Lovely family Sunday dinner out - nice country pub - a fine selection of fowl (chickens and peacocks) in the garden (assume they are there for decorative rather than culinary purposes!).
Next day took the folks on a trip out to Burghley House - another extremely impressive Tudor property.
The interior - which has been remodelled signifcantly over the centuries - features expanses of elaborately painted walls and ceilings depicting mythological scenes - including the so-called 'Hell Staircase'.
The parkland, landscaped by Capability Brown, survives and has been augmented with the addition of a sculpture garden and garden of 'surprises' - was interested to spot the 'bunny' in the sculpture bit!
All in all made for a fascinating day out - the house is magnificent, and there is plenty to see in the gardens too - not least Alan Titchmarsh recording a tv programme on the Lion Bridge!
