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Snowdrop walk

Yesterday the dogs and I walked through the grounds of Gosford House, partially in the hope of bumping into my daughter (which I didn't) and her friends as they pushed their babies and buggies along on a walk, but also to see the drifts of snowdrops which carpet the woods throughout the estate.

 Sitting at the east end of the lake is this little oddity.  The curling house.  It was built out of tufa limestone, around 1840.
Ted took great exception to one of the two enormous shells which were set on rocks either side of the building!
This is the boat and bath house which was used to keep rowing boats and for invigorating bathing!  The coadstone medallion set below the apex to the building depicts the goddess of health, Hygeia.
Gosford House, the seat of the Earls of Wemyss and March, was designed by Robert Adam, who sadly died in 1792, before the house was completed.
The old hot houses in the walled garden (one of the walled gardens) are dilapidated, which I always think looks so sad.  Imagine all the wonderful fruit, salad vegetables and flowers grown in these over the centuries, harvested for the enjoyment of those in the big house.  And the army of gardeners this estate must have employed.  It would have been a hive of industry!  Now there are two stone swans presiding over the decay of the greenhouses.  Other parts of the estate are in use - you might bump into a wild boar, which ultimately ends up in good delis in this part of the world!

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