The forecast overnight deluge must have swept through but we slept through, undisturbed. When I got up, the sun was shining and it looked like the start of a nice day. We opened a pile of Anniversary cards (though we had deliberately left presents at home). It seems unbelievable that it is 50 years since Diane was daft enough to say “I do”
After breakfast we gathered our stuff together and headed out into the wilds of the Midlands. We had selected a couple of National Trust properties that looked worth a visit. Zipping up towards Solihull (security escort and outriders at hand) we pulled into Baddesley Clinton. This is another charming moated Manor House dating back centuries and boasting various additions and improvements over the years. It was home of the Ferrer family who could trace their family back to the Norman conquest. One of the Ferrers was interested in genealogy and rather than draw a family tree, he had stained glass windows made to recount the family’s history. It was a wonderful place complete with a priest’s hide. This was used during one raid and 9 Catholics shinned down a rope into the sewers and remained there safely until the searchers had given up and left. We left the house and wandered into the gardens where we got chatting to one of the volunteers (and her husband). From there we walked along to St Michael’s Church where most of the Ferrer family are buried (12 generations under the chancel itself).
Exhausting what there was to see we drove 2 miles down the road to Packwood House. This was another NT property. We were too late to claim a ticket for a tour of the house, but we had a chance to wander through the gardens. The walled garden was awash with colour and decorative grasses swayed in the breeze. Behind the walled garden, however, was the Yew garden. This had over 100 yew trees that had been shaped, trimmed and trained. It was quite incredible. I don’t think I have ever seen such a display before.
Unable to tour the house we hopped in the car and headed back to the hotel (with a brief stop for petrol on the way). When we arrived back, the hotel had decorated our room with balloons, left us an Anniversary card, and bottle of Prosecco. What a nice gesture! We sat out on our balcony in the sun, sipping Prosecco and reading our books before getting reading for dinner.
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