The NT membership cards are ready to go this week. Decided it’s probably going to be busy everywhere on a lovely June weekend, and that NT property might be best placed to cope.
It’s huge.
and so copes with what seemed to us like a lot of people.
Also get the chance to see the old ruin before this one was built 450 years ago – looked pretty similar to me.
But we can’t compete in the glamour stakes this week
… although some of us tried!
The forecast is pretty good, so a few days ago we chose to discard Slovenia ( it’s all planned, so will probably appear here one day soon) and try Derbyshire.
Beautiful house about 10 minutes from Matlock – decent view from the conservatory.
However, much as we might try, we can’t compete with the glamorous A – Listers in the Cayman Islands!
But back to the more mundane Derbyshire. Calke Abbey was a decent stopping off point.
Liked the modern shower
And the gardens
Much more comfortabler day in Bexhill, mainly on the beach enjoying the sunshine and the views.
Wednesday was cold – well about 12 degrees but with little sun and a north wind, it was mainly about finding indoor pursuits.
NT no. 6 – house where Ellen Terry lived. And according to the guide, in the 1880s she was paid the equivalent of £30k per week.
Lunch indoors with a view.
Quick stop at Winchelsea with a famous resident in the cemetery
Dinner indoors with a view.
Actually in this part of the world it is usually a National Trust week. Today was numbers 4 and 5, with more to come. And slightly oddly both of today’s were new to us.
Batemans
Rudyard Kipling lived here for over 20 years.
Scotney Castle
Lamb House ( where Henry James lived) for a repeat visit.
And the seaside – and don’t be fooled – it was quite chilly in the north wind.
Another familiar, but great, place.
Nice breakfast on our terrace.
And when we’re in this part of the world, Sissinghurst is a must, and never disappoints.
Enjoyed a short heatwave at home, and then decided at the last minute to have another brief exploration in Kent and East Sussex. Very familiar, but lots of activities to keep us amused.
Stopped at Ightham (“Item“) on the way. Trying to remember when we were last here – probably 7 or 8 years (Google confirms 9 years – 2016!).
Revisited Pett Level which we found last time.
And Rye
Can’t believe we’ve been here nearly a week. Slowed down to a virtual standstill, although we’ve managed to visit just about everywhere on the island.
Get the sun on the terrace in the morning, so enjoy that. Then a little trip out for a bit of a diversion, an afternoon on the beach, and evenings in our favourite restaurant.
Temples near us (over 5,000 years old so you have to visit)
Beach
Restaurant
The owner lived and worked in Manhattan 30 years ago, and the only other people in last night also lived and worked in Manhattan! It’s a bit different here. And the pasta is superb.
Morning walk
