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Hodsock Priory - gardens and woodland walk filled with Snowdrops

30 comments


Sunday morning spent walking around Hodsock Priory woods and gardens, weather dull, cloudy, damp and pretty miserable, but thought we would take the ‘bull by the horns’ and go for it. It would have been much nicer to have sunshine for viewing the snowdrops but we thought they might not last long if it starts to pour down with rain and we didn’t want to miss the display.

Just a few photos of the amazing display:

The beautiful building – oh for chimneys like those!

The first part of the woodland walk:

About half way around – very muddy wished I had put my wellies on:

Ancient oak tree, my oh said that I planted it ha ha ha!
I shall get my own back eventually

Nearly back to the gardens:

This is the OH WITH THE TREE HE PLANTED!!

Hope you enjoyed the snowdrop walk – it would have been a pleasanter walk in sunshine, but eh ho we cannot have it all.
Have asked a question about the last clump of snowdrops – they were in a border in the garden itself and were just like pixie bonnets. Beautiful.

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Comments

 

Oh, yes, I definitely enjoyed the walk. Your photos are so beautiful that they made me feel like I was there with you.
I love YOUR oak tree and the little birch, as well as all the flowers. The mansion and the surroundings are pretty spectacular, too. I can only imagine how beautiful it all looks in the sunshine.

Diana

21 Feb, 2011

 

Shame the sun didn't shine for you ... but the signs of Spring bursting into life make up for it ... love those bright Cyclamen at the base of the tree ... the terraced garden looks lovely too. I think the last pic are 'Snowflake' as my old Grandad used to call them ... spread like mad! : o )

21 Feb, 2011

 

Pleased you enjoyed the walk Diana, Shirley it was a pity the sun wasn't shining, but we went thinking that if we didn't do it while it was fine at least, we would miss them altogether. We have been doing this walk for about 20 years, (not every year) but at various times and it is better each time we go. Love the house myself, never been inside but they do do tours around it.

21 Feb, 2011

 

Shirley I posted that picture on questions page and apparently it is not a snowdrop but Leucojum vernalis, Snowflakes, so you had the name right, well done you. It was so so pretty. Definitely going to get some of them. I hope there are some left at Wilkinsons. If not will wait until next year.

21 Feb, 2011

 

Yup, leucojum, was going to show off, but you already have the name!! lol

Beautiful place Mum, where is it. I've never heard of it. Good to see Paul is still sporting the old deerstalker. I had a look at all the hunting hats in falls of Bruar and they didn't have a deerstalker at all, I was surprised. Still, I guess its a hat only a planter of ancient trees would wear! lol

lovely snowdrops, and well done for getting out there and facing the weather full on. If we wait for sunshine, as you say, we'll probably miss them! Just the same here, freezing cold, leaden sky and no sign of any change for the next few days, although it should get a little milder. Scott is really fed up to the back teeth with it, he's been ill on and off all winter. I keep telling him....it's your bloomin country, if you don't like it we could always go and live in ENGLAND!! he's not scared though.....he knows I love it here! :))

21 Feb, 2011

 

Thanks for the walk around Hodsock Priory Olivoil, the photos were lovely. Is it a NT property?.

21 Feb, 2011

 

Good for you to get out there whatever the weather Olive. Couldn't believe those cyclamen . . . and now we know how appropriate the name snowdrop is: third picture looks as though there's been a snow fall! Thanks for the lovely walk.

21 Feb, 2011

 

Teds, no it is not National Trust property, privately run now, think it is the Buchanan family that own it now. Thanks for the lovely comments everyone, glad you enjoyed the walk and photos with me.

21 Feb, 2011

 

Karen, there was a lady overhead Paul saying about me planting the tree you should have seen her face, it was funny. I told her I would get my own back. lol.

21 Feb, 2011

 

He should think himself lucky she didn't clock him one on your behalf...see, the sisterhood reigns! :))

21 Feb, 2011

 

Lovely walk Olive, thankyou for sharing, I`m adding this to my favs as its just the sort of place I love to visit, I`ve also checked online and read up on its history and how to get there, I think mine will be a summer trip for this year though.

