September 19, 2018 — Kirkham Priory and Castle Howard

Weather prediction today was sunny until noon, heavy rain until 2:00 and then sunny with winds the rest of the day. I wanted good photos of the bridge by Kirkham Priory so when we woke to the promised sunshine, we quickly drove to the Priory for bridge pics. It was a short, pretty drive and I got my pictures. The Priory opened so we used our English Heritage membership to get in free. It was not crowded and we had it to ourselves. Bought a Priory guide with a map and explored. I got more bridge photos from inside the Priory.

Got back in the car and made the short drive to Castle Howard. Our English Heritage membership got us a 6 GBP discount. We hopped the train to the castle and discovered the castle restaurant, the Fitzroy Room is cafeteria style so we hiked back up to the Courtyard Café at the entrance hoping they had something besides the advertised pork belly. Fortunately, they did. Ed got scampi and I got the Ploughman’s lunch of cheese, ham, pork, paté, a root vegetable crudité and a very spicy chutney with brown bread. It was excellent. Ed got orange spice cake for dessert and I got carrot cake that was quite spicy. We shared a large pot of tea . . . needed on a brutally windy day.

We caught the train back to the castle and entered. They turn you loose in the castle with docents in each room to answer questions.

It was very nice, well kept and impressive until we walked into the Great Hall. That was overwhelming. Your eyes go skyward three stories to a dome with a lantern, the curved top of which is painted in the classic style. The entire hall with frescoes, ornate balconies, gilded pillars and fireplaces is designed to impress and it does. After the Great Hall, you continue through the house/castle and as you look through the east windows, you see the Atlas Fountain in the garden. I took photos out of several windows and was glad I did because the promised rain soon started with a vengeance and the windows were covered. Later they turned the fountain off (at 3:00 PM) to save water so if I hadn’t taken the photos when I did, there would only be a very dry fountain in my pictures.

We continued through the magnificent castle and ended as usual, in the gift shop. The predicted sun had come out so we went out to the gardens, photographed a dry Atlas Fountain and then followed the beautiful Lime Walk to the Rose Garden that, even in mid-September was impressive. I spotted a cute cotton-tail rabbit nibbling grass and was trying to take pictures when a group of Chinese students first tried to walk in front of me which Ed managed to forestall and then clapped to scare the poor little rabbit who ran away. The students thought it was hilarious and I wished I could speak Chinese. Probably just as well I couldn’t or we would have had an international incident. Their mothers would have been mortified by their behavior.

We walked back to the Farm Shop and got bread and wine for our dinner and drove home. Our neighbors' patio furniture was blown over but ours survived. Winds are supposed to be worse tonight.