The other day it was nice and sunny but somewhat blustery. It looked like it might rain but it was worth going out in the hope that it might not start until later. An afternoon had been planned: pub lunch and then on to Lyvedon New Bield.
I have visited Lyvedon previously some years ago. I am not actually sure how many years ago, but it was long enough ago that the car park has moved and now there is the manor house open as well as the unfinished New Bield. The New Bield was apparently mean to be a summer house, but when Sir Thomas Tresham who had commissioned the building died in 1605 work stopped and it looks much the same now as it did then. Sir Thomas was a deeply religious, committed catholic. His son, Francis, was one of the members of the Gunpowder Plot. This building and the
Rushton Triangular Lodge that he designed and had built are full of religious symbolism. I have not visited the lodge yet, but one day I will go, it is not that far a trip for me. Anyway, back to Lyvedon; I first heard of Lyvedon on a gardening programme, I can't remember which one, it is likely it was Gardeners World, but it might not have been.
The grounds in front the summer house are really quite special. They are almost unchanged from their Elizabethan design and include these 'snail' mounds and water.
There is a large meadow area and that currently has a labyrinth mowed in to it. There is a raised viewing platform that helped me get a better view of it. If I had turned to look behind me at this point I would have seen the orchard that has been restored. I did see the orchard, I just did not take a photo of it for no good reason. This was very remiss of me as it is a good orchard, very neatly laid out as it would have been in Elizabethan times and the National Trust have spent some time restoring it.
We stopped to admire this patch of flag irises. We think they were growing in water but it was hard to see well. We worried if we got too close we might find where the edge of the water was a little too late!
The summer house is a wonderful sight. Just think how it would have looked if completed. It would have been magnificent.
As we walked around the building you could see very old graffiti. I pondered how very old graffiti is sort of acceptable, a curiosity; whereas new graffiti is just wanton vandalism. Will today's graffiti one day be seen as a snapshot in time?
As our walk continued we came across this interesting tree. We both thought we ought to know what it was, but we didn't. We could see that these 'fruits' were in fact galls of some sort, but other than that we were stumped. A quick google-lens later and a shout out for a plant ID on X soon told us it was a goat willow: Salix caprea. Ain't nature fascinating!
I also got sidetracked by this Valerian officianalis, though we did think it might be a variant as look at the wonderful dark stems. I need this plant.
The blustery breeze blew all cobwebs away, we had tea and cake and a very good walk. A good way to spend an afternoon.
What a lovely, sweeping view, and the summer house is spectacular! All the plantings are special, too, including that beautiful blooming Valerian.
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