Watching the weather forecasts last night was like watching someone wearing a blindfold doing the 'pin the tail on the donkey' Depending on which TV station you watched, or which internet site you viewed, or which app you looked at, we could be experiencing anything from the remnants of tropical storm to a few spots of rain. So, no point in making plans based around the forecasts.
I don't think it would have made any difference anyway as we intended to go to Castle Howard whatever the weather; within reason. It was wet and foggy when we arose, but within an hour or so it had brightened up and the fog had lifted so time to head the 17 miles to Castle Howard.
We were there and parked up in about 30 minutes, and as it was now around 11:45am we decided to have some lunch before heading into the estate. Initially we entered the cafe, but were told that we couldn't eat outside so we turned around and went to the food outlet in the entrance where you could get a meal deal for £5.50 and could eat it anywhere you wanted. Lets be honest, when it's 22c who wants to sit in a stuffy cafe when you can eat outside?
Donna had recently paid for membership of HHA so we only had to 'flash the pass' on entry and we were within the estate. Now as we plan to come and stay at Spring Farm Cottage again in the near future we decided to just visit the house and Eros fountain this time, and save the walks around the 10,000 acre estate until next time.
The house itself is stunning, ok it was very busy so you did have to keep stopping to ensure that you could get a good view of all there was to see, but that didn't take away from the beauty of the house. The staff waiting for you at strategic points on the tour were very knowledgeable and friendly and this all added to the experience.
There was a special area set aside to inform visitors about the filming of the Brideshead Revisited TV series and film and how it all came about, and I was surprised to see the part of the house that was damaged in the 1940's when many of the men of the house were away fighting in WWII. Some of it has been restored, but some has been left to show the damage done. In fact part of the damaged area is now used as a exhibition area.
The weather was by now a little hit and miss, we had spent around 20 minutes under the tree's sheltering from the rain, and as we had finished walking around the walled garden it started to come down heavy; time to go. We headed back to the cottage to have some downtime before heading out for an evening meal.
Donna had read good reviews on Tripadvisor about Helmsley Spice, only 20 minutes away so we thought we'd give it a try; and we weren't disappointed. It's no 'looker' from the outside, it's one of those places that you could easily pass by if you didn't know any different. The quality of the food was very good, and the service was excellent. Donna queried the strength of one of the dishes and the chef simply agreed to make it milder for her. They were very attentive and the times between courses was just right. Overall a great experience and we will done here again. Now back to the cottage for a quiet end to the day.
I don't think it would have made any difference anyway as we intended to go to Castle Howard whatever the weather; within reason. It was wet and foggy when we arose, but within an hour or so it had brightened up and the fog had lifted so time to head the 17 miles to Castle Howard.
We were there and parked up in about 30 minutes, and as it was now around 11:45am we decided to have some lunch before heading into the estate. Initially we entered the cafe, but were told that we couldn't eat outside so we turned around and went to the food outlet in the entrance where you could get a meal deal for £5.50 and could eat it anywhere you wanted. Lets be honest, when it's 22c who wants to sit in a stuffy cafe when you can eat outside?
Donna had recently paid for membership of HHA so we only had to 'flash the pass' on entry and we were within the estate. Now as we plan to come and stay at Spring Farm Cottage again in the near future we decided to just visit the house and Eros fountain this time, and save the walks around the 10,000 acre estate until next time.
The house itself is stunning, ok it was very busy so you did have to keep stopping to ensure that you could get a good view of all there was to see, but that didn't take away from the beauty of the house. The staff waiting for you at strategic points on the tour were very knowledgeable and friendly and this all added to the experience.
There was a special area set aside to inform visitors about the filming of the Brideshead Revisited TV series and film and how it all came about, and I was surprised to see the part of the house that was damaged in the 1940's when many of the men of the house were away fighting in WWII. Some of it has been restored, but some has been left to show the damage done. In fact part of the damaged area is now used as a exhibition area.
The weather was by now a little hit and miss, we had spent around 20 minutes under the tree's sheltering from the rain, and as we had finished walking around the walled garden it started to come down heavy; time to go. We headed back to the cottage to have some downtime before heading out for an evening meal.
Donna had read good reviews on Tripadvisor about Helmsley Spice, only 20 minutes away so we thought we'd give it a try; and we weren't disappointed. It's no 'looker' from the outside, it's one of those places that you could easily pass by if you didn't know any different. The quality of the food was very good, and the service was excellent. Donna queried the strength of one of the dishes and the chef simply agreed to make it milder for her. They were very attentive and the times between courses was just right. Overall a great experience and we will done here again. Now back to the cottage for a quiet end to the day.
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