This is more the way I like to enjoy my summer days: a day at Castle Howard.
I have a favourite route to get there which I discovered while looking for a way of avoiding the regular summer traffic jam in the middle of Malton - through Wetwang, then right and through Thixendale along a breathtakingly beautiful glacial valley, past Kirkham Priory, across the A64 (can be a bit hairy, but not today) and on to Castle Howard.
On this occasion we stopped at Kirkham Priory for our picnic - nicer than the designated picnic place at Castle Howard which is really just a part of the carpark, with plenty to look at both inside the priory ruins and the view across the river, the stone bridge and the railway line.
Since we are nearing the end of the school holidays Castle Howard was Jessie's choice, made on the basis of the adventure playground. When we got down to the playground she realised that without friends to egg her on she is at 12 just too old to enjoy playgrounds, although she made a brief attempt.
Fortunately the boat on the lake was running so we were able to do something we had never done before at Castle Howard. Later we were told that the boat's engine had recently developed the habit of conking out in the middle of the lake. It didn't for us and we had a very nice little trip with lovely views of the house. The other party on board consisted of two adults and four children who discussed the 'duckies' and 'swannies' rather loudly - they came to the conclusion that the black swanny must be the daddy and all the white swannies mummies. I managed with difficulty to curb my teacherly urge to do a five minute lecture on the domestic life of Cygnus Olor.
On arriving back on dry land we joined an orderly queue for the tractor train back up to the house (not actually this lazy - more part of the entertainment as far as Jess was concerned) and were shocked that, while we stood back to let the people on board disembark, those behind us were pushing past us to grab seats not yet fully vacated. In the end Jess and I rode, but Joe had to walk.
Jess and I went round the house at tourist speed, while Joe followed at connoisseur speed, which gave us a chance to enjoy a cup of tea (me) and very black coffee (Jess) while we waited for him. There was a lovely exhibition of animal bronzes in the process of being set up by the artist which both Jess and I loved and said so. (It was in the room which was painted by the Jeremy Irons character in 'Brideshead'.)
Jess, who had really liked Newby, felt that Castle Howard was all too much. Joe loves these private palaces, but I'm with Jess in my preference for country houses over stately homes, and I am afraid we neither of us liked the latest refurbished room which was in a rather shocking shade of minty turquoise or the celebrated chapel which Jess was seeing for the first time. Joe loved both. Jess was taken with a painting of the Howard children riding a unicorn which Narnia inspired piece was, we were told, Mrs. Howard's Christmas present to her husband.
While Joe perused the gift shop, Jess and I made a brief perambulation of the gardens which we enjoyed although, like most gardens this summer much of it was way below its best.
This is Jess with the Atlas fountain and the house in the background. As you see it was pushing on to closing time and the fountain had been turned off.
On the way home I bought Joe and Jess chips at Thompsons Chippy in Wetwang, which I can thoroughly recommend. By the way, in the words of Oscar Wilde "I can resist everything except temptation", but only to the extent of helping myself to some of Jessie's ample portion. Joe has his with curry sauce; I gather it was a superior curry sauce, but it is not something I would do to some poor harmless chip.
prydwen
In 86 I went camping in Slingsby North Yorks and walked to Castle Howard. The walk alone was breathtaking but when I first got a glimpse of the house I was totally besotted.
Need to go back there one day.