Leonardslee Lake and Gardens

Thank you for your comments over the past two days, opportunities for following your journals have been limited owning to (good) things going on…

Today was Susan’s birthday. Her choice was Leonardslee Lake and Gardens between Crawley and Brighton. We’d been here on one of her birthdays many years ago, since then it shut and only reopened to the public in 2018.

It has a fine collection of azaleas and rhododendrons some particular to the breeding skills of Mr Loder who was largely responsible for creating the gardens in the early part of the 20th century. Plenty of spectacular trees as well… and wallabies (?)

The gardens are located along a valley containing numerous lakes and ponds which were associated with the Wealden Iron Works prior to the industrial revolution. There was also a fine exhibition of dolls houses. It was nothing like you’d expect. Set around the early 1900s there models of loads of shops, offices, businesses,, houses, farms, gardens. The detail was staggering and enchanting. I’ve included the blacksmith’s forge as an extra: https://www.leonardsleegardens.co.uk/dolls-house-museum

The journey to snd from the Gardens along the M25 was pleasingly trouble free. An hour each way. That left plenty of time for Susan’s birthday dinner which consisted of tapas followed by a steak with all the trimmings and birthday cake.

A poignant moment was opening the card from Chris in California. Landon had written his name and Chris had also put Babe’s name as well. He’d given me the card before we left and when Babe was still with us.