We visited a couple of National Trust properties in the day. The first was Hinton Ampner and on the way back we called at The Vyne.
Hinton Ampner
The house was closed for Winter repairs to visitors but the entrance hall had an exhibition from a local art co-operative.
After a cup of tea and some cake in the tea room we decided to go for a long walk around the grounds. It was also the wrong time of year to take the Long Walk as this part of the gardens was closed for visitors. So instead we set off away from the house following the well laid signposted footpaths.
On the way back we past the church and took a slight detour to look at some of the statues in the gardens. It was fascinating to read that the hills below us had been the site of a battle in the Civil War. This was described on a plaque by the North Vista.
The Vyne
We left the M3 at Basingstoke and followed the satnav’s directions until they disagreed with the National Trust brown signs! This was the advice on the website The Vyne. The house was covered in scaffolding as it is having major work done to its roof. After leaving the car park and passing through the visitor reception we crossed a small bridge over the tip of the lake and this fish sculpture was in the lower lake.
We went to the Brewhouse Tea Room for a late lunch before walking past the house towards the woodlands past the lake. There were a number of walks signposted and we chose the ‘medium length’ walk through the woodlands. This took us to the bird-hide that overlooked the wetlands. Now was the time that I wished I had brought my telephoto lens.
The walk through the woodlands was a loop back to the tip of the lakes and we then had some fine views of the house and I could take advantage of the later afternoon light to capture reflections of the trees in the lakes.
The path around the lake was very muddy and in the shade was quite icy as the air temperature wasn’t hight enough to melt the ice. Even parts of the lake were frozen over.
This house, next door to The Vyne, is visible as you are leaving the site and I was fascinated by its domed roof made entirely of bricks.
