On an overcast afternoon we set out on foot with a map and found one of Croydon’s open spaces – Lloyd Park. It had been very wet; some of the paths were muddy. That doesn’t trouble us near home as we wear walking boots, but we had travelled light.
Here are a few photos. One oak tree was more autumnal than most of the other trees.
In September we went for a walk from the National Trust car park at Sizergh Castle. To begin we went to the bird watching area, where my gravatar image originated. The wooden owl is still there, but more weathered. We then followed the path to Sizergh Fell and did a circular walk, which ended up on the same path as on our previous visit. The weather was overcast with a shower during which we sheltered in the porch of Helsington church . There were views in various directions.
We were fortunate to see a nuthatch just before we drove off.
We broke our journey home at Wallington, where it was a National Heritage Open Day. When we arrived the person checking membership cards said, “You can come again.”
I replied, “We have; we were here on Saturday!”
As the house did not open until noon we went to the wildlife hide and spent some time watching the birds.
The area around the hide was well-stocked with bird-food, attracting lots of birds. Unfortunately my phone was not ideal for this sort of photography, so I have only one picture to share. (I have also mentioned our bird-watching experience in a post on Sue’s Trifles.)
I took a few pictures in the house, which is a fascinating building containing many interesting items. The ones which caught my eye were of flowers and owls as I have friends, who are also interested in these.
We had time for another walk in the grounds after looking round the house. There is plenty to do both at Wallington and Cragside for many visits.
