Bluebells 2011 – 17 April 2011

With the M1 still closed, we drove south to Kent, and enjoyed the sunshine in the best British tradition – in the garden of a country home. Hole Park Gardens are a lovely tranquil oasis. You could be visiting in any era. In fact the classic Rolls Royce parked out front, looked totally at home.

The reason for visiting today, was their spectacular bluebell woods. These were picture perfect, but were almost incidental to the real gardens, with flowers and 'miles' of formal yew hedges.

After lunch in their Stables Restaurant, we took a meandering scenic tour of Kent and on into Sussex, enjoying the warm sunshine. We finished our tour with afternoon tea at Michelin Abbey. Another seemingly tranquil spot, which has had stressful periods in it's history. In the 15th century. Henry VIII's troups demolished the Abbey church, leaving the Cloisters, these were made into a country house, with the addition of a Tudor wing. Then children were evacuated here during WWII, until it was decided to move them to Wales during 1940, I imagine it was too close to the south coast, and the threat of invasion.