The last time we were up in Northumberland we'd seen a place called Howick Hall just a few miles down the coast from Beadnell, but never really took much interest in it. However, this time around we were staying just 10 minutes drive from the hall so decided to pay it a visit.
The Hall itself isn't open to the public, it has stood empty in part since a fire in the 1920's, however the family still live in the west wing. For any tea lovers out there, it was the home of Earl Grey who spent a significant amount of time in China where he took his interest in tea from. He also brought back seeds from trees and plants in the far east which form much of the foliage around the gardens around the hall.
We've visited many ornate gardens over the last few years, large houses such as Chatsworth, Castle Howard, Burghley, but these gardens were right up there with them. Maybe the gardens aren't on the same scale as some of the 'super' houses, but in quality it was on a par. Special mention must go to the new garden made for those who suffer from autism, lots of interactive features to keep people focused and entertained.
After around 3hrs we headed up the coast to Craster to a lovely little cafe and garden centre that Donna had found this morning when checking out Tripadvisor. It had only been open a year, and it was a young girl who had started it up with all local produce and cakes baked there on the premises. A great little find as the food was very good, the Blueberry and Lemon cake was stunning.
Our next stop was on the coast, parking not far from Sugarsands Beach only about a mile or so from the cottage we were staying in. We popped on our walking boots and headed up the coast to Howick Haven; a walk of only around one and a half miles, so a steady 3 mile round-trip. A little glass hunting on the beach of course, before heading back down the coast to the car and returning to the cottage. An evening in, me glued to the TV watching England in the Football World Cup semi-final. Come on you Whites...
The Hall itself isn't open to the public, it has stood empty in part since a fire in the 1920's, however the family still live in the west wing. For any tea lovers out there, it was the home of Earl Grey who spent a significant amount of time in China where he took his interest in tea from. He also brought back seeds from trees and plants in the far east which form much of the foliage around the gardens around the hall.
We've visited many ornate gardens over the last few years, large houses such as Chatsworth, Castle Howard, Burghley, but these gardens were right up there with them. Maybe the gardens aren't on the same scale as some of the 'super' houses, but in quality it was on a par. Special mention must go to the new garden made for those who suffer from autism, lots of interactive features to keep people focused and entertained.
After around 3hrs we headed up the coast to Craster to a lovely little cafe and garden centre that Donna had found this morning when checking out Tripadvisor. It had only been open a year, and it was a young girl who had started it up with all local produce and cakes baked there on the premises. A great little find as the food was very good, the Blueberry and Lemon cake was stunning.
Our next stop was on the coast, parking not far from Sugarsands Beach only about a mile or so from the cottage we were staying in. We popped on our walking boots and headed up the coast to Howick Haven; a walk of only around one and a half miles, so a steady 3 mile round-trip. A little glass hunting on the beach of course, before heading back down the coast to the car and returning to the cottage. An evening in, me glued to the TV watching England in the Football World Cup semi-final. Come on you Whites...
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