Friday 12 November 2010

Dogless

11th November10, Hulne Park, 9am

Daisy was in the vets being spayed and would be there all day. Being in Alnwick and dogless I ventured into Hulne Park. This is a vast area of private parkland owned by the Duke of Northumberland and it has a few walking paths through the grounds. Dogs are banned so it was a good opportunity. (PS As I write Daisy is back home, a bit sore but fine.)

The "blue route" takes the walker up to Brizlee tower with (on a better day) commanding views of Northumberland.

Due to the weather, some of these photos are affected by raindrops on the lens.


This statue of a random monk figure would have been placed by the trackside for the amusement of the Duke's friends as they were driven round the estate.




The Percy family's new (2007) cemetery. The photos don't do justice to the fantastic wrought ironwork on these gates. Behind the gates is a metal tree sculpture which is simply beautiful.





Brizlee tower. Extremely ornate, the tower was built in 1777 to allow the Duke to view his new ornamental gardens which had just been completed by Capability Brown. Remembrance day is a day that we should remember the millions of ordinary folk that have lost their lives in war. It was odd to sit at the foot of such an ostentatious monument to one man. The inscription apparently translates as "Look around! I have measured out all these things, they are my orders, it is my planting. Many of these trees have been planted by my hand."


As I descended the hill the sun came out and it was a grand walk back to the car.

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