New things to see and do at Clivedon

Once we'd put in the pins at Cliveden (Friday 14th) and sorted ourselves out we went out to walk up the hill ... where we found a new trail ...

George managed to do this one ... not bad for a youngster just in his three score years and ten!

He didn't bother with this one because ... 'it's a 'piece of cake'!

10 chin ups!

Ground too uneven on this one ... we don't need any broken ankles!

Through the trees

A new workplace for staff admitting visitors to Cliveden travelling by car

The Water Gardens

click any picture to enlarge

Lunch in the Orangery Cafe

The Cool Border

New statues

and the Hot Border

The Parterre from the South Terrace of Cliveden House ...

see anything in the trees or on the river? ...

Duke of Sutherland statue in the trees ...

and Still Rockin' on the river.

The lawns are gradually recovering from the hot, dry summer

The South Terrace

The Cockeral Pavillion ...

and the views from there ...

There must be a diagram somewhere to show where to start this impressive mowing!

It looks as if the grand staircase was a later addition

How to clip a hedge perfectly!

Back down the hill to the River Thames

and the recently restored Victorian Boat House

I took this picture of the interior with my camera against the glass in the door. A floor or lid has been placed over the slipstream to enable the renovations to be carried out and just as I was clicking the camera shutter a voice saying 'hello' made me jump very guiltily! It was the National Trust Buildings Supervisor for the estate and we had a very interesting conversation with him.

Nancy Aster lived at Cliveden from 1906-1942. The NT have a wooden canoe at Cliveden which was driven by an electric motor, apparently the first ever boat powered by electricity; Nancy used to steer this canoe up and down the Thames ...

George had a close look at the propellor and it appears to be seized

The canoe is being renovated and in a few weeks time the public (for a charge of course) will be able to enter the boathouse and board the electric canoe and take to the river for a short trip. We shall be coming back upstream sometime in October and will certainly have that pleasure if it's operating by then.

Continuing our walk we come to Spring Cottage

which is available for hire ... again at a cost ... if I wanted to stay there tonight (it sleeps 6) the cost would be £2055!

Spring Cottage was built originally in 1813 and altered to it's current design in 1857 by the 2nd Duke of Sutherland. It was mainly used by his wife Harriet (HS in the inscription above) who entertained guests in the cottage including Queen Victoria. In 1957 the cottage was hired by Stephen Ward who invited Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies to stay ... the rest as they say ... is history!