Blytonesque Places

[Courtenay]

Today I visited Ightham Mote, a wonderful ancient manor house (owned by the National Trust) not far from where I live. It's not a "Blyton place" in the sense of reminding me of a specific location in one of her stories, but I always feel it looks almost like something out of a fairy tale - the sort of place where some kind of Blytonesque adventure could happen, maybe!





I also had a lovely walk in the bluebell wood in the grounds while I was there today. There's a Blytonian connection there for me, too, as I'm pretty sure I first heard of bluebells in an Enid Blyton short story called "Bluebell Wood" (in the 1969 version of At Seaside Cottage). (In it, two children go to pick bluebells in the wood and end up getting lost - and then are found by their neighbour's dog, whom they've always ridiculed because he's old and doesn't know any clever tricks. But they change their minds about him when he shows them the way home!)

Here are a couple of photos from the Ightham Mote bluebell wood:





Before I first saw them three years ago, I guess I vaguely imagined bluebells must be a sort of pale sky blue. How wrong I was - I can never get over what an incredibly beautiful colour they are! They're now my favourite flower.

[pete9012S]

Lovely pictures Courtenay.
Yes,blue flowers are my favorite.
There's a small rockery flower called 'heavenly blue' which I first saw in Llangybi North Wales in a holiday cottage rockery.
Although so small and delicate,it remains the most beautiful flower I have ever seen.

[walter raleigh]

Forget-Me-Nots are another beautiful bluish flower, and one I also associate with Blyton. Is there a short story by Enid that tells the story of how Forget-Me-Nots got their name or am I thinking of someone else?

[Courtenay]

There's a small rockery flower called 'heavenly blue' which I first saw in Llangybi North Wales in a holiday cottage rockery.
Although so small and delicate,it remains the most beautiful flower I have ever seen.

Is it this one, Pete - Lithodora "Heavenly Blue"?

[Poppy]

Wow! - what lovely photos, Courtenay! It looks like a lovely place.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Ightham Mote looks beautiful. It makes me think of Rockingdown Manor.

Before I first saw them three years ago, I guess I vaguely imagined bluebells must be a sort of pale sky blue. How wrong I was - I can never get over what an incredibly beautiful colour they are! They're now my favourite flower.

I'm very fond of bluebells too. The colour is vibrant yet gentle. I love spring flowers like crocuses, daffodils and bluebells, which carpet the ground.

[Julie2owlsdene]

Lovely pics, Courtenay.

Reminds me of Little Morton Hall, which I've googled and put in the link.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/little-moreton-hall/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[floragord]

My most favourite National Trust property, Courtenay! I love the surroundings too. If you haven't read Anya Seton's GREEN DARKNESS you may enjoy it, its a cracking read featuring Ightham Mote.

[Katharine]

Ightham Mote looks a lovely place. I think Anita's suggestion that it's like Rockingham Manor is a good one, although my first impression was that I could see the FFO tiptoeing throught it's empty rooms, don't know why.

[Courtenay]

Aha, that's why they were selling Green Darkness in the Ightham Mote shop!

Thanks for the link to Little Moreton Hall, Julie. Cheshire is one part of the world I haven't been to yet, but if I do, there's another NT property I'll have to make a point of visiting!

There's an enjoyable little video about Ightham Mote on the National Trust's website here, if you scroll down the page: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ightham-mote/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; It shows more views of the inside and outside of the house. As one of the speakers on the video says, every room there is different!

[pete9012S]

https://www.cottagesinwales.com/cottage ... -Criccieth" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Yes Courtenay,that could have been the heavenly blue we saw at this cottage in Wales.
It was in a rockery,just to the left of the above pic.
We stayed there in the 1990's. We had been going there for years and years and then decided to try out other holiday cottages.

[number 6]

Nice cottage, Pete. I'm very familiar with Criccieth. I used to stay at Gell farm quite close by. I used to love visiting the ruined Castle & sit on the walls overlooking the Town, watching the World go by...with only the Jackdaws for company! Happy days!

[floragord]

Aha, that's why they were selling Green Darkness in the Ightham Mote shop!

If you picked up a copy you'll have trouble putting it down

[Courtenay]

Hmmm, doesn't quite sound like a Blytonesque plot, though! http://www.amazon.co.uk/Green-Darkness- ... 0340921099" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; But I'll see if I can fit it in one day. Still got stacks of books (Blyton and otherwise) on my to-read list! Thanks for the recommendation, Floragord.

Nice cottage in Wales, Pete. Does it have any Blyton-style locations nearby? Any mountains with secret experiments going on inside, look you, whateffer?

[Spitfire]

Stunning photos, Courtenay. I love Ightham Mote - I've been there twice - the first time was on a school trip and I fell in love with the place instantly. The atmosphere of the place and the character of the building which seems to combine quirkiness with dignity is still fresh in my mind, and has often been the inspiration for the setting of story ideas.

I too would recommend Anya Seton's Green Darkness. It's a very compelling read.

Also interested to note that the bluebells are ahead of mine a good two weeks I should think - mine are just starting to show blue now. I agree that the colour is amazing - 'vibrant but gentle' as Anita says - its a good description. My garden borders are overrun with bluebells - I gave away loads of bulbs last year and can't quite believe how many have popped up again this year.