A walk in Cannon Hall grounds

It's three years since our last visit to Cannon Hall is a country house and museum near Barnsley, South Yorkshire which originally was the home of the Spencer family and later the Spencer-Stanhopes.  The museum, parkland and gardens are now owned and operated by Barnsley Borough Council. The parkland was landscaped in the 18th century and nearer to the house there's a Georgian walled garden, glasshouses rebuilt in the Victorian era and pleasure grounds, follies and many mature plants and trees.

We went there again yesterday afternoon, this time with our daughter, grandson and granddaughter and managed to find an entrance into the grounds where we could park near to the house and we went on a stroll through an area of woodland that leads to a pond. The rhododendrons and azaleas were out which made the walk at this time of the year very enjoyable. 

Cannon Hall - the south facade and terrace

The herbaceous borders - many plants are yet to flower.

The remains of the 18th century Pinery which was a greenhouse

especially built to grow pineapples and other exotic fruit.

entrance to the walled kitchen garden

the herb garden

gooseberry hedges

plants for sale - mostly tomatoes

the rhododendron walk

The area around the pond is called Fairyland. It was created by one of the owners of the house and designed in the romantic manner with stones and arches taken from old ruins.

A mill stone and a seat where vistas across the parkland can be enjoyed.  Visitors can walk across to the lakes that are currently being restored.

We walked back towards the house, the gift and farm shops.

After our visit to Cannon Hall we drove to the village of Cawthorne which is also closely associated with the Spencer-Stanhope family. 

Cannon Hall, nr Barnsley (2)

We continue with our tour of Cannon Hall with a look around the servants' quarters

and the gardens.

One of the butler's rooms in the servants' quarters.

Across from the butler's pantry was a window where the butler or the house keeper

 could look down on the work going on in the kitchen. This has been set up

 as it would have been in the Victorian period and used for

 educational purposes by local schoolchildren.  

The walls have been painted blue to demonstrate the idea that putting a blue bag

 (used in the laundry) into the white paint would repel flies and also give a sense of coolness in the kitchen. 

Next to the kitchen is the pantry room and the laundry room.

You could imagine an elderly member of the Spencer-Stanhopes

 steering this Bath chair around in the grounds pushed from behind

 by servants.

The entrance to the Walled Garden

the Kitchen Garden

Pear trees have been growing in the Walled Garden

for many years. Some growing up the high walls are decades old and its

 an important collection. There are over 40 varieties and every year,

 this year on the 18th of this month, Cannon Hall holds a Pear Day

 when the pears are harvested.

Activities include tastings and pear inspired refreshments.

There are two old greenhouses and a more modern construction (on the left).

A Muscat grape brought back as a pip by John Spencer-Stanhope

 from one of his Grand Tours was grown in the one on the right

and peaches are grown in one end of this glasshouse which has been 

rebuilt over time (date c. end of the 19th century).

Another glasshouse on the north side of the Walled Garden needs to be restored. Once fruits such as figs, vines, nectarines and apricots were grown there against the hot-wall heated by a boiler as well as flowers for use in the house.

Wandering along a path surrounded by magnificent mature trees a visitor comes across a wild area and a pond.  Cecily, the daughter of Sir Walter Spencer-Stanhope was involved in the 1870s in the design of this area called Fairy Land.  Placed amongst the vegetation are arches and pillars built from material taken from demolished buildings. It was fashionable at the time to create these naturalistic areas in contrast to the more formal gardens and in the case of Fairy Land vistas of the parkland can be viewed through the stone arches.

At an earlier period John Spencer, who inherited the house and land, had the vision and finances to employ a landscape gardener, Richard Woods and a gardener, Thomas Peach, in order to create something grander than what had been there previously.  Inspired by the great landscape designer, Capability Brown, the estate was transformed.  Lakes, bridges, cascades were built, hundreds of trees including a lime tree avenue were planted in the parkland.  Apparently Capability Brown visited and approved of the result.  As we stayed near to the house we didn't see everything in these extensive grounds.  Hopefully there'll be an opportunity to return.