Gardens and castles
The last week-end of August we went to visit Highclere Castle (the 'real' Downton Abbey) on the Sunday, and as we had a car we went down to the Kent coast on the Saturday.
(Talking of Downton Abbey, Adrian has gone off it and hasn't watched a single episode of the new series that has just been broadcast. It is as if the visit to Highclere was the nail in the coffin for him - he says that it has become a soap opera!)
First port of call was the town of Sandwich, where we visited the lovely "Secret Gardens" which have been recently restored.
and the Church of St. Clement which boasts a Norman tower.
We didn't visit anything else in town as we had been before and we were on a tight schedule (but of course we had time for a cuppa and a slice of cake!)
Next stop was Deal and its castle, one of a series of fortifications built by Henry VIII to protect England from the French.
The unusual layout (it resembles a Tudor rose) made the visit more interesting. The castle is next to the pebble beach.
We looked invain for a fish & chip restaurant we liked the look of (we have standards! LOL!); so when we got the castle in nearby Walmer we enjoyed a savoury afternoon tea (well only a savoury scone with onion relish) before our visit.
This castle is the residence of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and the place where one of them - the Duke of Wellington - died. And you can see an original pair of 'Wellington boots'.
The gardens are especially lovely and include one designed in 1997 by Penelope Hobhouse to celebrate the 95th birthday of another Lord Warden, the Queen Mother.
Last stop of the day was Dover where we enjoyed a short walk on the famous cliffs.
(Talking of Downton Abbey, Adrian has gone off it and hasn't watched a single episode of the new series that has just been broadcast. It is as if the visit to Highclere was the nail in the coffin for him - he says that it has become a soap opera!)
First port of call was the town of Sandwich, where we visited the lovely "Secret Gardens" which have been recently restored.
and the Church of St. Clement which boasts a Norman tower.
We didn't visit anything else in town as we had been before and we were on a tight schedule (but of course we had time for a cuppa and a slice of cake!)
Next stop was Deal and its castle, one of a series of fortifications built by Henry VIII to protect England from the French.
The unusual layout (it resembles a Tudor rose) made the visit more interesting. The castle is next to the pebble beach.
We looked invain for a fish & chip restaurant we liked the look of (we have standards! LOL!); so when we got the castle in nearby Walmer we enjoyed a savoury afternoon tea (well only a savoury scone with onion relish) before our visit.
This castle is the residence of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and the place where one of them - the Duke of Wellington - died. And you can see an original pair of 'Wellington boots'.
The gardens are especially lovely and include one designed in 1997 by Penelope Hobhouse to celebrate the 95th birthday of another Lord Warden, the Queen Mother.
Last stop of the day was Dover where we enjoyed a short walk on the famous cliffs.