Lyveden is home
to an unfinished Grade I building (known as the New Bield) which was supposed
to be a summer house, while the manor house is referred to as the Old Bield and
is also open to the public – although we didn’t go inside.
Then, there are
the formal gardens, a vast open space to walk around. The orchard boasts line
upon line of fruit trees, including apple, pear, plum and damson. We hoped to walk
around the labyrinth, but I’m assuming that due to the season, the paths hadn’t
been mowed – a shame, as it was something Alfie was looking forward to. We will
have to return in the spring/summer.
From various
points of the grounds at Lyveden, you can embark on longer walks – the Wadenhoe
loop is six miles, while the Fermyn Woods loop is 4.5 miles. Fermyn Woods
Country Park is pretty much next to the estate. I’d love to go on one of the
walks when it gets a bit warmer!
Alfie enjoyed
climbing all the mounds – even if some of them were quite steep! The gardens
aren’t completely accessible, but paths are marked out for ease. I’m glad Ash
got our wellies out of the shed, as they were definitely needed in patches.
We decided to
walk around first, before lunch and I think we must have explored for over an
hour, also going into the unfinished garden lodge (which was such a cool
experience) – before heading to the café to grab a hot drink and a bite to eat.
I do love a National Trust café, and there are always so many yummy snacks and
sweet treats. With it still acceptable to eat Christmas food, I had a mincemeat
Bakewell and gingerbread latte (I couldn’t believe there were still PSLs on the
menu), while Ash had a cheese scone, and Alfie chose a Mars bar.
One thing I’ve
not yet mentioned, and another thing we didn’t check out, is the second-hand
bookshop, which is housed on the second floor of the manor. Known as the common
room, it’s a place to sit and relax, and I believe there are often temporary
exhibitions too – something to look out for next time, perhaps. Next time, we’ll
have to aim to arrive a little earlier to also visit the nearby country park –
you can’t beat a good woodland walk… and Alfie was excited by the play area!
It was nice to
visit a new National Trust property, and we must highlight it on our map before
deciding on where to go next…
Love, Lucy xx
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Love, Lucy xx