Framedlight

Iain, although always a Scot, has Canadian citizenship and was interested in seeing Quebec House, another National Trust property, even closer to the M25 than Chartwell. It was in this in this house that General James Wolfe was born in 1727, it was then the local vicarage. He went on to defeat the French on the Fields of Abraham in 1759, securing Quebec for the British, although being killed in the struggle. This property was very low key when compared to the other ones we had visited over the last 2 days. It was ok to sit on the chairs and someone performed a short piano recital on the 18th century Broadwood while we were in the living room.

The last day of the famous McGilveray garden tour was now upon us. Iain had always wanted to see Chartwell so this was a must on the way home, being convenient for the M25! We spent time looking round the house and garden. There is an excellent Churchill exhibition and Iain was especially fascinated by this. It was yet another warm day. Unfortunately a lot of the house was being renovated and under scaffolding, so it was only possible to get one clear view of it.

Still doing the round of gardens Iain and I spent the afternoon at Great Dixter, the home of dedicated gardener Christopher Lloyd.  We had had a very good August and the weather was warm and pleasant to walk in. Being August the main flowers we saw were roses and dahlias. Great Dixter is very much a working nursery, as well as a marvellous garden.

The next morning, after a night staying in a pub which was a far stretch short of our accommodation in Norfolk, we went to Scotney Castle near Lamberhurst in Kent. Here the new house has been built within sight of the old one which sits like a folly on an island. Old Scotney Castle dates from 1380, whereas New Scotney Castle was built in 1835-43. I walked quickly down to the old castle to take a couple of snaps, while Iain sat on a bench in the garden. There are some formal gardens but most of the grounds are woodland which would be magical in the spring when the azaleas are flowering. We arrived at the house itself a little bit before it opened and a small gathering had assembled waiting for the doors to part. The kitchen is a curiosity having been modernised, around the 60's I conjecture, and still exhibiting the crockery that the last owner Betty Hussey used. Some of the castle is let out and Margaret Thatcher had a belfry apartment here in the 1970's and 80's.