A Sunny Autumn Morning at Hutton-in-the-Forest

A stunning house and garden in Cumbria, England

Hutton-in-the-Forest, Cumbria, England (All photos ©AngieDawn)

Matt and I had a lot going on last week, so I didn’t have chance to do much writing. First we had to drive back over the Pennines to York for some further dental treatment. Then we spent a few days in Argyll in Scotland to view a house. The house proved to be unsuitable, but it was a lovely short break.

After days of squally showers the previous week here in Cumbria the weather finally improved last weekend. Sunday was forecast to be a bright and sunny day, and Matt and I decided to visit the gardens and grounds of a local historic house - Hutton-in-the-Forest.

I am so pleased we did. The house at Hutton-in-the-Forest, which has been lived in by the same family for over 400 years, is spectacular. Views of the architecture from various points around the surrounding gardens and courtyards were made even more beautiful by the gorgeous blue sky and glowing autumn light. And the parkland surrounding the house was wonderfully green after the copious watering it had received with all the rain.

Being a keen gardener, the Walled Garden was the place we headed to first. Here again there were lovely vistas from every viewpoint. Apple and pear trees laden with fruit, flowering displays in containers, colourful berries on cotoneaster, barberry and hawthorn shrubs, and foliage showing distinct autumnal changes.

A feature of the garden that I particularly liked was a series of unique ornamental gates with botanical themes.

After enjoying the walled garden we took a stroll around the Woodland Walk. The gentle path through the woodland was alive with birdsong, and offered shade from the glaring sunlight.

The grounds contain several ‘Champion Trees’ (significant because they are the tallest, largest or oldest for their county or country). The giant sequoia below is really only a youngster, but it is already towering above the trees around it.

An interesting feature encountered on the Woodland Walk was an old dovecote.

Dovecotes were popular when doves and pigeons were kept for their meat and eggs. Feathers were also collected, and the guano was used as fertilizer.

The dovecote here could house 450 nesting pairs. A shelf below the nesting area prevented rats from reaching the nests and stealing the eggs. A rotating internal ladder could be adjusted to allow all the nests to be accessed and harvested. The picture below shows part of the inside of the structure.

In the Lower Garden there are paths beside a beck, a series of ponds, and a lovely cascade which on this morning was sparkling in the sunlight.

We thoroughly enjoyed our morning at Hutton-in-the-Forest. If you are in this area of Cumbria it is definitely worth a trip - especially if you are as lucky with the weather as we were.

All photos ©AngieDawn

---

For more information about the house and gardens, including location, opening times and entrance fees, see Hutton-in-the-Forest.

This post is free for everyone to read. If you enjoy my posts and would like to support my writing and photography please consider a free or paid subscription.

You can see more of my photographs here at Photo4Me, where you can also buy prints in various formats.

Paid subscribers can access a growing collection of photos that can be downloaded free, including some from this post.

If you don’t want to commit to a paid subscription but would still like to support my writing and photography you could always Buy Me A Coffee.