Alton
As reward for a day being dragged around plants and parks, the family “fee” was for me to be dragged around roller coasters. The day after Trentham we travelled sideways a bit and parked up at Alton Towers. I get more enjoyment from watching roller coasters and seeing how they are built than from riding them and I personally don’t relish long queues for 15 secs of thrill. Alistair shot off whilst Jane and I meandered across the park. We found ourselves in the “derelict” house (that is slowly being renovated) it is huge and the chapel has a ceiling that was very unexpected. There is a formal lawn with clipped “bells” and it seems a quiet haven from the park, barely a few metres away. The integration of the ‘coasters into the landscape is very good, although moving about the park can be frustrating as signage and directions are “loose” The highlight, for me at least was the valley garden and in particular the old glass house. I don’t think that I have ever come across a more photogenic structure. The lantern glass is missing and falling out, the paint is peeling off frames, the interior stonework stained in rust and soil, the colours are muted and earthly and you could probably spend all day peering in at windows. Around this structure (and I hope that any restoration is subtle rather than a full reconditioning) is a series of terraces and lawned areas set into the valley side. The planting is only noteworthy for the clipped arches, almost Alice in wonderland-esque. What was impressive was the stone work. The steps, walls and transitions from vertical to horizontal. It is intricate and engineered. The masons did not resort to cumbersome blocks but carved their own pieces for the Lego set that was used to construct the beds. The stone work is understated and sublime and probably mostly overlooked. If you are there, take time and admire workmanship that we are very unlikely to see or afford again.
As reward for a day being dragged around plants and parks, the family “fee” was for me to be dragged around roller coasters. The day after Trentham we travelled sideways a bit and parked up at Alton Towers. I get more enjoyment from watching roller coasters and seeing how they are built than from riding them and I personally don’t relish long queues for 15 secs of thrill. Alistair shot off whilst Jane and I meandered across the park. We found ourselves in the “derelict” house (that is slowly being renovated) it is huge and the chapel has a ceiling that was very unexpected. There is a formal lawn with clipped “bells” and it seems a quiet haven from the park, barely a few metres away. The integration of the ‘coasters into the landscape is very good, although moving about the park can be frustrating as signage and directions are “loose” The highlight, for me at least was the valley garden and in particular the old glass house. I don’t think that I have ever come across a more photogenic structure. The lantern glass is missing and falling out, the paint is peeling off frames, the interior stonework stained in rust and soil, the colours are muted and earthly and you could probably spend all day peering in at windows. Around this structure (and I hope that any restoration is subtle rather than a full reconditioning) is a series of terraces and lawned areas set into the valley side. The planting is only noteworthy for the clipped arches, almost Alice in wonderland-esque. What was impressive was the stone work. The steps, walls and transitions from vertical to horizontal. It is intricate and engineered. The masons did not resort to cumbersome blocks but carved their own pieces for the Lego set that was used to construct the beds. The stone work is understated and sublime and probably mostly overlooked. If you are there, take time and admire workmanship that we are very unlikely to see or afford again.
I really like that part of integrating the coasters into the landscape. looks great! do you have more pictures of the valley garden you wrote about? would be nice to see them too..
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