Lake District, April 2024. Day 9. Wet walk Around a Garden.

One consolation of walking around a woodland or garden in the rain is that colours are more saturated and water drops on plants look attractive and add to the image. To be fair it wasn't pouring down when we visited Stagshaw National Trust Gardens near Ambleside, just drizzling! We were inspired to go when we realised that there was some parking, although limited, allowing for only 8 cars. We managed to get in, though.

Stagshaw is an informal woodland garden created in 1957. It is famous for its rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas with, adjacent to it, Skelghyll woods in which can be found the tallest trees in England. We began with the steep climb up into Skelghyll, admiring the magnificent trees, before an easier descent and then another climb up through the gardens alongside the rushing waters of the beck. The rhododendrons and azaleas were coming into their prime, whilst the camelias were past their best. We found Erythronium in flower as well as a garden variety of yellow archangel and enjoyed the sound of running water..

Despite the gloomy weather we enjoyed our visit.