I'm always on the look out for unusual places to visit in Hertfordshire - preferably ones that are not too far away from where we live ('are we there yet mummy?' is not my favourite phrase!). So, when my friend mentioned that she was going to visit a snowdrop display in a little Hertfordshire village I was intrigued. I love snowdrops - the brave little flowers that tell us spring is hopefully on the way, and we thought we would go for the afternoon with the children as they have been watching way too much Cbeebies of late and we wanted them to get some fresh air for once.
The Benington Lordship gardens are set near the tiny village of Whatton-at-Stone. It has a history that stretches back to Saxon times and the children were very excited at getting to see the remains of a real castle. These remains are of Norman origin and the flint stone makes the entrance to the gardens rather brooding and atmospheric. It's not surprising that it is often used as a location for TV and films.
The gardens themselves had become rather dilapidated until the arrival of Sarah Bott in 1970 who decided to revive them to their former glory. It was fab to see the children running around enjoying the many nooks and crannies, spotting snowdrops and exploring the quirky garden statues that crop up here and there.
We finished off a lovely afternoon with a very large slice of delicious coffee cake in the tea shop. Despite the brisk weather we had a great time and I would really recommend going. They also have a chilli festival in the summer which looks good fun too (I'm hoping to enter my husband into the chilli eating competition!).
The gardens are open for the snowdrop display until 24th Feb
To find out more you can visit their website at http://www.beningtonlordship.co.uk/findus.shtml
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