“Wanderer, there is no path, the path is made by walking”
Last year, I missed out on a trip to the Bishop’s Palace in Wells, which the rest of the family saw Birds of Prey and a willow dragon. It has been on my list ever since. This Wednesday, I took the children.
There is the Palace to explore and 14 acres of garden to see. Before we ventured far, we watched a game of croquet being played in front of the Palace. (Cathedral behind) I was intrigued with the square mallets.
Then onwards into the gardens.
The gardens are hosting an exhibition of stained glass wings. These are spectacular. The children loved posing in front of the wings. The artist was inspired by the swans that can be seen in the moat. For generations, the swans have learnt that if they ring a bell, they will be fed.
The gardens are beautiful. There were plenty of quiet corners, to sit and ponder…..or watch squirrels.
The children loved the water areas.
For my part, I’m glad that they are older.
They tested the temperature. They took measurements to calculate the speed of the water. They spotted fish. Further on we watched the bubbles rise from the underground springs. The wells give the city its name. The water is so clear. Plenty of perfectly placed information boards around to supply interesting morsels of history. One that I found interesting was about how dye was added to the water up in the Mendips and a few days later the water in the Bishop’s Palace turned green.
Then round to the garden’s allotments. These are not open to the public, but a path along side them allows a glimpse at all the productivity. I love looking at allotments. I love seeing how people combine their plants and their ingenious planting and water collection techniques.
(Slight greenhouse envy too.)
There is inspiration throughout the garden. There were clouds of insects enjoying the plants.
Areas of reflection.
Which everyone experienced in their own individual way.
Finally back to the water and a few more fish were tickled.
When I asked the children which parts they enjoyed most, they suggested the Winged exhibition and the seeing the bees and butterflies on the flowers. For me, I loved the peace and calmness of the place, even with three children in tow!
Linking up with Fiona’s #CountryKids Linky. For more outdoor inspiration, I recommend you hop on over.
I love Wells but haven’t been round the Palace gardens. They look very peaceful.
It is a lovely calm place. Even the notices are peaceful and geninely charming.
That is just loveliness… I love the “reflection” photograph so much!!!
Couldn’t resist including that one. Love that they all enjoyed the space. In their own way.
What a beautiful place to visit! Love how each child chose to “reflect”, especially while doing a headstand.
It made me smile.
It looks like a beautiful place to visit, glad you got there. The wings looks brilliant and it looks like there was plenty for your children to explore in those massive grounds!
There are so many different areas. Love places that cater for all ages.
How wonderfully picturesque and very tranquil. There are so many varied and interesting areas there to explore and I love the idea of the swans ringing for their dinner! Thanks for linking up and sharing your lovely photos with Country Kids.
They originally tied bread to the bell to encourage hem, then gradually took it away and threw it instead. I’m sure the swans soon cottoned on.
It looks like such a serene, calm place to visit. Your children look very engaged with their surroundings #countrykids
They do love visits like this. Each gets something out of it.
What a beautiful and tranquil place to explore – amazing how the swans have learnt to ring for their dinner.
It is tranquil. Also nice that all ages can get something from it. I’m sure the swans didn’t take long to be trained. 🙂
Wow, spectacular views! So peaceful and serene. I’d love to visit it one day. #CountryKids
Hope you make it one day. Worth a visit.
Wow that looks like a lovely place to pass the hours
Absolutely. A really nice place to visit.
wow – what stunning photos. I especially love that first one and the bridge under the willow tree. x
It is stunning location.
Lovely photos – it looks like a really beautiful and interesting place to visit. #countrykids
It is beautiful. Glad I’ve finally made it!
What a gorgeous place to visit. I can see why it was on your list to go back. Those stained glass wings look amazing!
#countrykids
The wings are amazing. We found four sets. Very inspiring. There are more photos on the official Bishop’s Palace site. Worth a visit if you have time.
It took me awhile to finish reading this post as I was really looking at the photos! What a nice place. My mind today is a bit hazy and I need something to keep my head occupied. Nice photos as this ones helps a lot #countrykids
It is a lovely place to wander around with a camera!
It is a lovely place to wander around with a camera!