Formal Gardens, Shugborough

Work finished at lunchtime so we planned a trip over to Shugborough Hall in the afternoon.  Now run by the National Trust, it was owned by the County Council until recently.  Talking to one of the NT guides they have reverted the house and parkland to how it would have been in the 18th Century, with the only exception being the apartments previous used by Earl Patrick Lichfield (until his death) which are retained as he left them, complete with examples of his photography.

Walking around the formal gardens you can clearly see how the River Sow was branched to provide a feature in front of the house, before rejoining the main flow of the river just before its confluence with the river Trent at Great Haywood.