Photo Blog Week 61 - Wed 18 March 2015
I drove in past a Host of Golden Daffodils that Wordsworth would have been envious of either side of the main entrance drive from the A6 and headed up to the car park greeted by a beautiful blue sky.
A feeling of spring and even summer was taken to a higher level later as I walked out by Four Winds toward the Knott with the air full of the call of skylarks.Though sunny and bright, a haze in the air did mean that there were no distant views and even local vistas had a washed out feel about them.
Today's Project - The Original Route In
I came in today with a project in mind, to walk the route of the original entrance and approach to the House recording the first views that a guest would have encountered. I would say, 'doing a Lizzy Bennet', but Delta-Ged isn't a girl and I can't remember any male visitors from Pride and Prejudice that I would want to associate myself with.With a long day's walking and my 'Project' I'm afraid there are a lot of pictures this week.
route: Main Car Park; Estate Office (in the House); Timberyard; Turtle Brew; Four Winds; Green Farm; Western Old Drive Entrance
Blue skies greet me above Green Drive from the front of the House
Sun catching this Mallard's iridescent green head feathers by the Mill Pond
Work continues on renewing the wall by Crow Wood across the stream from the Timberyard
Soft Rush
Soft Rush is a problem all over the Park. As long as the grass cover remains unbroken, soft rush and nettles are unlikely to start growing. However, if the grass surface gets broken, this can happen.
The wall on the right was rebuilt last year and the tractor delivering stone broke through the damp steep grass. The soft rush seen growing follows those open tracks.
The ground near the lower section currently being rebuilt looks like this now.
These open grooves will almost certainly see soft rush and or nettle encroachment in the coming seasons.
A group of Red Deer Stags on the Knott
The Original Route In - Traditional Approach Route to The House
Has it ever struck you as odd that on arrival you approach the less ornate North Face of the house when the South face is so beautiful?The current A6 entrance and the main drive are later additions. The original drive came in from the Pott Shrigley direction starting by the current West Parkgate entrance but heading north across farmland which is not currently a part of the Park.
This gate over the summit from The Knott car park is where the original drive enters the current Park.
Route: (from 'Gate Entrance' in drawing) ; Follow Old Western Approach as described in comments to Main Car Park
The drive ascends with massive views to left across the Cheshire Plain and ahead the Western Pennines
The drive still shows the contours of a well constructed levelled road
Curving around a bend, The Cage peers tantalisingly above the farmland suggesting something grand to come
The Cage
After the bend, the descent into the Park begins and on the distant hillside, the only folly in the Park, The Lantern is visible at the head of a clearing through the wood.land.
The Lantern
As the drive straightens Lantern Wood and Park Moor fill the distant horizon hinting at the vastness of the estate
Then, as now, Red Deer roamed the Park and the coach occupants may well have seen sights such these as they drove by.
Continuing on, a summit appears with the suggestion of a valley lying ahead.
Through the currently bare trees to left are hints of roofs of buildings. These will disappear when the trees are in leaf but may have been lines of sight when the trees were younger showing that you are almost there.
After the summit, the flat equestrian field gives the feel of entering Parkland
In front, left is the domed summit of Turtle Brew.
The shape of this mound looks decidedly man made and I wonder if it was a deliberate ploy to obscure the view of the House and estate buildings enabling the grand reveal to come.
Being watched
These trees may well have been to create a mini avenue to guide you in
Hints of buildings through the gap to left of Turtle Brew
Then, looking to left through the trees, the statues on the roof of the house are backed by The Lantern.
I feel sure this was deliberate gradual reveal. The trees would be a lot younger and less obscuring and there was probably clear ground where the saplings are.
The drive continues to another bend, this time to left
A tantalising sight of the high part of the South Face
Then a sweeping descent begins
and coming out of the gentle bend the vista opens up with a perfect angled view of the grand South Face above the gardens
....and if that doesn't impress, I don't know what will
route: Millpond; Knightslow Wood; Knights Low summit; Bowstonegate Farm entrance; High Point Direction Finder; Quarry by Lantern Wood; Lantern Wood middle path; Cluse Hey
Another sign of spring
Knights Low
The old quarry in the middle of Knightslow Wood filled with beech leaves
The summit of Knights Low.
On old maps, the summit is shown as a clearing above the woodland. Interestingly, 'Knights Lowe' is also written in a font used to indicate ancient sites.
Steep slope down from the summit to the path by the Moor wall.
The beech saplings are covered with dried golden leaves which will soon get pushed off by the new spring green leaf burst
Red Dee Moor Herd
A group of pregnant Hinds with yearlings in tow
A young Stag in the group
Bowstonegate Farm
On a sunny day, the white gable end of the farm is often visible on the horizon from many locations in South East Greater Manchester and North East Cheshire.
Park Moor and Sponds Hill ridge disappear into the haze
Even the view from above the House is misty
It's always strange to look down on The Cage when you are so used to perceiving it as being high
An unusual view of The Lantern
route: Cluse Hey; Coal Pit Wood; Cage Hill; Crow Wood; Main Car Park (end)
Red Deer fur.
The hairs are tightly packed together and quite deep with the colour only evident at the tips of the fibres. Well suited to winter outside in Great Britain.
Two Sequoias (Giant Redwood) in Crow Wood.
Late afternoon sun above the Mill Pond
Today's track and profile
provided by runkeeper.com Android phone App.
total: 8.0 miles (13.0 km) 5 hr 00 min
This Time Last Year
Have a look at This Time Last Year
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