A Winter Walk Around Wrest

We took a visit to Wrest Park recently - an English Heritage site and one of our regular local haunts throughout the year. It always looks different each time we visit - even if it's the same season. The weather and the sky always help to determine the landscape. 

This day was one of those cold and crisp winter days. It had been glorious when we started off from home, then we drove into mist and fog. When we arrived at Wrest, the fog was still lingering, but the sun was breaking through and came out whilst we were wandering around. 

We explored the beautiful grounds and walked around the moat. The water was icy in places, the plants were resting, but somehow the bare branches of the trees and the remains of the reeds looked spectacular. The birds were out in force as usual. We heard woodpeckers and blackbirds, spotted robins, wrens and thrushes and as always the swans, ducks and geese were enjoying themselves out on the waters. 

It was a bracing walk and afterwards we sat out by the cafe still wrapped up in our coats and scarves and gloves and warmed ourselves up with hot pulled pork sandwiches and lattes. I love to sit outside and enjoy the fresh air even in winter, but even Ted needed to be kept cosy in his coat. 

Wrest Park in Springtime

We visit Wrest Park in Bedfordshire quite regularly as I love to see it's grounds and landscapes through all the different seasons. These are photos from an April visit this year. 

There were plenty of spring plants to see in the gardens. Cowslips were making an appearance in some of the grassy areas and there were some beautiful displays of miniature daffodils, tulips and pansies in the formal gardens. They looked rather stunning grouped together in their shades of pale yellows. There were more tulip displays by the orangery, which were just about to come into bloom - only a few had started to flower, but they're going to look stunning over the coming weeks. 

There are always some new developments at Wrest each time we go, this time some lovely new and more formal gardens were now in place to the right side of the house with further gardens being developed over to the left side, so it will be interesting to visit again in late spring or early summer to see how things are coming along.

Find out more about Wrest Park:

English Heritage - Wrest Park

Cowslips making a welcome sight

New formal gardens on the right side of the house

Peaceful spring walk by the waterside

Gorgeous shades of pale yellow

 

An early tulip

I spotted this little group of Easter wind flowers, one of my favourites for April, a small, colourful and delicate plant. They're also known as the pasque flower and thrive in rock gardens and borders - a sun lover with silky cup shaped flowers. 

See Wrest during different seasons - more blogs on Wrest Park:

Autum

Swans at Wrest

At Wrest With Snow

At Wrest with the Snow

I don't always love the freezing cold weather, but when you wake on a lazy Sunday morning to the white glow from a scattering of snow then it can feel quite special - especially after so much wind and wet weather. 

It felt an ideal opportunity to go out and have a blow in the fresh, crisp air and like a young child, it gives me a good excuse to stick on my wellies and make footprints in the new snow. I'm sure I'm not the only adult who loves doing this! We decided to walk the dogs at Wrest Park in Bedfordshire, as although we like to visit at all times of year, we've never visited in the snow before. 

When we arrived the wardens were giving out free samples of ginger wine, so with the warming glow of a ginger wine, we set off to explore in the freezing cold and weren't disappointed. Alfie and Ted - the dogs -  had a great time and found much excitement in the snow. It was the first time Ted had seen snow, so he was a like a spring lamb dancing around in it and enjoyed eating it more than anything!

Most of the plants and any budding flowers were covered, but the snow and ice gave the grounds and gardens a new dimension in the pale winter sun and they looked as stunning as ever.  

Then it was back to the cafe to enjoy a warming coffee and of course cakes and then to buy a bottle of that ginger wine from the gift shop - well there's still enough of winter left for more snow! 

Wrest park is an English Heritage site and welcomes dogs in the grounds, but they must be kept under control and on a lead. 

Wrest Park

Autumnal Wrest Park

I think we had quite a spectacular Autumn this year and the trees were in particular very beautiful. Just before the weather turned dismal over this last few weeks, I took a look around Wrest Park in Bedfordshire an English Heritage property with beautiful gardens and grounds. We try to go there quite often so we can see it during the different seasons and varying times of year. 

It was a gorgeous calm and sunny day and the grounds were looking very bright with the trees and plants in shades of gold, russet and reds - perfect for a few pictures to capture the memory before the greyer days of winter set in. 

Swans at Wrest

Take a cold, crisp and sunny winter's day, decide to wrap up warm and cosy get outside in the fresh air.  We did just that the other Sunday and were richly rewarded as we watched the swans at Wrest Park, an English Heritage property in Bedfordshire. 

There were a pair of swans with their grown cygnets just lazing by the edge of the front lake. We stopped and watched as they rested, cleaned and fluttered their wings against the ice cold wind and part frozen lake. One of the adults was just gliding around gracefully in the water as though it was a hot summer's day!

We carried on down to the moat, it was frozen and that's when we came upon a stunning view - three more cygnets - this time balancing on the finely glazed water. The low winter sunlight was beautiful, just shining through the trees at the right moment and casting a glow over the ice, the swans' reflections on the frozen water making an even more gorgeous sight. 

It was well worth a look out just for that one special moment. 

The pathway to the lake

Gracefully gliding along! 

A close up

Ruffling feathers

Cleaning time! 

Rest time

A surprise find

Dancing on ice! 

Sleepy! 

Cold, cold water

Foraging on the grassy bank