21 Feb, 2011

 

Think the look on her face was saying that Karen, then I laughed and she saw the funny side of it, her husband was also laughing -

Lincslass they have different times open for differing events, trouble is I didn't take much notice of anything else, it is easy to get to though. No dogs allowed in the walk or on the gardens but you can walk them in the field where you park the car. I am sure you would enjoy the woodland walk, it is open until beginning of March.

21 Feb, 2011

 

lovely blog and pics, wouldnt it be nice to have a stream bank in our gardens, glad you had a nice day :o))

21 Feb, 2011

 

What a great blog Olive, thanks for showing the photos of those gorgeous snowdrops, aconites, cyclamen and Leucojum. I suspect that gorgeous multi stemmed silver birch is Betula utilis jacquemontii, beautiful. I hope mine looks like that one day.

21 Feb, 2011

 

Thank you Sanbaz and Dawnsaunt, it was a beautful day, tiring walking through all the sludge and mud in the woods, very slippy slidey under foot. The garden paths were very nice to get back to. So pleased we did it again before they all go away, lot of bluebells coming up in the woods also, bet they are nice when they are all in flower, they will smell beautiful also.

21 Feb, 2011

 

what a lovely place to go to, all those beautiful snowdrops; as well as a lovely house.
i wanted one of those white birches ~ havent given up hope yet!
ive seen those large snowcap type plants ~ the ones in the last photo ~ lovely!

21 Feb, 2011

 

Oh Olive you've reminded me of childhood memories of the wonderful smell of bluebells. One day I hope mine will be like that.

21 Feb, 2011

 

Very pretty Sticki - shall treat myself if I can find some this autumn.

Dawnsaunt, We used to pick the bluebells when I was in a brownie pack -it was one of our nature walks and we would bring them back in arm fulls. Wouldn't dream of doing anything like that today would we? We have a wood at the back of our cottage which has large drifts of bluebells in Spring and Wood Anenomes they are a lovely sight. Keep threatening to walk down and take pictures but something always crops up and I forget to get myself in there and take the camera.

21 Feb, 2011

 

Put a note in your diary Olive, it would be great to see the, when would you think this would be? April/May. I remember we went to our local wood as children picking bluebells, I even took some into my infant school for my teacher (what a creep, lol). Like you say, we would frown on that now but I guess they were so plentiful then.

Ive never seen wood anemones in real life, do they flower at the same time as bluebells?

21 Feb, 2011

 

just before i think dawnsaunt; they are really lovely ~ shady woodland cant remember which type of tree it is that they like to grow under ~ it isnt evergreen. i would love some but cant find them

21 Feb, 2011

 

A carpet of white. Very nice to see. I liked that big green branch aswell . Pitty you had dull weather, but it was a wonderful sight.

21 Feb, 2011

 

Hi Sticki, are you talking about wood anemones, if so, I've ordered some from Anglia Bulbs ....£5.95 for 50.

21 Feb, 2011

 

ah thats very helpful thanks DA ~ yes i did mean the wood anemones ~ i love them ~ like little stars. do they come as plants ~ not just the bulb?

21 Feb, 2011

 

As Sticki said they flower just before the bluebells, but they are around when the bluebells flower they are very pretty together, blue and white an amazing sight. They close their flowers at night and then when the sunshines they open up again. Some years are better than others. As I remember sticki they are a bit like lilly of the valley have like a small tuber/runner type root system which run under ground and spread well. Don't know the proper name for their root system. Not into how they do it, just like what they do. lol. Hope you find some sticki.

22 Feb, 2011

 

i found them where Dawnsaunt suggested and was just about to order when i realised i was paying nearly as much in postage as the bulbs; i was so pleased to find them tho.

22 Feb, 2011

 

that is the only trouble with internet shopping, expensive delivery charges.

22 Feb, 2011

 

a lovely walk...great photos

22 Feb, 2011

 

Thanks Olive for letting me know the wood anemones flower just before the bluebells, they must look stunning together.
Sticki, sorry, forgot about postage charges, I ordered various other plants so the postage charge wasnt too bad.

22 Feb, 2011

 

Thanks elsiemay it was indeed a beautiful walk.

22 Feb, 2011

 

i was thinking that dawnsaunt, another time i may do that ~ thanks

23 Feb, 2011

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