Extra weekend picspam - or where I had lunch today...
I hope LJ is not so sloth-like that I can't get this to work...
I have some pictures taken during the week for my Sunday picspam post, but took more today, and thought it would be too much for one post, so here are the ones I took today.
I went, with my mother and my daughter, to have lunch somewhere that my daughter had never been, and my mother had last been in 1945 - I, on the other hand, have been there only about three years ago...
Where? Milntown. This is a small stately home, for want of a better description, just outside Ramsey. It has been closed to the public for many years - the last time it was accessible was when it was run as a pub during WW2 when my mother remembers visiting it during the week after VE Day. This year the grounds have been opened to the public, and a small restaurant opened too. (How did I get to see it three years ago? We went on a trip from church to look at the grounds, then open for parties by invitation only!)
The house has a long and fascinating history which I would have trouble summarising - but they do quite a good job on their own new website.
We didn't 'do' the grounds, as from the carpark to the house was about as far as Mum could manage, D-d and I plan to go back in the summer, but under the cut is a taster - oh and something tasty - our lunches were so beautiful I took their photograph -
This is the approach to the house -
and this is what the house looks like once you get past those wonderful guardian trees -
And I love this row of trees just to the left as you go through that entrance way -
There was a small conservatory around the left-hand corner of the house since the 19th century - it has been replaced with a larger one so beautifully that no-one who hadn't seen the old one would ever guess that the new one is not an original, or at least 19th century, feature. This new conservatory is the restaurant.
This is the planter beside the doorway-
And this is the view from the table where we sat -
And what lovely food to go with the surroundings - this is my seafood salad -
(there was fresh salmon, locally smoked salmon, and prawns in that tower...)
Whereas Mum and D-d both opted for queenies and bacon -
Mine tasted as good as it looked, and they both agreed that theirs were also delicious.
This is the view from one of the other windows -
And this is those flowers from outdoors -
Mum says the flowers are camellias - I have no idea, to be honest - do correct me if she's wrong!
And this is to add to my selection of wonderful gateways - I think possibly Ithilien...
This is a view of one of those imposing trees at the gate, taken from the otherside, as we left -
And finally - this pheasant was pottering around in the field in a corner of which is the car-park.
I plan to return, as I said, and take time to walk around the grounds properly - there is that garden glimpsed through the gate, a vinery, a millpond...
But for today, that was about as much as Mum could manage. I also took a picture of Mum and D-d which is posted on the photo_scavenger - here - I use a different size for the pics on the photobucket account that I post those from, which is why I didn't duplicate it here. I just liked the way that they mirrored each other in it.
D-d heads back to York on the morning boat tomorrow - she is just stashing stuff in her car. She was also much amused as I have just been out in the dark to hang out clothes on the line - well it is going to be a dry night, and a nice day tomorrow, so they might as well be out ready for the early morning sun!
I have some pictures taken during the week for my Sunday picspam post, but took more today, and thought it would be too much for one post, so here are the ones I took today.
I went, with my mother and my daughter, to have lunch somewhere that my daughter had never been, and my mother had last been in 1945 - I, on the other hand, have been there only about three years ago...
Where? Milntown. This is a small stately home, for want of a better description, just outside Ramsey. It has been closed to the public for many years - the last time it was accessible was when it was run as a pub during WW2 when my mother remembers visiting it during the week after VE Day. This year the grounds have been opened to the public, and a small restaurant opened too. (How did I get to see it three years ago? We went on a trip from church to look at the grounds, then open for parties by invitation only!)
The house has a long and fascinating history which I would have trouble summarising - but they do quite a good job on their own new website.
We didn't 'do' the grounds, as from the carpark to the house was about as far as Mum could manage, D-d and I plan to go back in the summer, but under the cut is a taster - oh and something tasty - our lunches were so beautiful I took their photograph -
This is the approach to the house -
and this is what the house looks like once you get past those wonderful guardian trees -
And I love this row of trees just to the left as you go through that entrance way -
There was a small conservatory around the left-hand corner of the house since the 19th century - it has been replaced with a larger one so beautifully that no-one who hadn't seen the old one would ever guess that the new one is not an original, or at least 19th century, feature. This new conservatory is the restaurant.
This is the planter beside the doorway-
And this is the view from the table where we sat -
And what lovely food to go with the surroundings - this is my seafood salad -
(there was fresh salmon, locally smoked salmon, and prawns in that tower...)
Whereas Mum and D-d both opted for queenies and bacon -
Mine tasted as good as it looked, and they both agreed that theirs were also delicious.
This is the view from one of the other windows -
And this is those flowers from outdoors -
Mum says the flowers are camellias - I have no idea, to be honest - do correct me if she's wrong!
And this is to add to my selection of wonderful gateways - I think possibly Ithilien...
This is a view of one of those imposing trees at the gate, taken from the otherside, as we left -
And finally - this pheasant was pottering around in the field in a corner of which is the car-park.
I plan to return, as I said, and take time to walk around the grounds properly - there is that garden glimpsed through the gate, a vinery, a millpond...
But for today, that was about as much as Mum could manage. I also took a picture of Mum and D-d which is posted on the photo_scavenger - here - I use a different size for the pics on the photobucket account that I post those from, which is why I didn't duplicate it here. I just liked the way that they mirrored each other in it.
D-d heads back to York on the morning boat tomorrow - she is just stashing stuff in her car. She was also much amused as I have just been out in the dark to hang out clothes on the line - well it is going to be a dry night, and a nice day tomorrow, so they might as well be out ready for the early morning sun!