Woburn Safari Park

Woburn Safari Park along woth Woburn Abbey is the biggest 'tourist attraction' around here.  I have visited many occasions - I had a season ticket for a year, and have been at least once a year as my son was growing up, and even helped with the Alameda school trip a few years ago.

With the school trip we were treated to a guide on the coach too, so even better.  

I have not been for a few years, although I would say it is a place that you can enjoy whatever your age.

Over the years the place has changed and I thought I would share some pictures of a visit this year.

The lions have always featured in the Park for as long as I can remember - I went in the 70s and they were there then!

The monkeys have changed over the years, and these cheeky ones will soon climb on your car if you stop, best to keep moving slowly...

These little chaps are in an enclosure that have lots of trees and you enter and wander around with them up in the trees.

Feeding time with the wallabies, how cute are these with their little joeys in their pouch, you walk around their enclosure. 

The lemurs you visit on foot also, and so fascinating and comical

A recently added attraction - I remember seeing these giant tortoises on a trip to the Seychelles a few years ago, different climate...but still fascinating!

And of course meerkats - did we even know of their existence before the advert.

Tropical birds in a large conservatory, great on a chilly day!

There really is something for everyone, plenty of picnic areas, or food to buy there if you prefer.  Play areas for little ones, and areas for the slightly older children.  Go Ape is also in the grounds at an extra charge for the even bigger kids!  If the weather stays dry you really can spend an entire day there.  It can get a bit chilly up there, so take an extra layer just in case, you are always nearby your car once you have parked up.  You can go around the safari again, or even leave it until later if it is busy when you first arrive.

It is only a 15 minute drive from Ampthill, and even better to drive via Eversholt through the deerpark to see the Abbey.

Lemon Drizzle

I decided to bake my usual lemon cake in a square tin which is around 18cm/ just under 8 inches square. I then cut it into 4 portions - I reckon each portion is enough for up to 4 slices depending how big you like them!  Have done the weights in old and new money :)

Don't forget we sometimes have lemons for sale on Ampthill Country Market Stall, check out the facebook page.

4oz 125g Butter or margerine
6oz 175g Sugar (Caster if you have it) 
2 large eggs 
6oz 175g self raising flour 
2 lemons (I reckon 1 big lemon would be enough) 

For topping:
sugar approx 2 ozs 

Oven is at 180c 350f gas 4 

Cream together the fat and sugar, add the egg and beat. Add the grated rind of one of the lemons, and also the juice of the lemon (or half if large lemon). Fold in the flour. Bake for 30 mins. 

So if you are new to baking - for best results, beat the fat and sugar until light and fluffy, you can use caster sugar.  Beat eggs in one at a time.  Sieve flour onto the mix and carefully fold in.

Now there are several ways to finish this. You can melt the sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake whilst warm, spike it first with a cocktail stick. You can mix the juice of the lemon with the sugar and put on the cake whilst warm. You can add lemon rind to the mix too.  Or you could make icing from juice and icing sugar and cover and then add some rind.  Or maybe do the first and one of the others as well, for extra lemony sweetness :)

St Mary's Church Maulden fabric sale

The village next to Ampthill is Maulden and the local church St Marys had a fabric sale on Saturday, it included all sorts of fabric, patterns, yarn and haberdashery that had been donated.

It was well organised and very popular, we walked there from Ampthill and arrived at around 10 and it was already busy.  Just didn't realise that so many people sew.

Should have got them all together and we could have started a sewing group!

So this was my little haul, 3 pieces on top are just offcuts, but enough to line a bag or make a tissue pouch for the market stall, and the other larger piece should be good for a few things - suggestions welcome.  And the cotton lace I couldn't resist.

They were only charging 50p or a £1 for most things, my friend bought a pattern and some fabric.

Then we had a drink and a piece of delicious homebaked cake.

So a pleasant walk, shopping and a cake - what more could you ask for!

There are a number of walks to the Church it is just off the Greensand Ridge



Must get back into using mapmywalk, forgot to switch it on until we were half way home!


map my walk

Coton Manor, Northamptonshire

This was just a lovely place to visit - particularly when the sun shines as it did when we went a couple of years ago.  It is a Manor run by the family, where you can visit the gardens, buy plants and also have a light lunch, homemade cakes etc.

They have a website with all the relevant information on there www.cotonmanor.co.uk. It took us just over 45 minutes to get there, and was a pleasant drive once we got off the motorway, you could There are seats around the gardens and also if the weather permits grassed area to sit, so you can take your own blanket.

