Rievaulx Terrace

Looking Down on Rievaulx Abbey

From high above the valley, you can see Rievaulx Abbey sitting among the surrounding countryside, its weathered stone standing out against the green landscape. On the day I visited, the scene was made even more beautiful by the wildflowers in the foreground and sunlight falling across the ruins.

Rievaulx Terrace was created in the eighteenth century, and from here, the view across the valley reveals the scale of the abbey and the countryside that surrounds it. At either end of the terrace are two elegant temples, built as part of the original landscape design.

Yorkshire Lavender

A Sea of Purple at Yorkshire Lavender

When we visited Yorkshire Lavender, the lavender was in full bloom, creating a sea of purple across the hillside. One of the highlights was the lavender maze, with rows of plants packed closely together and paths winding their way through the flowers. Once we’d reached the centre and found our way back out again, my coat smelled really strongly of lavender which was nice.

The bees seemed to agree that the lavender was worth visiting, too. There were plenty of them buzzing from flower to flower as we wandered through the gardens.

Afterwards, we stopped at the tearoom and decided to try a lavender scone. I wasn't sure whether I'd like it, as I imagined the lavender might be quite strong, but it wasn't as perfumed as I'd expected, and it turned out to be a lovely way to finish our visit.

Wallington Hall

A Summer Day at Wallington

I'm making the most of having a National Trust membership this year, and our latest visit took us to Wallington Hall in Northumberland.

We arrived on one of the hottest days of the year, so we decided to explore the house first and escape the heat for a while. The main hall was particularly impressive, although I think the blue ceilings in the drawing room were my favourite detail.

Once we headed outside, there was plenty to photograph. The gardens were full of colour, with lupins, alliums and delphiniums standing out among the greenery. I particularly loved the greenhouse, which was filled with roses.

There was wildlife around the lakes, too, with waterhens wandering among the lily pads. We also crossed the river using the stepping stones before continuing to explore the grounds.

Ormesby Hall

A Summer Day at Ormesby Hall

We visited Ormesby Hall on a lovely summer day. The sky blue delphiniums were the first thing I noticed, standing tall among the other flowers and looking particularly beautiful in the sunshine. There were plenty of little details to photograph too, including a bee hovering over a foxglove just before disappearing into the flower.

Inside the hall, I loved the room decorated in sky blue and white. There was also a Victorian kitchen and laundry area to explore, as well as a model railway tucked away upstairs. After looking around the house, we spent some time wandering through the gardens and parkland.

Seals in the River Tees

Seals in the River Tees

I headed to the Tees Barrage hoping to photograph the seals that sometimes make an appearance in the River Tees.

Seeing them is never guaranteed and photographing them is even trickier. They can disappear beneath the water without warning and stay hidden for as long as 30 minutes, only to pop back up somewhere completely different.

So, I spent quite a while watching the river, camera ready, waiting for one of them to surface.

Nostell Priory

A Peaceful Day at Nostell

Nostell, in West Yorkshire, is home to a beautiful Palladian house surrounded by more than 300 acres of parkland. The house dates from the eighteenth century and stands on the site of a much older medieval priory.

On our visit, we began by wandering through the parkland towards the lake. The water reflected the surrounding trees, and there were plenty of birds making their home along the shoreline. A family of swans caught our attention, and we spent some time watching them while we ate our lunch. Nearby, moorhens were also moving quietly across the water.

Afterwards, we continued exploring the grounds, making our way through the parkland towards the Obelisk Lodge. It's easy to walk past a lake without stopping, but sometimes the best photographs come from simply sitting for a while and seeing what happens.