Larmer Tree Gardens - wildlife free (almost)

Is this really the 4th posting this Easter Weekend? (read below if you missed the others - good for insomnia apparently). I really should stay in, or stay out, which ever is correct. Ahh well, at least it meant I didn't have an Easter Egg.

Mind you we did spend an hour in Stalbridge graveyard yesterday afternoon looking for the grave of Reverend Powys. We'd dropped chocolate off at Thelma's offspring and then walked to the Church to have a mooch about. I'm reading Llewellyn Powys's book, Earth Memories and he talks about going to see the grave of his grandfather under a Holly tree, then walking the lanes his grandfather walked. This was back in the 1920's and I love associations with writers and past experiences. This association being on our doorstep was too much to miss. I know how to treat a girl to a good time! We never found the grave, but a sign of the times the church was locked even though it was Easter weekend.

This afternoon though we spent a few hours at the Larmer Tree Gardens near Tollard Royal in Wiltshire. Although I'm writing this in Stalbridge (Dorset), we are at the boundary of Wiltshire and Somerset. All makes it complex to know which County we are in, for example to visit Stourhead, we set off from Dorset, seamlessly move into Somerset, pay our dues and re-enter Dorset again to finally end up in Wiltshire, a journey of only 10 miles or so.

The Larmer Tree Gardens has the Dorset and Wiltshire border running through it and a stone pyramid marks the spot. With the weather as it is, maybe not the best time to go as it is more of a pleasure garden, designed for picnics and lazing about. But gloriously quiet (allowing me to spot 2 Goldcrests) and more importantly the tea room was open, with the benefit of a woodburning stove, a Dorset Cream Tea with both apricot and strawberry jam all of which had to be tried of course to escape the hail storm which ended all other exploration.

Does anyone know what the "Arum" is bottom right?

On the way home as the weather improved stopped at Melbury Down to watch Buzzards. 5 in total circling along the escarpment. Sadly although a fabulous vantage point where many extensive woods can be seen from above, no Goshawks. Not the right time of day, but I live in hope.