Sunshine and shadows....

An overnight stay near Rugby meant that we were able to spend more time in the morning with my Aunty and cousins, before heading home.

To break the journey, we stopped off at Charlecote Park, a beautiful National Trust Tudor house and landscape deer park, lying half way between Warwick and Stratford-Upon-Avon. Charlecote has been home to the Lucy family since the 12th century, and no expense was spared in furnishing it in Victorian times by Mary Elizabeth Lucy.

Despite the grandeur and beauty of these stately homes, it is always the kitchens and servants quarters that I find most interesting, where you see the other side of life in a grand country house. In the laundry outbuildings, the sunlight was filtering in through the window, bringing to life the colours and textures of the ancient brick and stonework. After yesterday, it was lovely to find such a peaceful scene....