LEVENS HALL AND GARDENS

Good morning at Tai Chi. C performed her magic and I feel so much more relaxed now.  C and I then went into Grange for lunch and a natter at the Hazelmere cafe.  Delicious food.

After we parted I thought it was too nice to go home, so I popped into Levens Hall and Gardens.  I do like wondering around the grounds there and marvelling at their gardens and the topiary garden.  Unfortunately it was such a bright day, no great for photos. 

The bridge in the photo is what you cross when arriving via Kendal or Grange-over-Sands.and this view is from just inside the gates.  it is over the River Kent.

The photo in the extra is one I took about a year ago when the weather was nice and sunny but not so over-bright - mind you I think I visited then about 10:00 am so that probably has a bearing on it.  I hope it's OK to put photos in extra that are not from today.  I just wanted you to see the house and some of the topiary and I didn't take any today as the sun was in the wrong direction and too bright, took loads of flowers though.

Levens Hall and Gardens is a magnificent Elizabethan mansion built around a 13th Century pele tower, which was expanded and rebuilt towards the end of the 16th Century. 

Levens Hall is the family home of the Bagots, whose family have been in continual ownership for over 400 years.  You can go around the house but not take any photos as it is a private residence. They do have some lovely jacobean furniture and I love wood panelled rooms.  I prefer just going round the gardens and grounds though.


The award winning gardens were laid out in 1694. The topiary is to be marvelled at, the beech hedges are very high and encourage lots of lovely bird life. There are also many seasonal flower beds which create a stunning visual impact.
 
The topiary garden has over 100 specimens including huge abstract shapes, pyramids and columns reminiscent of monstrous chess men. Levens Hall’s topiary is the oldest in the world and some shrubs are over 300 years old



I'm sure some of you will already know all about Levens Hall but others probably don't, so I apologise to those that know more about it than I do.