden to the left and stunning views across the deer park, we spoke to a nice gardener who pointed out a herd of red deer under some trees and said they had 200 deer both roe and red. Mag asked if you could walk to the large obelisk and he told us about the Deer Park path which we might have missed otherwise as it is not advertised that well! We passed loads of the sculptures and I did get a few pics of the better ones, then through the shaded Yew walk and back along the sunny wall with loads of climbing roses, a little past there best and then we explore the inside of the walled garden with its great vegetable garden and arched walkways. Then back to the tea room for our expensive snack and back to the van to pick up our picnic. Luckily we had parked right next to the deer park walk entrance so headed off on a circuit, just us and 200 deer including some fawns, the deer were mainly shading themselves under the trees but I got a few nice pics with my long lens:) We could not believe we had the deer park all to ourselves, this part of the day was by far the best bit, we loved it as we ambled to the large obelisk for our picnic lunch with great views back to the hall. Well rested we continue along on what is actually a public footpath to the road and onto St. Marys church before another quick circuit of the garden before returning to the van absolutely knackered having walked a little over 5 miles and had a cuppa in the shade of an old tree before heading for home stopping at a garden centre so Mag could buy some strawberry plants ending anther top day out and a about in wonderful Suffolk:) Photo Album here Helmingham Hall here |
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