A Stop off at Belton House

When my children were younger we used to visit Belton House often.  It was one of the few National Trust houses that they willingly would visit as it had a superb adventure playground.  We used to take a picnic and it would always be a good day out.  After visiting Little Ponton the other day we realised we were close to Belton so we decided it would be nice to visit again.
It is a very fine house and it sits well in its landscape.
It has impressive architecture that just shouts wealth.
and also some rather wonderful ornamental quinces flowering up the warm-coloured walls.
The formal gardens are very well proportioned.
and you turn from one way to the other to admire the lines and focal points.
We peered through the windows of the closed camellia house.  It looked warm and steamy in there and we could see the flashes of orange fish.
There were, of course, plenty of snowdrops.
There is this tree lined avenue to the house, which when you turn around.....
reveals the edge of a ha ha and a focal point in the distance.  This worked perfectly.
Plus some moments to stop and enjoy the little things.
I loved this bumpy hedging that creates an arch over the pathway.
This curved wall was a beautiful piece of detail.  It is around the back of the house in a corner and so could be easily missed.  It has many roses growing up it and I need to return to see them in flower.
I was stopped in my tracks by this, I think it is a wisteria, it is beautifully pruned and spread its arms far and wide.
We also found some naturalised drifts of snowdrops and daffodils.
It was a really nice couple of hours wandering around, I don't think I had every walked around so much of the gardens before.  I shall definitely be returning when the season has turned again.