Sunday 25 November 2012

A Sunday jaunt to Ickworth Park


Do you have a National trust card?  If not I seriously recommend it.  Our closest National Trust place is  Ickworth.  It's a fantastically grand house, and really focusses on the servants quarters (and has a kitchen to die for...every time I go I want to sneak into a giant copper pot and refuse to leave.

But today we weren't going into the house.  We were taking two extremely excited pups on a jaunt in the  cold crisp, Autumn air.  Tom's been away in Yorkshire this weekend, so needing adult contact I called on my brother "Uncle Ben" to accompany us!


We bundled myself, Ben, two children, two dogs and a large pushchair into my little Fiesta....I'm still not sure how we all fitted!

(and boy, was it windy!)
The trees in Ickworth are something else.  Some are over 700 years old and are stunning, dotted all over the park land!  They're just as attractive in Winter as they are in Summer. (although going with a tree surgeon [Ben] means you're never free from the knowledge that something's been Pollarded wrong/a branch needs to be chopped off that tree/the kind of fungus a tree has unfortunately contracted.)


One little Pickle was not a well behaved boy at all and, egged on by the crazy wind, went a little bit mad when let free to run, so had to be confined to a lead (after he at last decided to come back).....naughty Howard.

See...he's so embarrassed he can't even look at me.


 Maximus (aptly named), although he was being a very well behaved pup....for once....also had his freedom cruelly taken away as all he'd do is bother poor little Howard, when off lead.  Look how massive he is! 7 months old and still a way to go to being fully grown, he's going to be a monster.  


Little man had a great time, playing with sticks but I drew the line at puddle splashing, as his wellygogs had been left at school.  I think there were a few "accidental" steps through puddles, but I can imagine it was hard to stay away from temptation.

Hello! *waves*


 Little Hugs slept through the whole thing....I've got it on good authority that it's hard work being that smiley.


There was running...exclaiming at exciting looking sticks and leaves.  Old trees were inspected (and judged....Ben!)  Dogs were sniffed, and sniffed again, just to be sure, and the landscape was appreciated, greatly.



We decided that climbing into this dead tree would be unwise, as it seemed to be held together by it's bark.....


It wasn't too long before the moans of empty tummies and complaints of the cold started, so we headed back to the lovely little cafe, near to the house.  We had much deserved tea and flipping giant sausage sandwiches (the big dog might have had to help finish mine.)



So with a full stomach, and the cobwebs well and truly blown out of our heads, we headed home.  Bye bye Ickworth.


And here we are, back home, the little people watching Cars, one lego building and the other book eating (I'll leave it up to your imagination as to which is doing which), as I sit with a cup of coffee, sewing a little something (to be revealed later.)  I hope your weekends have been full of fun and not of bugs and colds.


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6 comments

  1. Looks like a lovely place for a day out. Howard looks so sweet and Maximus is well named. I hope he hasn't managed to escape over any fences. Everyone's always surprised to see Lottie jumping over the fence into my veg plot and she's only a whippet!

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    1. No fences yet, thank goodness. He's found my stairgate easy enough to hop over though. Poor boy has damaged his spinal cord by knocking something heavy onto his back, so isn't strictly allowed to do anything strenuous for a long while......we'll see.

      I think Lottie seems like a much better size (minus her fence hopping!) Max is certainly more greyhound and Deerhound than whippet (although apparently there is some whippet in there somewhere.......I'm not sure where though!) xx

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  2. Hello and waves in return.

    That looks like just the kind of place I would love and to blow the cobwebs away too.

    Nina x

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  3. I got a card a couple of years ago but wish I'd done it years ago (thought it was only for old people!)as there are some amazing houses, scrummy cafe's but even more amazing parks, woods and gardens to walk and explore especially for doggies and the weeny ones. Looks like yours had an amazing time.

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    Replies
    1. Old people...pish...! It really is worth it. A couple of visits a year and the card will have paid for itself....how much tea and cake you consume is out of my hands though!
      I love that wherever you are in the country, you can go to a National Trust house/garden and know what to expect. They all have the same feel about them. (and wonderful cake!)
      xxxx

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