Tuesday 27 February 2018

Snowdrops at Doddington Hall

 
A couple of weekends ago, my friends Katy, Alison and I went to Doddington Hall, just outside Lincoln, for the start of their snowdrop season.  The weather was reasonably kind but the wind was bitterly cold.  Doddington Hall is a beautiful red brick Elizabethan house and well worth a visit, though on this occasion, it was all about the gardens.
 I was struck by the topiary - like a chess set - which immediately made me think of Alice in Wonderland (apparently, there was an Alice event there last year).
A very kind person had made this very photogenic arrangement with the old pump, a hellebore and some horseshoes.
 The kitchen garden had some amazingly knobbly fruit trees with gnarled branches.
 They almost looked alive.
 In the main garden are some venerable sweet chestnut trees which (the information stated) were 450 years old.  It is amazing to imagine what they have lived through.
 Under the trees we saw snowdrops, cyclamen, crocuses, aconites and the occasional daffodil.  A lovely spring flower carpet.
 Just beautiful.
 There were some lovely vistas with early rhododendrons, and a splash of colour from the witch hazels.
 More snowdrops and crocuses, with some lovely shadows...
 ...twirling shapes created by the sweet chestnut branches.
 More witch hazels, lighting up the scene.
 I particularly liked the smooth trunks of these paper bark maples (I think).  The bark had been peeling away and left a beautifully smooth surface underneath.  I like the way the snowdrops echo the white bark.
 I had a go at this grass maze.
 The wire unicorn sculptures echo the topiary ones at the front of the house.
 Mistletoe was growing on these trees - we assumed they were apple trees.
 Another lovely vista (the wind was really cold at this point - the crocuses are remaining firmly shut here)
 Everywhere we looked, there was another enticing view.
 This clematis seemed very happy on the wall.
A final view of those sweet chestnuts.
Here are the topiary unicorns at the front of the house, standing guard.
It was a lovely visit with lots of beautiful early spring flowers to enjoy.

4 comments:

  1. What a lovely place to visit, I love the Alice comparison. Snowdrops are so pretty and such a lovely reminder that spring isn’t too far away xx

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    1. Thanks, Cheryl. It is a beautiful place to visit and I have been before when the irises (for which they are well known) are in flower, but never at this time of year. I am really looking forward to Spring - we have a thick blanket of snow at the moment and it feels as though Spring is a long way away yet! It's a good excuse to stay in and keep warm though!
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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  2. Such a long time since we visited Doddington Hall, not since we left Lincolnshire over twenty years ago it sill looks wonderful. We saw snowdrops this year at Hopton Hall near Ashbourne in Derbyshire they are always a joy to see:)

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    1. Thanks, Rosie. Doddington Hall is a beautiful place and we were lucky with the weather when we visited. I love getting out to see the snowdrops at this time of year - it reminds me that Spring is just round the corner (although this week, possibly just a bit further round the corner than we thought!)
      Best wishes
      Ellie

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