July 25th 2017 - Barrington Court; Montacute House; Tintinhull Garden; Lytes Cary Manor.

We were on the road before 9.30. There was lovely Dorset countryside as far as Beaminster. We were at our first National Trust property in Somerset before it opened at 10.30 - Barrington Court.  There were lots of other early birds too. Barrington Court is an empty Tudor manor house, home of Lyles of Tate and Lyle. He was knighted for “services to sugar”! We had coffee first and sat in the sun - really hot and it not even 11am. we had a stroll through the gardens.

In keeping with the sugary theme the turrets are shaped like the candy canes of old.

We were fascinated by this owl projection. It's a pity Jim didn't get it in flight.

We went on then to Montacute House, an Elizabethan mansion, where there was an exhibition  of portraits from The National Portrait Gallery up in the Long Gallery. It was called “After Holbein”.The portraits were almost 3D. Children could dress up in Elizabethan costumes. They were so cute as their grandparents doted over them.

Look what Jim found!

There's a fantastic display of samplers - samples of needlework displaying techniques, style and skills in embroidery and needlework.

The wibbly wobbly hedges. Until 1947 these were uniformly straight yew hedges. In that year heavy snowfall resulted in the hedges losing their tops. Now the gardeners trim them like this to create an interesting effect.

Our next stop was Tintinhull Garden. We spent a very short while there as it’s a small garden.

Then we went on to Lytes Cary Manor - a medieval house, once home of a Tudor herbalist.

The twelve Apostles topiary.

More wibbly wobbly hedges!

Did the gardens or at least the parts that were not roped off.  After a marathon day of National Trust properties we went home to Bridport to pack.