CAMERA CAPERS

 Three Snappy Friends - Angie, Anne, and myself - visited Dunsborough Park, Ripley with our cameras especially to see the tulips.  The Gardens are open only under the National Open Gardens Scheme so had to be booked.  The gardens had been featured on Gardeners' World last year.  Personally, I was rather disappointed.   There were a lot of tulips, but the beds themselves, especially the further away from the main house you got, were very weedy.   But it was sunny and a very pleasant afternoon. I have no idea what this tree is - it is very old and very sprawly in its own walled garden and reaching into the next garden. The above three photos are of a very large and very dilapidated Victorian greenhouse and orangery .  It was so sad to see it in this condition, but I guess will be very very expensive to repair. We then came across the vegetable garden with this old lean-to in which was probably grown fruit trees against the wall.   No vegetables being grown here either. You have to lo

Waverley Abbey was the first Cistercian Abbey in England and was founded in 1128 by William Giffard, Bishop of  Winchester.  Despite being the first Cistercian Abbey in England, and being the motherhouse to several other abbeys. Waverley's monks are recorded as having endured poverty and famine.  Located about two miles southeast of Farnham in Surrey, the site is located on a flood plain surrounded by the current and previous channels of the River Wey.  It was home to a Cistercian community for more than 400 years.  In its heyday up to 70 monks and 120 lay brothers lived and worshipped here.  More information on the history of Waverly Abbey can be found here This is another place that is fairly local that I have not visited before in the fifty years I've lived in this area.    The visit was organised by the Camera Club and it was a very enjoyable morning, although it could have been a bit sunnier. This building, Waverley House, is now a Conference Centre -----------------------