'A Sight to Behold!'

We left home in bright sunshine and drove to West Sussex to visit Wakehurst Place, National Trust. The sky got greyer by the minute but we made the decision to carry on. So happy that we did, as after having coffee in the very quiet (rare) NT restaurant the sun began to shine and the light was easier to manage.

Wakehurst Place is a Nat.Trust site managed by Kew Gardens..set on 465 acres of country estate and boasts ornamental gardens, woodlands, a nature reserve and an Elizabethan mansion. It also holds the essential conservation work of Kew's Millennium Seed Bank.

In April it was announced that Nat.Trust members would have to start paying £10 for parking..free for half an our ????????? and £5 for two hours. Kew members now have free entry and parking..Something has gone seriously wrong here....the place was very quiet unlike the past years that we have visited several times a year. They have just a small amount of staff now..and the spirit has gone from the place. We met several Nat.Trust members en route who all feel very bitter about it. Our worry is that with such a shortage of staff are the gardens and forests going to deteriorate? 465 acres is a huge area!

We were just as thrilled with the Autumn colour.....it was indeed a 'sight to behold'.One of my favourite places in Spring and Autumn particularly. I guess the answer is 'pay up with a smile...try not to clench your teeth!'