Category: Inspiration

We spent a few days in the beautiful town of Dartmouth in Devon.

With lovely views across the harbour from our cottage window. The River Dart runs between Dartmouth and Kingswear and travels up the coast to Totnes and beyond.

You can get a steam train from Kingswear to Torquay and a paddle steamer back from Totnes to Dartmouth. The journey is called the Round Robin and it was a very pleasant way to spend the day.

Another nearby attraction is the National Trust property Coleton Fishacre. The home of Rupert D’Oyly Carte, owner of the Savoy Hotel in London. The house was built in the Arts and Crafts style, in 1926, by the architect Oswald Milne.

The beautiful gardens are set within 24 acres with areas of wild flowers…

…pretty gardens…

…and the occasional garden sculpture.

Kingsmear lighthouse beach, now closed to the public.

View of the rocks below Dartmouth Castle.

Scotney Castle is a National Trust property in Kent, which I recently went to visit with my husband. As we became members of the National Trust last year we’ve been trying to visit places whenever we can and this one was a little gem. Scotney Castle is made up of a country house, moated castle and wooded gardens.

First we took a tour around the house. This was carved over the main entrance.

One of the decorative ceilings.

I loved the colours of these bottles.

We then wandered down to the old castle, which is now half in ruin although you can still walk inside part of the building.

The old castle was built in 1387 by Roger D. Ashburnham and was lived in for the next 450 years by three different families. In 1836 the new house was built by the Hussey family and the old castle was deliberately ruined to create a picturesque folly in the grounds.

The grounds and gardens were lovely, and so peaceful (if a little on the chilly side)…

…with an old boat house in the moat…

…a beautiful pheasant, that ran off as soon as I took the photo (camera shy)…

…and a brilliant cat and fish feature in the fountain by the house.

 

The weather this summer has been gorgeous! It was so nice to be able to take a short break in the UK and have such warm, sunny and dry days. These are a few pics from my visit to Yorkshire.

Whitby

Scarborough

Harrogate

A visit to Harrogate wouldn’t be complete without dropping in to Betty’s Tea Rooms for a cup of tea and a slice of cake!

Bolton Abbey

 

These photos were taken during a family holiday to St Ives, Cornwall in August. I really liked the mix of colours, textures and patterns.