Catching up

I have been back to walking I really MUST go somewhere!!!

Before I went in holiday the Coalport Pond had fledged 11 Mallard ducklings and New Hall 15 in broods of 7, 6 and 2.  There have been 6 Canada geese and various coots and moorhen chicks. The split pond has had nothing due to it being small and heavily fished  

The Friday before I went away there were 2 more ducklings at New Hall and 4 on the common.

Upon return the ducklings were still at New Hall and growing 

I had a long look at the common and nothing so imagine my surprise when on Friday I walked up and the first thing I found was ..  

They are teenagers and should be ok but I expect this pond to get fished a bit over the school holidays. If I sound anti fishing it's just that these are the type who are young and leave there litter etc etc.

I have started seeing quite a few Jersey Tiger Moths! 

Todays highlight a Kingfisher 100 yards from my house! 

Some Stamford churches and Burghley House

Stamford has somehow done something that most historic English market towns fail to do and  retained its historic charm. Whereas in most towns have cars everywhere stamford has a pedestrian thoroughfare where you can walk freely and the frontages have some character. 

It has a number of very fine historic churches which are open to the public. Well except for St Georges which I have managed to get into once! Another fail today. 

St Mary's.... frustratingly you could only walk in the nave. The church receives "alternative episcopal oversight" from the Bishop of Richborough. Essentially  for those who cannot accept the ministry of women as priests and bishops. The church was started in the 12th century. the tower added in the 13th and the spire in the 14th.

Annoyingly you can't get to see the tomb.

Glass by Christopher Whall and his first independent commission.

All Saints is a predominantly 13th century church and is well situated. Peregrines have bred here since 2021 which is something I of course like 

St John the Baptists is now redundant. Thankfully unlike St Michael the Greater which was turned into shops it is in the care of the excellent Churches Conservation Trust. It is used for concerts.

So I could have walked to St Martins and the tomb of William Cecil or found my way to St Leonards Priory ruins but the weather looked dodgy so I went to Burghley House

Burghley  was the home of William Cecil. Elizabeth I's chief adviser. A role his son Robert also had. 

Cecil established two Cecil dynasties. The  Marquesses of Exeter via his eldest son at Burghley and the Marquesses of Salisbury at Hatfield House. Two of his descendants have been Prime Minister.

The house is now a charitable trust although the family run the trust. 

So in we go. You only get to see the state rooms but boy are they impressive.

It is a jumble of styles.

Now at this point it had started to rain! 

And at this point I gave up went back to the car and ate my sandwich and drove back to the hotel !! 

Burghley is amazing but I don't love it! Most of the formal gardens are private and the garden of delights is a little fake to my mind. I don't know I just can't warm to it. On virtually every scale it exceeds say Lamport Hall I visited earlier in the week and yet I warmed to that! Go figure.

But do go visit because it is amazing and unlike many of the Grand Houses that are part of the Historic Houses scheme it does give free access. I'm looking at you Blenheim, Chatsworth and Castle Howard.