On a Saturday morning in October we happily set off to Brodsworth Hall in South Yorkshire. Its always a favourite place of ours, and one we visit every year. Brodsworth is one of the most complete surviving examples of a Victorian country house in England. It is virtually unchanged since the 1860s. The house was commissioned by Charles Thellusson, who inherited the estate in 1859.
When we arrived we had time for a much needed coffee before taking the house taster tour at 11am. Our guide Reg was very informative and took us around the ground floor, telling us a little of the history of the house and family. The house has undergone extensive renovation which is just coming to a conclusion. Being an old house, much work has been needed to save the roof and further water damage (oh, I can so relate to that!!). After the taster tour, we spent an hour or so exploring the beautiful gardens, still full of colour and a joy to see. It was a grey and blustery day, but our luck held and it stayed dry. After lunch in their café, we looked around the second hand book shop etc and finally left at 3pm, just as the first drops of rain started to fall.
Our next stop was the Travelodge at Lakeside Doncaster, we checked in and then headed over to Lakeside Outlet Centre. After a much needed coffee at the Thornton's shop we were ready to tackle the shops. Actually this was a great time to visit the Outlet, as it was quiet and we didn't have to battle our way through crowds. Most of our time was spent in the Works - no surprise there! Alas, I have no will power and came away with more books (I am sorry Melissa!). We had a pleasant couple of hours pottering about till the shops started to close.
We had dinner at the Beefeater, we both like it there. Friendly staff and we had 2 courses each and wine for the princely sum of £21!! Can't complain about that, especially as it was all delicious. It was a lovely way to end the day. After dinner we walked back to the hotel by the lakeside, it looked pretty with all the lights on. This is a fairly new Travelodge, the rooms are smaller but very comfortable. There's also plenty of parking, and its in such a good location to explore the local are.
On Sunday morning we had breakfast at the new Subway which is right under the hotel. Not exactly fine dining, but we had a lovely view over the lake as we ate and the coffee was really good. What more can you ask for. It was a good start to the day before heading to Conisbrough Castle. This was our first visit to the castle, and I am so glad we went. The castle was initially built in the 11th century by William de Warenne, the Earl of Surrey, after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. The state took over the management of the property in 1950, but by the 1980s the visitor facilities were felt to be unsuitable. Extensive work has been carried out to make the site safe for visitors and to improve facilities. We enjoyed exploring, and even climbed the 123 steps to the top of the tower. The view was worth it. As we passed each floor of the tower there were little videos playing and seats so you could take a minute to catch your breath. It was very well done. Before leaving we stopped for a coffee and took the opportunity to build our own castle using the children's building bricks. That was so much fun, Paul and I are both big kids at heart. You'd probably never have guessed that!
We decided to head home from Conisbrough, Paul had developed a cold and it was getting worse by the moment. But we had a the best week end and we had certainly made the most of it. I love this area of South Yorkshire.
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