I just couldn't resist this sheepie that we saw in the Peaks- it was so cute and inquisitive!
Showing posts with label the Peaks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the Peaks. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
A Day at Chatsworth.
On one of our bad weather days in the Peaks we decided to visit Chatsworth. Chatsworth is a large estate in the Peaks that is still the private residence of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. It is a beautiful house and provides an interesting chance to see an estate with mix of old and new treasures, since the current Duke and Duchess and their family have continued to add to the art collection. There are also some interesting exhibits in the house about life there in the past and present, and it is pretty clear that the Duke and Duchess are highly involved in the running of the property. (Also, as a side note for P&P fans, this house was Mr. Darcy's Pemberly in the newest movie version of P&P...)
We happened to be there as they were preparing a floral exhibit in the house to celebrate fall. The arrangements were truly exquisite! Some were also quite whimsical, such as an eggplant festooned with a feather and a cabbage crowned with a dahlia...
The interior of the house took us a few hours to go through, since there were a large number of rooms, all featuring incredible artwork and other relics. One of my favorite pieces was the veiled vestal virgin statue, which is absolutely stunning. I think I stared at it for at least a few minutes, which should say something to those who know my normal speed of art-viewing.
After the house tour, we walked around the public grounds.
The gardens were not the most incredible that we saw on our trip, but they still were quite nice.
And, of course, a trip to the garden provided more flowers for me to photograph!
The engineering that had gone into these gardens over its history is pretty interesting. These artistically placed boulders being one example, found in the rock garden.
One thing that I found funny was the chair made out of US half dollar coins. It just seemed so over the top! It's like the owners were saying, "Yes, we're made of money! In fact, we make our furniture out of money! US money, at that!" But, in fact, the chairs were quite comfortable.
Even though I felt like the house was a little excessive, it really is beautiful. We had previously visited Chatsworth back in 2003, and I was happy that we went back, as there were more rooms open, and exhibits and information had been added that really enhanced the experience. I'd definitely recommend it!
We happened to be there as they were preparing a floral exhibit in the house to celebrate fall. The arrangements were truly exquisite! Some were also quite whimsical, such as an eggplant festooned with a feather and a cabbage crowned with a dahlia...
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The interior of the house took us a few hours to go through, since there were a large number of rooms, all featuring incredible artwork and other relics. One of my favorite pieces was the veiled vestal virgin statue, which is absolutely stunning. I think I stared at it for at least a few minutes, which should say something to those who know my normal speed of art-viewing.
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| The library was my favorite room! |
After the house tour, we walked around the public grounds.
The gardens were not the most incredible that we saw on our trip, but they still were quite nice.
And, of course, a trip to the garden provided more flowers for me to photograph!
The engineering that had gone into these gardens over its history is pretty interesting. These artistically placed boulders being one example, found in the rock garden.
One thing that I found funny was the chair made out of US half dollar coins. It just seemed so over the top! It's like the owners were saying, "Yes, we're made of money! In fact, we make our furniture out of money! US money, at that!" But, in fact, the chairs were quite comfortable.
Even though I felt like the house was a little excessive, it really is beautiful. We had previously visited Chatsworth back in 2003, and I was happy that we went back, as there were more rooms open, and exhibits and information had been added that really enhanced the experience. I'd definitely recommend it!
Monday, October 8, 2012
Sunset on Stanage Edge.
One of our days in the Peaks, my parents and I hiked up to Stanage Edge an hour or two before sunset. Stanage is a rim of rock that overlooks the surrounding countryside, and it is famous for rock climbing, as well as just being beautiful to walk along.
Going around sunset was really perfect, as the sun really made the rocks glow.
This spot was used in the most recent P&P movie for a scene during Elizabeth's visit to the Peaks, when she's standing on a cliff in the wind. And, let me tell you, they were not making up the wind for cinematic reasons- it truly was insanely windy up there!
We walked around along the top for quite a ways, enjoying the view and the sunset.
Eventually, closer to sunset, we decided to head back down to our car so that we wouldn't be walking down a rough stone path in the dark (as fun as that sounds...).
This was a great end to a beautiful, beautiful day. Given the UK's reputation for rain, I was so happy to have such nice weather!
Going around sunset was really perfect, as the sun really made the rocks glow.
This spot was used in the most recent P&P movie for a scene during Elizabeth's visit to the Peaks, when she's standing on a cliff in the wind. And, let me tell you, they were not making up the wind for cinematic reasons- it truly was insanely windy up there!
We walked around along the top for quite a ways, enjoying the view and the sunset.
Eventually, closer to sunset, we decided to head back down to our car so that we wouldn't be walking down a rough stone path in the dark (as fun as that sounds...).
This was a great end to a beautiful, beautiful day. Given the UK's reputation for rain, I was so happy to have such nice weather!
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| Countryside at the bottom of Stanage. |
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| Looking up at Stanage Edge. |
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