Wonderful Wiltshire

Today is CleanSteve's birthday. He had sketched out a plan for the day, which first involved going down to the canal at Fretherne. Several Tall Ships had been in Gloucester docks, for the filming of the latest instalment of Pirates of the Caribbbean, and they were due to travel back down the canal in convoy to the river Severn (and thence to the open sea) today. However, when we got to the swing bridge, the keeper told us that the weather was against them, and they were now going to leave on Saturday morning!

Steve chose a lengthy route to our next destination, near the small town of Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire. We travelled behind horses and tractors, down small country lanes, passing Giant Haystacks and Big Daddy birds of prey. The weather was mixed, with bright sunshine and frequent showers. Eventually we reached the pub I'd chosen for lunch. I'd heard that they did gluten-free food, but sadly it was the chef's day off! After what seemed like many hours, we did get some food. I chose the prawns wisely, because I don't feel ill now. So much for a lovely lunch, and nul points to the researcher/Trip Advisor!

Our next stop was the Peto Gardens at Iford Manor, a garden which has recently been featured in a gardens magazine, and which had been recommended to us. It's not a plantsperson's garden: the planting is romantic rather than exotic, but the combination of the Tudor house with the spectacular garden is stunning. It was devised by reknowned garden designer Harold Peto between 1899-1914. Harold bought the old house and transformed the rough sloping land behind it into a romantic Italianate garden, carving out terraces and pathways, adorning them with statues and stonework that he'd collected during his years of Italianate garden-designing in France.

Everywhere there are statues or stone feaures, and around them plants cascade and tumble. Along at one end of the gardens stands the Peto cloister. In this intimate space, concerts are held. In June and July every year, operas are performed in English, in the round, with an orchestra of some twelve players. Guests may picnic in the gardens before attending the opera, and are later escorted to their vehicles by bearers of flaming torches. One for the diary next year...

I've chosen to blip this general view from one of the higher terraces. In the insert is one of the little niched statues which adorn the outside of the cloister. I could have chosen many, many other little details, but the wide shots were more difficult because we were shooting into the light, which came and went, came and went.

Later, we went back to the car and had a cup of coffee by the banks of the river, watching a white-throated dipper and a wagtail competing for dominance of a prominent stone. Then we drove home, put a curry in the oven, and turned on the central heating!