The Gorgeous Gardens of Cragside Pt. 2 (Plus a Really Cool House)
Carrying on from yesterday's garden post here are more flowers from our visit to Cragside's formal garden and photos of the house itself which I find hard to believe was built in 1863 but my husband doesn't.
Being afraid of heights I got a bit freaked out walking on the foot bridge which you can see in the middle below, but it was the only way to the house from where we were. It's not terribly high so I looked like quite a wuss.
This is our house. That's what I would be saying if I was Lord Armstrong, if he was still alive. It's built into a rocky hillside above a 4 km² forest garden. And you thought you had a lot to prune. Having seen it we can't fathom the maintenance. We took the scenic route out of there and drove for about 10 minutes, trying not to scrape the sides of the car against the rocks, before we were finally out. It is a truly stunning and awesome landscape.
The house boasts a sandstone rock garden that is said to be Europe's largest.
Wonderful! I especially love the blue (forget-me-nots perhaps?) on the rocks...
Posted by: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1404941539 | July 02, 2010 at 11:41 PM
Do you hear that little sound? It's my heart, breaking over this place and these pictures! (No, I'm not dramatic...) Will you be doing a calendar? Is Lord Armstrong looking for a blowzy American type by any chance?
Posted by: kim | July 03, 2010 at 01:41 PM
Thanks, Amber! I like that one, too. :)
Kim - Can you imagine living there? I'll say more about Lord Armstrong when we actually have time to go into the house, but he was really an amazing man who treated his workers as equals and used his wealth to create places of beauty for others - he built the Jesmond Dene in Newcastle which is a really gorgeous forest to have so close to the city centre.
A calendar isn't a bad idea, actually!
Denise ♥
Posted by: Denise @ Swelle | July 03, 2010 at 02:10 PM
Such beautiful photos. I am so jealous that you get to visit such wonderful places - but also happy for you that you get to experience it.
Posted by: Angela | July 03, 2010 at 05:03 PM
Oh wowee! What a stunning place!
i adore the steps up and the rockary area but the house has to be the most beautiful! I love places like this, youre lucky you got to go! :D
xxxx
Posted by: lucy | July 07, 2010 at 01:08 PM