Thanks to @liamevanstyres for getting rid of our puncture problem. Every day it was a different tyre, like a lottery with a rubbish prize. New tyres mean the outdoor team are unstoppable in any conditions now. #kawasakimule#puncture#flattyre#deflated#Kawasaki
The bounds are beat and the estate is put to bed.
Every year our Gardener in Charge walks the perimeter of the estate, before he breaks for Christmas. Through a challenging year, all is well.
All that is left, is to wish you all a merry Christmas and happy new year. @NTmidlands
One of our volunteers raised a smile or two with their leaf raking yesterday.
Our leaves are composted to make leaf mould, each year we produce about 5-6000kgs of it. It's used to mulch the borders and as a potting compost base. #autumn#leaves#raking#gardens#EnolaHolmes#nt
Blue skies on the horizon. A cold and frosty start to the day, has given way to a brighter crisp day. The winter stubbles are full of small birds on cold days like today, great clouds of Linnets and Yellow Hammers to delight, and bring the hedges alive with noise and movement.
An important part of our conservation work, is preparing the house for winter. Every year our building contractor undertakes the winter maintenance, ensuring the gutters are clear and running, that slipped tiles are fixed, and that the drains work as they should. @NTmidlands
Hmm, our Gardener in Charge checked on the cuttings this morning, and couldn't work out what had eaten the Penstemons. A quick check revealed the potential culprit. Absolutely the best place to build a little mouse nest, on the heated propagator. #greenhouse @NTmidlands #benthall
#wildlifewednesday here at Benthall. On his early morning rounds, our Gardner in Charge manages to spot this Winter Moth Operophtera brumata on the gate in the parkland. One of a handful of winter flying and breeding moths in the UK. #moth#nature#benthall @NTmidlands
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
Like may parishes across the country, men and boys from the village of Benthall signed up, not knowing their foe, or indeed their future.
#PoppyAppeal#RemembranceDay
@NTmidlands
Over the year our outdoor team have been keeping on top of the maintenance in the parish grave yard. This included working on the old gates. Good solid oak gates but the posts had rotted. We set about giving the gates a little light maintenance, and re-hung them on new posts.
Benthall Hall and garden has closed now for winter, and we will be reopening next year.
However our parkland, and woodland walks are open everyday. Members park for free and non-members pay Β£2 all day.
Travel responsibly and enjoy getting closer to nature. @ntmidlands
Fungi time! The warm and moist weather has certainly brought the fungi out this autumn. Here we see Daedaleopsis confragosa, also know as the Thin Walled Maze Polypore, growing here on its preferred host of Willow. #fungi#bracketfungus#nature#nationaltrust @NTmidlands
The end of the garden year, and time for a tidy up. Here volunteers are thinning out vigorous perennials.
We have missed the throng of people who pass by this place over the season, but look forward to being able to show off our hard work next year. @NTmidlands #nationaltrust
We forgot to post this yesterday. The Gardener in Charge snapped it whilst mowing the churchyard, and immediately set off to look for the pot of gold, as he was certain it was in the kitchen garden. #overtherainbow#potofgold#rainbows#rainyday#mowing#gardens @NTmidlands
Time and tide stand still for no one. Did you all remember to put the clocks back an hour? It's a bit of a bind moving the rockery one bed to the left, but we managed it.
Please remember that the property remains closed at this time. Our countryside is open everyday.@NTmidlands
Seasons of mist and mellow fruitfulness, said Keats. We agree.
Autumn dawn brings with it the mist, and smells of autumn, nature's colours last huzzah before the sleep of winter envelops them.
#autumn#misty#sunrise#ferndell#enolaholmes#benthallhallnt#benthall @NTmidlands
It's a long way up!! Whilst the greens team were dressing the house for #enolaholmes we were able to hitch a lift in their cherry picker to take some photos of the house and garden from angles not often seen. #moviemagic#behindthescenes㪠#ferndell#nt#ntmidlands @NTmidlands
More behind the scenes of #enolaholmes.Here we see a process called the Tech Rec, this is where all the various heads of departments come and recce the location, usually a handful of people arriving to look at various aspects of the filming. This day they came by coach!