Leaving history behind more or less, we had a wander around the modern (ish) town centre, though that still had a lot of tudor buildings around the square. Some random shots were taken along the way.
Waiting patiently
No photo’s please.
Cool name
Phil got to re-visit his boyhood.
Shop assistant
Sir Clankalot and me.
swan shop
Frida and a pink flamingo
Shoe sale
and who wouldn’t want a full size zebra!!?? (Phil wouldn’t let me )
This would be great in my shed!
I think that will do for now. All the photos are embiggenable if you click on them to see them better.
We only had a couple of hours if that before darkness was due to descend, so we drove the 6 mile route around the estate, but stopped for a wander here and there when we came across something interesting.
Our first stop was the quarry from whence the stones came to build Cragside.
Upwardly mobile tree.
It’s full of rhododendrons in summer so we will be returning then.
Next stop was a short walk up to a lake bed that was drained but still had its boathouse. On the way I spotted some weird lichen/fungi
Coral Fungi ~ Yellow Stagshorn
and on researching them I found out “Although not known to cause poisoning, the Yellow Stagshorn fungus is generally regarded as inedible because of its gelatinous texture, lack of flavour and insubstantial proportions”. We gave it a miss.
Although the North lake had been drained there was still a rivulet coming from it
the lake bed was full of bullrushes
and at the far end, a forlorn boathouse.
North Lake Boathouse
I don’t know why the lake has been drained, there are other lakes though so went to see them instead.
When it started getting dark, we went home, but stopped on the way for this
end of day
As always, pictures are embiggenable with a click, and for more of the house and grounds, the full album can be found by clicking HERE