Journal

Walled Gardens

Stories From The Garden : The Magic of Walled Gardens | Chippenham Park

Caren Barry | Magical British Walled Gardens - Chippenham Park

Oh Chippenham Park… I never would have guessed that such a beautiful garden was only a short fifteen minute drive away from our home – and what a hidden gem of a place it is! This lovely day back in June began as a surprise ‘date day’ planned by James where he had completely thrown me off the scent to his actual plans by telling me that we were travelling into the Suffolk countryside. I’m terrible with surprises, the anticipation of the unknown makes me feel quite anxious plus I usually end up figuring out his plans (he’s usually a terrible secret keeper), so this was a rare treat for the both of us! And to be honest, as I tend to overthink a lot of things, it was so so lovely to have a day out where I didn’t need to organise a thing.

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Walled Gardens

Stories From The Garden : The Magic of Walled Gardens | Wimpole Estate

Caren Barry | Magical British Walled Gardens - Wimpole Estate

Wimpole Estate has been a part of my life since early childhood. Living in the Cambridgeshire countryside, this beautiful Estate holds a lot of hazy memories of playing in the parklands with my sisters and throwing extra large tablecloths onto the grass for picnicking with my mama. I went to primary school in the neighbouring village to where I lived and grew up, and with Wimpole Estate being just a short distance away it was always the number one choice for many of our school trips. One trip which springs to mind instantly was the Victorian style visit to the kitchen and home farm – DIY period costumes included, of course! As one of my fondest memories of this Estate, it really goes without saying that it has a special place in my heart.

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Rural Adventures

My Countryside Tonic : Spring Delights at Sheringham Park

It’s no secret that in recent months I have been indulging in many day trips across the English countryside. My desire to travel has grown enormously over the past few years, especially after leaving a full-time job where I was on my feet all day (to now working mainly from my home studio), I seem to constantly crave the wilds of the outdoors. In part, this is why James and I invested in a joint National Trust membership for our second consecutive year. Since joining, we have made a point of visiting at least one National Trust property every weekend – be that locally or further afield. We love travelling and it has really motivated us to visit parts of the country that would otherwise have gone unexplored by us. So if you are currently undecided on whether to sign up I would absolutely encourage you to give it a try!

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Travel

A Devonshire Adventure : Part One | Exmouth & Sidmouth

Last week, my family and I went on our first holiday together in almost ten years. It was a long time coming and unquestionably a wonderful prospect (and experience) to create new family memories together, with the addition of my partner James and my twin sister’s fiancé – also named James, much to our family’s amusement. Devonshire is just beautiful, the rolling hills and coastal views, it’s glorious and if James and I ever decided to relocate anywhere in the UK then I think Devon would be very high on my list – even a location for a second home would be lovely because my beloved Cambridge and all those beautiful surrounding villages have always had a strong hold on my heart.

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