Thank you all the people sending me messages wondering if I was ok. I didnt mean to worry you especial as I was away having a great time with the C&CC at Hole Park.
Ray forgot the dongle so we were cut off from the world.
We arrived to find many caravans and motorhomes already parked as the rally had started the day before and although it had rained the sun was out and it was a wonderful weekend sun wise.
We got up Saturday morning and went around the gardens of this love house. The owner spoke to us and hoped we enjoyed the visit.
Tucked away in the Weald of Kent, between the pretty village of Rolvenden and the charming town of Cranbrook, lies Hole Park Gardens which has to be one of the best gardens in Kent. An attractively laid out, privately owned 15 acre garden, Hole Park is often referred to as a hidden gem, and there are plenty of treasures to be found within its walls and hedges.
Hole Park has been owned by the Barham family for the past four generations and is set in over 200 acres of superb classic parkland. The colourful gardens enjoy far reaching views over the hills, woods and fields of the picturesque Kentish Weald. They are a skilful mix of formal design and more naturalised planting, giving colour throughout the seasons.
The house, which is a private family home and therefore not open, was largely reconstructed in 1959 and is now little more than a quarter of its previous size. It resembles the house as it used to be before additions in the Elizabethan style were built in 1830.
The family owned Express Country Milk and found a way to refrigerate the trains to London bring in fresh milk. 30,000gallons every night. This became United dairies later on.
The gardens at Hole Park cover a total of some 15 acres and were laid out and planted by Colonel
Barham, the great grandfather of the present owner, in the years between the two World Wars.
Much of their beauty is owed to the great variety which they offer throughout the year from the
first flowers in January to the last autumn colours in October, and also a contrast between classic
form on the one hand and flowering shrubs in a woodland setting on the other.http://www.holepark.com/gardens.htm
A wonderful English Country Garden and the smells are divine.
The Bluebell woods were wonderful
We walked slowly back to the rally field shattered.
But a birthday party was waiting and so it was wine and cake and then onward to a fire pit and baked beans and jacket potato. NOT!!!
A fire was lit and it was lovely but it was far to late and despite cooking the potatoes wrapped in foil there were to many and they couldn’t get them cooked.The day was going and it was getting dark and cold as the damp air came in.
I felt guilty but I was so pleased when a friend said Im going in -we all dived up and disappeared, dreading that they might be served up for breakfast today.
Apparently they were all fed by 11pm but I was tucked up in a warm bed by then.
Coffee morning and we said our goodbyes but I cooked dinner first and one last walk through the fields with Louis we climbed into the M?H and had a good journey home. The washing is on and a very tired dog is laying at my feet. He loves his camping days.
Rays Blog
A lovely weekend at Hole Park. A walk round the gardens was awsome. Such colour. We dithered about should we go or not, glad we did. Saturday was a bit of a laugh, &.30 make your way to the bonfire,its jacket potatoes and beans they said. At 9.30 we were cold and fed up waiting as they pulled black and burnt uncooked potatoes from the fire. https://mesoandme.wordpress.com/2015/05/17/sunday-120/?fb_action_ids=924957960858355&fb_action_types=news.publishes&fb_ref=pub-standard
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