Cliffhangers

Between Bridlington and Filey on the Yorkshire coast lies Bempton Cliffs, a RSPB sanctuary.  We decided to take a two hour drive to pay it a visit and view the spectacular coastline for ourselves. Even though it was July we were prepared for windy weather but as it turned out the sun was shining and the expected cool breeze was none existent.

The RSPB have done an excellent job in preserving the clifftops and the cliffs themselves,  A warden informed us that there were still some puffins nesting on the cliffs but unfortunately we did not get to see any, despite a man trying to impress his friend that a flock of puffins were bobbing around on the sea (not unless they had grown pointed beaks, changed colour and size!)  There are several viewing platforms and you can hire binoculars from the visitor centre to watch the action.

The sheer number of birds was a surprise, mostly Kittiwakes and Guillemots but  there were still Gannet chicks huddled on precarious ledges awaiting the return of a parent where one miss-step would result in almost certain death.

Be warned, when you have that many birds gathered together, you can smell them before you see them!

Kittiwakes high above the North Sea

A Gannet chick about to be fed by it's parent.

Hard Times

I'd never heard of Hardwick Hall before until a friend mentioned it to us.  It's located not far from the M1 in Derbyshire and is stewarded by the National Trust.  After a scenic drive up to the hall itself the hall and the gardens come into their own.

On the day we decided to visit, the weather was changeable to say the least.  We arrived in bright sunshine and after a cup of coffee and we started to walk up to the hall,  thunder boomed and the heavens opened.  I regretted leaving my jacket at home.

The hall dates back to the 1500s when it was built by Bess of Hardwick, a Lady in Waiting to Elizabeth I and a powerful woman in her own right.  As much as I would have enjoyed taking pictures of the impressive interior the delicate nature of some of the exhibits and the diffuse lighting keep the interior in a protective gloom.  The history of Arabella, Bess's granddaughter is told throughout the hall and illustrates the dangers of being of a royal lineage. Hardwick ended up being her prison rather than a palace.

The original hall was left fall into disrepair once the new hall was constructed.

 The walled gardens are maintained beautifully by a dedicated staff and volunteers.

 The grounds below where designed mimic a wine glass and during the war Hardwick Hall was also acted as an airfield for fighter planes.