On the lawn in front of the castle, a wedding party was gathering, champagne glasses in hand. The ladies in their high heels looked a bit unstable on the soft ground, and some had unwisely chosen to expose a lot more of their shoulders, massive upper arms and cleavages than you'd ever want to see. Most of them were rather elegantly dressed, though, and anyway - it's just me being shallow again.
We were not really interested in the wedding party but had of course come to walk around the grounds and gardens, and that we did.
A cow with super powers - this one can walk on the water:
This charming structure now houses the offices from where the estate of Ripley castle is managed. Not a bad place to work, is it?
The two pictures above don't fully do the beauty of this wildflower meadow justice. This was my favourite part of the walled gardens.
A family who has a squirrel and a starfish in their coat of arms - how can you not like them instantly?
Inside the greenhouse:
Are you still with me? My next post will show the grounds outside the walled gardens.
If I lived near there I would want to visit Ripley Castle once a week, it is stunning. Old stone and wonderful gardens and a cow walking on water, what more could you want? Those wedding guests sound rather lacking in good taste :)
ReplyDeleteSome of them definitely were, Terra; just another proof of the fact that money can't buy taste :-)
DeleteRipley is certainly a place worth going to more often. I'd love to see it in all kinds of season and weather.
It's a beautiful place!
ReplyDeleteIt is, isn't it!
DeleteI love this post but you knew I would! Every time I see a walled garden, I think of "The Secret Garden" and this most certainly reminds me of that excellent book! And I love the wildflower meadow garden too, you know of my love for wildflowers!
ReplyDeleteYes, Kay, I knew you'd love the wildflower meadow! The amazing thing was that there was hardly anybody about; my sister and I had the place nearly to ourselves in spite of it being the main tourist season.
DeleteThe door leading to the walled garden made me think of "The Secret Garden", too; it is a book I love very much.
Beautiful photos, Meike.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Frances.
DeleteCo-incidentally Ripley Castle featured in a news item on BBC Look North last night. It is one of very few old noble residences in Britain that have been the home of the same family for over five hundred years. In this case it is the Ingleby family and their descendants. Did you meet any of them?
ReplyDeleteNot this time, but we did last time. As far as I remember, the castle has been in the Ingleby family for over 700 years, not "only" 500. Must look it up on their website.
DeleteWell when I eventually do my tour of England it will certainly be on the list of places to go. In the meantime I shall continue to enjoy it vicariously.
ReplyDeleteGraham, I was thinking of you last night when I looked at pictures of Ripon "now and then". On the lawn behind the Spa Hotel, croquet competitions are held on a national level. Wouldn't that a reason for you to visit?
DeleteIt certainly would Meike.
DeleteI would have loved to have been on the walk that day! Everything so beautiful. I love perennial borders and English gardens...(Not the German kind of English garden, though I like those too....We always enjoyed the one in Munich.)
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean, Kristi! The German version of an English garden is usually a park, shaped on the model of landscaping England became famous for at the time of Capability Brown. Ludwigsburg's palace grounds feature an "English" part, too. It was designed for the then Princess Charlotte-Mathilde, who was originally English, and her husband wanted to give her something to remind her of home.
DeleteGreat shots. I'm glad you didn't feature any of the inappropriately dressed wedding guests - some people are best advised to stay indoors - it's all a bit much at my time of life...
ReplyDeleteI'd never deliberately include people in my pictures without their explicit permission, and with a good reason for posting them on here! But I think the mental image you had of some of those wedding guests was quite accurate...
DeleteBeautiful gardens! - and I love comment about the coat of arms ... and also the cow! :)
ReplyDeleteIn reality, of course those gardens were even more beautiful - my pictures hardly do them justice. Thank you, I am glad you "get" me, Monica :-)
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