To the Manor Born

If only that were true. I decided to make an effort to go on the photo group outing even though I really didn't feel all that great and the weather was cold, damp and grey but I'm glad I did because it was a beautiful place and the sun came out after an hour or so and we felt really hot in our thick warm coats.
We went to Tofte Manor in Bedfordshire, a wonderful old house and lots of grounds to explore. The first mention of Tofte Manor lies in the Doomsday book in 1086. The land was originally gifted by the Crown to Sir William Tofte, a Knights Templar, in the 12th Century. The village of Sharnbrook was known as a Templar settlement and relics of this still appear in the names of the Streets such as ‘Templars Way’. The oldest part of the house as it stands today goes back to the 17th century. A plaque dated 1613 sits above the central doorway ‘Except the Lord build the house, their labour is lost that build it’. The Alston family were responsible for the design of the present day house which later became the home of the Wells family of Charles Wells Brewery. It passed to Christopher and Suzy Castleman in l995, who renovated the property and gardens to its present glory. Five acres of beautiful landscaped gardens offer serenity and space. As you wander around, you find secret places, statuary, rose arbours and ancient trees. Magnificent sweeping lawns drift off into the fields in the distance. Steps lead down to a sunken garden with a rose arbour, a stunning crystal ball water feature, and ageless statues set amongst formal box parterres. You will also find unusual swings hidden amongst stately trees, mystical giant crystals in curious places and of course - the labyrinth.
This labyrinth copies the design of the ancient pattern of the labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral in France, but with a unique twist. It incorporates all the elements in its design; earth, air, fire and water. Research has shown that walking a labyrinth creates balance in the body and brings peace to the mind, I didn't walk the labyrinth today as I was too tired but maybe I should have tried, it might have invigorated me.
It was a truly magnificent place and I wore myself out trying to get round to see all that there was on offer because there's no chance of me going back as it's by appointment only. I had to admit defeat after a couple of hours and didn't want to leave but I just felt wiped out. I took loads of photos and had the usual quandary about which one to blip because there was a red kite swooping low over the gardens and I got a reasonable shot of it but I ended up with a shot of the Manor itself because it looked so nice in the sun., hope you like it too :-))