Two weeks ago on a Sunday, I made my way across the meadow to the picturesque village of Hemingford Grey. My plan was to visit the colouful gardens of The Manor. I followed this little border collie, who seemed to know his way across the field. His master, who was walking far behind me was finding it quite impossible to keep up with the high-spirited canine.
I love walking the path and observing the changes that the different seasons bring. So many pretty flowers in cottage gardens and rose vines, peeking out along the path, greeting you along the way. Since it's middle of June, some variety of flowers have bloomed full strength already and were showing signs of weary wear. Nevertheless, the colour of nature paces its glory and soon, the next cycle of blooms will appear for bees and birds and we, the appreciative admirers.
I stopped along the trail to take a photo of a water fountain that I've snapped a hundred times over. You may have seen it on one of my winter blogs. Adorned with a naked cherub, clutching a fish, which spits water from it's mouth, I'm always compelled to take the picture because the setting is so mystical and overgrown with shrubs and trees. I was leaning into the wonky, wire fence when I heard a voice behind me say "are you okay dear?" I looked up to see a white haired lady. She thought I was sick and was leaning over the fence to - well you know. No, no, I'm fine and thank you for asking. To which she replied in a rather haughty voice "well, it would've been rude of me not to ask you my dear." So proper, these English ! Little did I know, I would see her again in just a few minutes.
So back now to my mission - this is a winter photo of The Manor, taken by yours truly. It was the residence of famous author and talented quilter, Lucy Boston, who lived here for over fifty years {1892 - 1990} Lucy penned a series of famous children's books, the first one being - The Children Of Green Knowe. As many writers do, she fashioned the characters in her books after people she knew. This amazing woman published her first book{s} when she was in her sixties.
There was an admission fee to be paid at the gate and lo and behold, the money taker was the same white haired woman who I met on the trail. Her name was Kay and she was adorable. I commented on the overcast sky and Kay says to me; "Because I'm an optimist, I brought my sun hat and because I'm also a pessimist, I brought me {my} rain hat as well. So as you can see, I'm very balanced in attitude and well prepared for the climate." Her comment made me smile big. Kay suggested that I go first, to the back of the house and visit the secret garden. I was the only person in that stunning garden, just myself and some chirpy songbirds.
How charming is this ? A wood and iron bench, covered by a leafy, arched canopy of branches. It faced five, tree stump pedestals. My fantasy would be, to sit under this green canopy on a warm summer's night, listening to classical musicians {seated on those pedestals on comfy cushion of course} playing Bach's Double Violin Concerto in D minor 2nd movement - Largo. And sipping on a fruited Pimm's of course.
This ancient, sleeping tree trunk was at least 25 feet long. Not only was it beautiful, covered in lichen and fungi, it most likely serves as home to hundreds of insects. Despite the fact it's no longer alive, I like that this time-worn, wooden skeleton has been left here to sleep and to serve a purpose in nature.
Lucy Boston lived to be 98 years old, quilting and gardening, well into her last years. Her talented son Peter, was illustrator for her books and also grew up to be an architect. He shared a common passion with his Mother, to lovingly restore The Manor. Diana Boston, Peter's widow and Lucy's daughter-in-law, still lives here and fortunately for us, keeps the legacy alive. Diana who is also a writer, penned a book called "The Patchworks of Lucy Boston." The book includes history and photographs of Lucy's splendid quilts.
Not only is The Manor surrounded by a vibrant array of flowers, it's lawn is dotted with shrubby topiary, that are chiseled into the shape of chess pieces. It's a very fairy tale setting and a wonderful place to just sit and "be."
The Red Cross ladies were also there, serving tea, coffee and yummy home-made cakes and scones. I couldn't resist. I just had to have a cup of tea and a slice of apricot cake. So quintessentially English.
Nostalgia - I remember when I was a little girl, my Mum having a set of these pretty dishes. I'm not entirely sure, but I think that they might be called "Blue Willow." One by one, over the years, they ended up broken or chipped. My Mum has one, perfect dessert plate left and still uses it for her toast.
I sat here at this table, sipping tea, stuffing my face with cake and taking in the lovely view. The sun soon broke through the cloud covering and along with the sun, so came more visitors to The Manor.
On my next visit, I hope to take a tour of the inside of the house. At the bottom of this post, I'm including a link to the The Manor website, which details it's fascinating history, directions on how to get there and how to arrange to see the interior of this Norman styled house.
It was difficult to tear myself away from this tranquil place - I loved sitting here amongst the flowers.
So off I go, following the worn path across the meadow, back to my St. Ives.
http://www.greenknowe.co.uk/
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