Watersmeet - a pretty spot for a cuppa on Exmoor
Watersmeet is the meeting place of the East Lyn river and Hoar Oak Water on Exmoor, Devon. Several walking routes converge here. And when you arrive, there is an attractive tea room to greet you!
Six Things on
John Evelyn - 17th Century polymath and thinker
John Evelyn was an English writer, gardener, intellectual and diarist in the 17th century. His diary spanned the period of his adult life from 1640 to 1706, the year he died. His notable achievements include books on a number of subjects such as architecture, cookery, horticulture, politics and theology. He gave advice to the government on air pollution and forestry.
Wild violets, beautiful whether they're scented or not
From March, wild violet flowers can be seen in many a British lawn, providing the gardener isn't too ruthless with this pretty 'weed'. There are several common species of this low-growing perennial, including the scented Sweet Violet and the unscented Common Dog-Violet.
The first British safari park - a roaring success at Longleat, Wiltshire
The very first drive-through safari park outside of Africa opened more that 50 years ago in the grounds of Longleat, a stately home in Wiltshire. The concept of safari parks was the brainchild of Jimmy Chipperfield (1912–1990), former director of Chipperfield's Circus.
Sarehole Mill - inspiration for Tolkein
Sarehole Mill is a Grade II listed water mill on the River Cole in Hall Green, Birmingham. It is one of only two working water mills in Birmingham and is now run as a museum by the Birmingham Museums Trust. Sarehole Mill is known as an inspiration for J. R. R. Tolkien, who lived nearby as a child.
Tresco's tropical gardens - on the Isles of Scilly
The semi-tropical Abbey Gardens, located on the island of Tresco in the Isles of Scilly, benefit from the warm flow of the Gulf stream, being set in the Atlantic 45km (28 miles) from Land's End. The 17-acre gardens were established by the nineteenth-century proprietor of the islands, Augustus Smith, around the ruins of a Benedictine Abbey.
Six things to delight and entertain you every day.