The Great Country Estates of Britain Series: Houghton Revisited...

I have been a bit remiss at posting photos of our trip last year to various country houses. It does take quite a bit of time to review the hundreds of pics one takes, as one does nowadays with a digital camera, to find the best ones and omit the dross that will bore readers to death. But, here are some from our visit to Houghton Hall, of which I have previously blogged.

It was quite lovely inside, mainly because all of Walpole's painting sold to Catherine the Great had been reassembled inside, in the positions in which they originally hung.

I was glad to see this once in a lifetime exhibition, however, it did mean that no photos were allowed to be taken inside, so what follows are some photos of the exterior and gardens taken at the end of a summer's day as the light was fading...

Above and Below: Some of the many deer grazing in the grounds.

Below: Romanesque fountain in stable courtyard.

Above: Sundial on route from car park to main house.

Below: One of the urns atop the balustrade of the widows walk.

Below: Ornate over-mantel of a door.

Above: The curved colonnades that were one of the inspirations for Willowbrook's. 

Below: The inside of a colonnade.

Above: The reverse side of the colonnade.

Below: A ceiling detail.

Below: The Orangery Windows.

Below: Flowers in part of the Sybil garden.

Below: The pond in the middle of the Sybil garden, and some of the surrounding statues.

Below: The famous wavy hedge.

Below: One can just make out the wiring for the form of the topiary yew hedge.

Above: The croquet lawn.

Below: One of many well clipped hedges.

Above: A sturdy Wisteria vine grows around one of the arbours.

Above: Rustic wooden folly with a pediment comprised of deer antlers.

Below: A pair of rustic obelisks at the other end of the same garden.

Below: Beehives in potager garden.

Above: The giant berry cage.

Below: Espaliered apples.

Buxus spirals

The modern sculpture "Waterflame"...

Below: Captivating stone sculpture of a pelican with a frog in its mouth.

Houghton Revisited.