G (my long-suffering flatmate) and I decided to take a rather leisurely route to London, calling in at G’s family home in Cheshire for some doggie cuddles, good food and general R&R. Whilst there, we were invited to accompany some of G’s family on a jaunt to the rather charming Arley Hall – a Victorian country house built in the Elizabethan style. Specifically, we were there to admire the gardens which, as their website proudly (and justly) states: ‘are amongst the finest in Britain’. Unfortunately for you lot, you’ll have to make do with my amateur photography, but hopefully you’ll get a sense of their scale, beauty, variety and vitality!
As you can see, it was rather a grey, overcast sort of day – not that we let the weather curb our enthusiasm…
…and now for my close-up… 
A real fairytale cottage hidden in the gardens. 
Those colours, just…wow. 
I could just picture Peter Rabbit hopping up to these gardening tools…
Unfortunately Arley Hall proper was closed for a private function – a wedding, as it later transpired (we saw the bride and her groom having their photos taken in the gardens – what a gorgeous setting for a wedding!) – so I will have to return to see the rest of this lovely, rather hidden, gem.
Next stop: London town.
G x
I Spy Edinburgh 