Edensor, Derbyshire

Although we didn't have a lot of time to visit Edensor I was pleased that we were able to park in the shade of a walled bank by St. Peter's Church and take a look around.

This small estate village which is pronounced 'Ensor' is set in parkland owned by the Devonshire family and the stately Chatsworth House is only a short walk away.  The original village was located elsewhere, between the river and the road through the park.  The sixth Duke of Devonshire decided to rebuild and remodel it within a gated and walled enclosure where thirty-three houses could accommodate mainly Chatsworth staff and pensioners.  Joseph Paxton who remodelled and landscaped the gardens at Chatsworth chose the site for the new village and John Robertson of Derby provided the designs which he had in a book of house plans. It's thought that the Duke looked through the book and chose designs ranging from Norman to Jacobean, Swiss-style to Italian villas.  The 14th century church was retained, but only about 30 years after the completion of the model village it was replaced by a much larger church designed by George Gilbert Scott. It was built on high ground and the tall spire can be seen from many directions when walking nearby in Chatsworth Estate.

the entrance to the village

The village green looking back towards the entrance to the village

 and the parkland of Chatsworth.

one of the houses by the entrance gate

a view of one of the houses from the top of the bank

by the flight of steps to the north entrance porch of the church

detail of one of the entrance porches of a house

the back entrance to the churchyard

Joseph Paxton and Kathleen Kennedy, the sister of the late US President Kennedy who was married to the eldest son of the 10th Duke, are buried in the churchyard, but again there wasn't time to look for them on this occasion. The interior of the church and the Cavendish monuments must be interesting to see. Here is a link to read more - St Peter's Church, Edensor.

Leaving Chatsworth Estate I hope that we can return sometime.

I hope you enjoyed a glimpse of Edensor and some of the houses there.  Have a good day!

My week

During a blustery weekend when there was a lull in the wind and rain we went to the local garden centre.  Even though water was running off the hills it was amazing to see the sheep and cows were out in the fields.

We were not the only vistors and although parts of the car park, the grounds and café were closed because the garden centre staff were preparing for the storm to come our way, there were plenty of areas under cover. 

The displays in the home decoration department were looking attractive. 

Here's a similar lovely ornamental candle holder.

Midweek we had flurries of heavy rain and sleety snow which didn't settle for long as the sun came out to melt the icy particles on the ground.

Thank goodness for the covered yard which gives us more insulation, shelter and space for ourselves, the overwintered plants and an extra place to start sowing seeds.

 sweet pea seedlings

We could add the ones we got at the garden centre nursery to the collection in the tin.

Yesterday I took another walk around our neighbourhood.  The snowdrops, crocuses and a few daffodils are out in the churchyard. The carpets of daffodils planted in the old churchyard are still in bud.

the former carriage drive,  the church and vicarage in the background

It's uplifting for me to see the snowdrops as another year and February has come around.

I made a chocolate cake with my usual recipe using three eggs and a larger quantity of self raising flour and it rose well! There's a chocolate butter cream filling.  I've decorated the top with some dried rose buds and petals.  In the above photo you can see the first lot of tomato seedlings for this year. 

Spring flowers

On Sunday the weather was fairly dry although rain clouds loomed overhead on the way back from church.  The blossom on the ornamental cherry trees along the road is now out. The trees are pretty, although the recent wind and rain storms did damage the flowers. A large tree came down in the church grounds during the storms narrowly missing the church hall. 

 In the churchyard the daffodils and primroses were in flower.

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Back to my home town of Reading and a walk in the Forbury Gardens in Springtime, not this year, but two years ago during March and a visit to St James' R.C. church. We were at the church to attend  a sister-in-law's funeral that year.

those trees full of blossom high up in the offices

 opposite the church must look amazing close up from inside the building

I think they're on a balcony or walkway up there. 

On this road there was once an orchard probably part of Reading Abbey

called The Plummery.

shells brought back by parishioners  who

made a pilgrimage through Galicia, Northern Spain

finishing at the Cathedral in Compostela, better known as 

The Way of Saint James, The Camino de Santiago