Friday the Thirteenth is often associated with general ill omen, a superstition that is still most commonly held in our so-called civilised and educated society. This year it happened to fall on my birthday, my 30th at that, but the gloomy spirits it was supposed to invoke were displaced by the bright golden sun and the deep blue sky, heightened by long trailing wisps of clouds.
From the north of Sheffield where we live, we drove towards the direction of Barnsley, hardly the most romantic setting in Yorkshire, this patch of Britain we call home that is more fondly referred to by its inhabitants as God's own county, winner of 2013 World's Travel Award and this year's host of Tour De France's Grand Depart. Our destination was a once thriving industrial town which rapidly descended into a 'venomous weeping hole of utter stupidity, filth and degradation' (as described by someone who came from there) soon after the mines closed to which it never recovered. But behind all this is a hidden gem within its countryside and that's where we headed for a great day out.
As we drove through a tunnel of green created by rows of trees that stood along parts of the quiet lane, the Palladian wing of Wentworth Castle, which stands three stories high with its six columns, rose over the hill and peeked through the little gaps left by the canopy of leaves. But blink and you will miss it. On either side of the road before we reached the turn-off, the country rolled out in a lush green carpet of fields with grazing animals, stretching out in the distance, to where the shoulders of the hills marked the end of the land and the beginning of the sky.
The parking area was small, South Yorkshire's best kept secret does not yet boast of the number of visitors as the more popular attractions in the area have but it won't be for long. Along the short path to the Long Barn Visitor Centre, we read about the restoration work that is being carried out by the Wentworth Castle Heritage Trust, an ambitious process that only started in 2004 after appearing on BBC 2's Restoration program in 2003 which helped secure funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the European Regional Development Fund amongst others.
Wentworth Castle was one of Yorkshire's most important 18th Century estates. Once the seat of the Earls of Stafford, its very foundations contain relics of past glories but like most English aristocratic homes and with no surviving heirs, it has fallen into a sorry state of disrepair that before the middle of the 20th Century it was sold off, turned into a teacher training college until 1978 and then eventually became home of Northern College that it is today. But in 2002 the trust was created for the much-needed restoration work and their achievements over the recent years should be admired.
Our tour around the gardens followed the map provided which started with the brand new garden laid out in the front of the Baroque part of the house that is not accessible to the public although a tour can be booked with the college.
Leaving the garden, we followed the path around the side of the Ha ha wall and lawn where we admired the South side of the building up close and took notice of the Corinthian Temple, built in 1776 that would have been used as a summerhouse and a place for entertainment. Viewed from a distance, it created an impressive sight adding an air of extravagance to the place.
We crossed the bridge and took in the impressive views of the valley below from the steps of the folly that was built in a design meant to echo the architectural style of the south façade with its four Corinthian columns which provided a sense of cohesion to the overall building.
From the back of the folly, we made our way to the gardens, entering the high hedges of round densely populated enclosures laid out in the form of two Union Jacks it was named after. This is one of the most extraordinary and historic features of Wentworth and is part of the 1739 illustration of the estate.
We carried on walking through the Middle Garden and the Triangle until we reached the short steps leading to the Secret Garden where successful restoration work has transformed it back to the original mid-19th Century Victorian Garden that it was with bowers, trellis work, grassy plots and bright bedding complete with iron urn and plinth. We stayed here for a bit to to admire the magical landscape of the past that was recreated in the present.
Leaving the garden, we wandered off towards the wonderful viewing point that looks out to the south of the Parkland, admiring the unspoilt beauty that was before us.
Following on with our walk, we passed through the Archer's Hill Gate which was built in 1744, where the three arches framed individual and beautiful views across the South Park almost as if they are landscape paintings. This gate used to mark the point where the old public road left the estate although there was barely any traces of that now.
We followed the path, down a grassy slope and walked along a crenellated wall that gave an impression of a medieval fortification. We passed through an obelisk that is the Sun Monument on our way to the towers of Stainborough Castle that rose up ahead.
Stainborough Castle has the appearance of a gothic fairytale fortress but this mock castle is in fact only built in the early 18th Century and was said to be designed as a playhouse for the children with each of the four towers named after them. But where it was built is the actually a site of an Iron Age hill fort that was converted by the Norman Lords into a motte and bailey castle.
Leaving the castle, we walked around the 'informal' Wilderness, one of the highlights of Wentworth and a sanctuary for the national collections of old, rare and endangered garden plants as well as new varieties who are grown there for the benefit of horticulture, science and education. We also visited the Stumpery and Fernery and admired the land art sculptures created by the garden team.
At the end of the walk, we found Lady Lucy's Walk, an avenue of lime trees said to be shrouded in mystery with rumours of ghosts and ghouls with a story of forbidden love at its heart. It was the most picturesque garden path I have ever walked across.
And before returning back to the barn, we entered the newly restored Conservatory brought back to its former splendour with a colourful collection of exotic plants emitting fragrant scents. This picturesque glasshouse was one of the first to use electric lighting in the country, even earlier than Buckingham Palace!
It was definitely a perfect place to spend a birthday and we are surely coming back. With an entrance fee of only £6.50 each including parking, who said a day out has to be expensive to be memorable?
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