Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire

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The exceptionally fine and mild autumn weather plus the fact that today school was closed for the little gardener meant an opportunity for us to explore Hardwick Hall at autumn time.

There are two Hardwick Halls to be precise. The old one is now a ruin which can still be visited (the above photo shows the view from it) and the "new" one, a fine Elizabethan mansion complete with extensive grounds.

There is plenty of information and some stunning photographs on the National Trust's website

Here are a few snippets of our day:

This view from the old Hall allows views of the surrounding countryside but also shows sections of wall friezes complete with weather protection.

The walled garden at the entrance gives shelter to the plants; as it is nearly November, there is less colour drawing the eye in but some plants are still looking remarkably fresh like this dahlia and salvia combination in pale yellow and cobalt blue:

Rosa 'Chinatown' would lift my spirits on the gloomiest of days:

Dahlias staked with chunky sections of wood rather than bamboo canes, probably good for all but the tallest varieties:

Of course this is not any old garden, so the yews in the garden behind the house are shaped like mushrooms:

Yew buttresses break up the expanse of wall into smaller areas:

Cheaper than walls and just as effective: yew hedges clipped in a style to resemble stone walls and pillars:

Wonderful walk ways, windbreaks, rooms for solitary trysts or hide and seek:

A bit of Italian flair:

Stylish water butts in lead from the early 17th century:

The incredible herb garden isn't looking its best this time of the year but this illustration gives a taste of the delights that are being grown throughout the year:

Gorgeous park land beyond the formal and kitchen gardens:

This surely was a magical day, complete with charming guides, dressed in period costumes in the "new" Hall, wonderful lunch and later tea and cakes in the restaurant and a surprise for the little gardener, an overnight stay in a very smart and comfortable B&B.