Langley Park

A very different day for weather compared with yesterday. The wind and rain had gone and we enjoyed bright blue skies all day long. Apart from Mike walking to the shop for a paper and putting sealant around the new radio aerial, the morning just disappeared!

After lunch, finishing the soup Christine made a few days ago, we opted for another walk. We set off planning to visit Black Park Country Park, the other side of Iver, but ended up on the other part of the estate, Langley Park to the south. A couple of wrong turnings - in one case the map indicated a road bit it proved to be a cul de sac - and we parked by the road as intended. From here it was a ten minute walk, or perhaps a little less, to an entrance to Langley Park.

The first sign told us that there is an Arboretum which we visited first. It was originally developed in the mid Nineteenth Century by the Harvey family who occupied the estate for 150 years, although there are said to be connections going back to Henry VII.

The garden was planted with a variety of coniferous trees but the largest are the Giant Sequoia, introduced to this country from North America, and which was once known commonly as Wellingtonia in honour of the Duke of wellington. Although nothing like the size of native specimens, several were impressive enough, especially with a blue sky background.

Later, several avenues of sequoia were planted around the estate.

We headed up towards the Temple Garden, so-called because it once surrounded a large pavilion which has long disappeared. However, the garden contains an important collection of rhododendrons that were originally planted at the start of the twentieth century. They had become rather old and liable to decay so a program of coppicing was devised by a national expert and they have already started to regrow quite vigorously. Strangely for the time of year, we saw one that was in full bloom.

We eventually reached the northern perimeter of the park and crossed the dual carriageway into Black Park. However, after taking a look at the map just inside the entrance and noting the time, we decided that it was safer to head back so that we did not end up walking the country roads after dark.

We came around the edge of the Temple Garden where we had a view of the moat lit by the glorious low sunshine.

The cafe at the Visitor Centre was still open and we enjoyed sitting outside in the last of the sunshine drinking a cup of tea. It was so pleasant that we almost forgot about the need to walk back to the car!

With no clouds or rain the light lasted a little longer than yesterday but by 4.15 when we reached the car it was dusk and just as well we were no later!