Saltram House

I recently had my dad to stay for a week, and one place he wanted to visit was Saltram House. He had seen it featured on an episode of the BBC series Hidden Treasures of the National Trust, and was keen to have a look around. As it was Heritage Week while he was here, we were able to go along and take advantage of the free admission. I'd never been either, so we set off for the day, leaving a cloudy Bude behind.

The weather brightened up the further south we went, so we arrived in Plymouth to a lovely sunny day. We enjoyed a tour of the house although the upstairs rooms were not open on that particular day. The artworks are numerous and stunning. It is an art gallery tour in itself, with the backdrop being a beautiful country home. 

We returned to the main entrance area after our house tour, where the Park Cafe and shop are situated. The cafe has an excellent choice of hot and cold lunches, drinks and snacks, and we enjoyed a tasty lunch sitting outdoors in the stable courtyard. 

The gardens close by the house offer a lovely area to walk and sit in. There is seating on the lawn and around the Orangery, and also by the Orange Grove with its pond. This is such a tranquil spot, and is sheltered from the wind. The paths lead off past the Orangery through the woods to a folly on the edge of the Estate. We then walked back to the house along the Lime Avenue. This apparently is quite spectacular during the Autumn months when it becomes a tunnel of orange, a good reason for a return visit, I think!

There are many other walks around the park, but those will have to keep for another day. Around the stable courtyard are the second hand bookshop and the main shop itself, which sells the usual National Trust wares, and also some plants. I found a nice mug that I'd seen at Upton House and regretted not buying, and we also bought a lovely blue glass bud vase that caught our eye. Walking bak to the car, we passed the duck pond, where I was pleased to see a pair of Mandarin ducks. We have a male Mandarin on the Bude canal that is famously known as Malcolm, so it's good to know he has family in Devon.