Day 208 - July 27th

Today we chose another walk from our Walking App and walked the area around Ickleford and Wilbury Hills.

We parked at Ickleford and headed into the countryside alongside the river.

Soon we reached Burymead Springs.  They weren't very impressive! 

Later we passed a mural on an old bridge abutment along the disused Hitchin-Bedford railway line, which is now a footpath. The mural depicts the former Midland Railway branch line, which ran from 1857 until 1964

Close by was Gerry's Hole, a small pond with a memorable name.

The pond is an old flooded gravel quarry. The gravel was excavated for the construction of the Hitchin to Bedford railway line. A local legend claims that the pond is named after a labourer who built canals and railways named Gerry. The story goes that after a night at the pub, Gerry fell into the hole and sadly drowned.

Today, Gerry's Hole is a small nature reserve.

We passed by the fields Hitchin Lavender where people were enjoying the lavender and sunflowers.

We continued along part of the Hicca Way and back to the car.

Day 207 - July 26th

We took it easy today after a busy week, and we even got to pick the first of our homegrown tomatoes.

Day 206 - July 25th

Today we visited Wrest Park and were luck to be invited to join a 'Wallpaper Tour'. Some of the rooms at Wrest Park aren't generally open to the public but from time to time visitors are allowed to view some of the upstairs rooms, and specifically see the special wallpapers.

Several of the first floor rooms features hand-painted, 18th-century Chinese wallpaper which was a popular and expensive import during the Georgian era.

The wallpaper shows scenes of life in China - people, plants, birds, and butterflies.

Day 205 - July 24th

Today we visited Wimpole Hall. The house, its 3000acres of parkland and farmland are owned by the National Trust and is the only National Trust property with a working farm. The estate was held by the Chicheley family for more than 250 years but was last owned by Capt George Bambridge and his wife Elsie, daughter of Rudyard Kipling. Elsie Bambridge bequeathed the house to National Trust when she died in 1976 and in 2024 received 370,000 visitors.

We started our visit in the beautiful walled garden. It was incredibly well tended with lots of flowers and also fruit and vegetables.

I loved these multi coloured sunflowers.

We visited the farm, but as it started raining whilst there we only said hello to the piglets.

We ended our visit with a look inside the house.

The house is a mixture of styles, reflecting its history and the various owners who have left their mark.

The library has only recently been opened up to allow visitors to walk through it.

While the house has grand public rooms, it also features cosier, more personal spaces that reflect the tastes of its last private owners, the Bambridges.

The "below stairs" spaces, offer a fascinating glimpse into the working life of the house.