Stairway to the ground floor

Day three, Belsay Hall and gardens. 

The intensity of constant stimulating company was beginning to wear on me at this point, and D was so worn out that he decided to go off on his own to a local RSPB place. 

After a morning spent browsing the wonderful Barter Books in Alnwick we drove across to Belsay, where a colleague of my brother had offered to show us around. She was running a little late but we took a free tour offered by the knowledgeable English Heritage staff and met up with the colleague later on. She and her two lovely dogs, Bill and Ned, took us on a brisk walk around the gardens, where I could happily have spent many hours wandering and finding reading spots.