The old door.

Fiona's birthday today, so we started with a visit to Haddon Hall in Derbyshire, which has been used as a location since 1924 in a number of films, including several versions of Jane Eyre; Pride and Prefudice; The Other Boleyn Girl and The Princess Bride, plus too many others to list here.

Our day just flew away!
The house is superb, and the walled enclosures of tiered, riverside gardens are simply stunning - bursting with blossom, and particularly notable for the roses, we thought, although there was so much variety to choose from it was very difficult.

This ancient door and steps down into the garden is our choice for the day, somewhat quirky, but capturing the antiquity of the buildings and a flavour of the wonderful garden.

Tonight we are staying in the Devonshire Arms in Baslow and looking forward, as I write this, to a slap-up birthday dinner - perhaps with a soupcon of bubbly!

Tomorrow to Eyam - the plague village.