The gardens slope away to a large meadow, that has been planted with meadow grass and wildflowers.  Chickens and ducks wander around, which are great fun to watch.

The plant nursery is quite extensive and includes some greenhouse plants as well.

We managed lunch a long walk around the gardens, plenty of plant choosing and cake and tea.

Hand crafted bags using preloved denim jeans

We have a range of handcrafted bags made from preloved denim.  Each item is unique, and cannot be repeated, so you can be sure that you won't meet anyone with the same item.

These are some of the designs that have been on the market over the past few months.

They are fully lined, with a contrasting fabric, that is featured elsewhere, the bags are trimmed with lace and other 'interesting' trimmings.

If you have a preloved pair of jeans that are destined for the bin or recycling, especially if they have a different design or pocket, bring them to the market :)

Canons Ashby

Canons Ashby is an Elizabethan manor house, owned these days by the National Trust, and it is set in 18th. Century style gardens.

The estate was built by the Dryden family using the remains of the medieval priory which was dissolved by Henry VIII.  The Priory Church (established in mid 13th. century) is all that remains of the earlier priory buildings.

The house and gardens have survived largely unaltered since 1710 and are still very like how they were during the time of Sir Henry Dryden, a Victorian antiquary, who was passionate about the past. 

Although small compared to many National Trust sites you can visit the House, which features grand rooms, tapestries and Jacobean plasterwork, contrasting with the domestic detail of the servants' quarters.  There is also the opportunity to wander around the beautiful gardens and the historic parkland. You can also visit the impressive priory church, where you can see the story of the canons of Canons Ashby.  They do taster sessions in the morning and full access to the house in the afternoon, and you can even stay the night.

The gardens at Canons Ashby are not large but are an example of early 18th century garden design.  The layout and structure of the garden have changed little since.  The formal gardens comprise terraces, paths, topiary and various types of flower beds inspired by a style popular inVictorian times.  These include the Sundial terrace with a focal point of the sundial dating from 1710 and the mulberry lawn with its 100 year old mulberry tree. The garden drops away to the field below separated by a sunken wall that prevents cattle getting into the garden without interrupting the view over open countryside.

There is also a functioning croquet lawn and don’t miss the the metal target in the corner that was used for musket practice.

Below the formal gardens there are also fruit and vegetable terraces leading down to the Lion gates. Some produce grown in these gardens can be purchased from time to time in season, they have an honesty box on a bench.  There is also a small stone hut, which, amongst other things, is used for drying herbs, so worth a visit to catch the smell.

herbs drying in the shed - the small was wonderful

When we visited there were some lovely old vintage cars on a tour of the country side and they were parked up, so made the visit more interesting.  There are also some lovely chickens just wandering around the grounds.  They keep a blog here of daily pictures taken Websta Canons Ashby

Places to Eat, Drink & Shop: 

There is a tea rooms at the  site which has a reasonable snack menu for lunch. There is also a standard National Trust shop but not that large. There are plenty of places to have a picnic in the parkland surrounding the house and you will probably meet the freerange chickens.    

chickens awandering

and a few more

Visiting vintage cars

and this chap just landed at my feet, so had to take his picture

Directions: Canons Ashby is about 40 miles from Ampthill and on a good day it should take just over 50 minutes to drive there. Leave Ampthill and drive along the A507 to Junction 13 of M1 - joining the motorway heading north. Leave the M1 at Junction 15A and drive in the direction of Banbury/Oxford along the A43 and you will soon see the Brown signs for Canons Ashby. A good tip is to head for Towcester and take a different route home along the A5 (Watling Street). Towcester is a historic and bustling market town worth a short stop for a wander around and perhaps for something to eat and drink. Your drive between Canons Ashby and Towcester will take you through a number of typical picturesque Northamptonshire villages. 

Parking: There is a decent sized free car park within easy walking distance of the House and Reception Centre (200 mtrs). The walkway from the car park is flat and they run transport for people with mobility issues. And they have an overflow car park on the grass near the church.

National trust website:  http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/canons-ashby-house/

Clophill scarecrow festival

Clophill is a village just down the road from Ampthill, it is a pretty village with a long road through and some interesting narrow lanes that go up quite a steep incline, every other year it has a open gardens and it also has a scarecrow festival (not sure if this is every other year too).

We popped along for a look at them today and here are some of my personal favourites, there were loads of them and so good, great fun, and got everyone out walking.

This first one I notice that the house is even partially painted, so much detail, with the two relaxing nearby.

There were teas and cakes and sausage baps in the church.