It Was Diana's Day Off,

so first thing,

blog posted, car filled with fuel and we were off to the Toby Carvery, 

for a all you can eat English breakfast, 

Diana was first I was waiting to have a couple of fried eggs fried until they were not runny, 

a full plate for Diana,

and for myself, £14.98 for both of us and we were on our way, 

into narrow country lanes, 

very narrow in places!

and turnings so small you could miss them,

as we made our way towards the parish of Eynsford,

 to the village of Lullingstone,

passing many unusual named roads and lanes, 

and quaint houses dating back hundreds of years, 

in the distance a viaduct, 

still used today I guess, 

for trains,

under we went, 

arriving here at Lullingstone Castle & The World Garden,

a little about the castle, the present Manor House and Gatehouse, which overlook a stunning 15-acre lake, were built in 1497 and have been home to the same family ever since. Both Henry VIII and Queen Anne are known to have been regular visitors. Hidden in the grounds, alongside the River Darent, visitors will also find "Queen Anne's" Bathhouse and an 18th century Ice House,

it is set in 120 acres of immaculately maintain gardens and meadows,

also in the grounds, St. Botolph church, which dates from the 14th century with later modifications, and it is a Grade I listed building, famed for having perhaps the oldest stained glass windows in England,  

after going through the archway we looked at future events,

 

tickets bought, Adult £9.00, Child £4.50 (3 - 16 yrs old), Senior citizen £7.50, Family £20.00 (2 adults & 2 children or 1 adult & 3 children), these are for the World Garden and walk around the grounds, as the house is a family home it is only open for limited days of the year, 

we could not have picked a better day to be outside, it was baking hot, 

first port of call, 

the church, still used regularly, 

I took a few photographs of the windows, 

it is amazing to think of the age that they have been here, 

and how times through those hundreds of years have changed, 

a close up of one of the windows,

and another one,

this one faded but still a testament to the artist craft, 

at the other end of the church, 

the alter,

by the side of which, 

a small chapel I think it would be called, 

with tombs, 

of nobility, 

along with ancestral shields, 

also a small altar, 

this tomb dating to 1587, 

we made our way back into the main part of the building, 

and a window behind the altar, 

out into the open again and a look at Lullingstone House, which is a family home to Tom Hart Dyke, 49, he inherited Lullingstone Castle near Dartford, Kent, that has been in his family since 1361,

in the grounds beyond the house a 15 acre lake, 

with one angler trying his luck fly fishing, as it happens we meet him on our walk, his catch for the day? 6 fish, all caught and released, 

looking back the entrance to the grounds and ticket office,

we passed a couple of artists taking advantage of the wonderful weather, 

this tree, like many others here was huge, 

and had a history, 

passing it we came to the tea and snack tent, 

so a coffee it was, 

whilst Diana bought that I took a photograph of the walled flower bed, 

time for a photograph of us, 

as Diana takes the pose, 

we had a visitor whilst sitting, 

and what a strange creature he was, 

coffee and cake finished, 

and we were on our walk, 

well we had to stop, 

every now and again!

turn left into the walled garden,

where the World Garden is situated, 

up to, 

the gated archway, 

and inside, we turned left, 

and straight away found these huge peonies, 

and when I say huge, 

they were!

white, pink and bi-colored, 

all in this bed, 

we turned to the right and found ourselves in the Asia section,

with bamboos everywhere, 

these black ones, 

particularly nice, 

with pathways leading through them,

out into the Australia section, with eucalyptus, 

and ornamental grasses everywhere, 

each of the continents has a area in the garden, 

we passed under more eucalyptus,

a quick pose, 

before we enter the Africa garden, a baobab tree in the distance, (but not a real one),

in the center of the garden, a globe of the world, 

we bimbled along one of the pathways, 

leading to a covered Australia area, 

and were greeted with, 

a passion flower, 

there is also a small orchid house here, 

back into the covered section, I am guessing it is covered to keep the worst of the rain off of this dry habitat planted area,

there is a sales section here, 

with many plants such as these succulents, 

and insectivorous, 

plants for sale,

back under cover the Australia section gave way to a section form the USA

with cactus everywhere, 

graveled walkways passing the beds,

it was a impressive display, 

with plants along the wall, I am going to stop now, if you would like to see the rest of our day and evening, at the bottom right of the page, please press the 'Older Posts' button.