Cragside early May 2015

Cragside is my favourite National Trust property, the Rothbury based estate and house developed by the Victorian industrialist Lord Armstrong. We normally try to get to Cragside at the end of May or the beginning of June when the azaleas and rhododendrons are at their best, but this year we are off on our hols at the end of May, so we decided to take an earlier visit.

There were a few small azaleas in bloom, but nothing like the show that you can expect later in the year, however a surprise bonus was the display of tulips in the formal garden next to the glasshouses.

Inside the house we noticed the William Morris designed ceramic tiles

and the Four Seasons stained glass at either side of the fireplace.

The panels were originally back lit by daylight, but further building construction cut off that source of light. They are therefore illuminated electrically, not quite as evenly as would have originally been the case.

Sony NEX 6 Various manual focus lenses.

Cragside Rothbury

We try to get to the National Trust property Cragside at Rothbury every year at this time in order to see the rhododendrons and azaleas in bloom.

There was something new to see this time, an Archimedes screw used as a water powered turbine to generate electricity. It was not working, but the installation looks to be complete.

I assume that the blue thing in the cabinet is a speed increasing gearbox, driving 

a generator mounted above the axis of the rotor. (Pentax 50mm f1.7)

They are also installing one of these machines in the river Wear 

as it passes through Durham City. (Pentax 28mm K f3.5)

Now for some flowers. Ideally you should use a tripod and a reflector to get good crisp and contrasty flower shots, but Cragside was very busy on Bank Holiday Monday and some of the paths quite narrow, so I made do with hand holding the camera. Samsung 35mm f2 (rebadged  Pentax) at f11.

View across Tumbleton Lake looking towards the Visitor Centre.

View from the Iron Bridge towards Tumbleton Lake

For more Cragside photos see here and here.

Sony NEX 6 manual focus lenses.

Rothbury Traditional Music Festival

Rothbury Highland Pipe Band begin the proceedings with a march through the town.

This hat doesn't fit!

Alistair Anderson and Dan Walsh perform together

Dan Walsh

Benny Graham sings Bonny at Morn

Start them young! Members of Keep Calm and Ceilidh On

Sony Nex 6 

Cragside, Rothbury, Northumberland

We try to get to the National Trust property Cragside at least once every year, and the best time to go is normally early June, when the azaleas and rhododendrons are at their best. This year we have had a severe winter and a cold wet spring, so things are a tad out of joint. There were some fabulous flowers to be seen, but nothing like the profusion of bloom of previous years at this time. However there's always something of interest to see at Cragside, our all time favourite NT location.

Click on any photo for an enlarged view.

Sheep with lamb, Tumbleton Lake

Blossom, cherry?

Stream

Carved into a fallen tree

Tree sculpture covered with toy trucks

Tulips too!

Sony NEX 6 various lenses.