We managed to keep this day free to plan a day out in the summery weather and at last I've made it to somewhere I have wanted to visited for years. We drove for an hour or so the Oouse Vally Viaduct (a.k.a. the Balcolme Viaduct) and managed to park on the verge nearby (identified on Google maps!). This Victorian masterpiece was built in just 2-years and opened in 1841 and the fast train to Brighton still thunders over it - many tines when we were there. I was concerned when we arrived as there was some sort of repair work with areas fenced off the high but in actual fact this was only a small part so we were able to cross the farmers field and get an amazing view inside. This is a typical ‘instagram’ place and there were a couple of young women there with selfie stick but we didn’t get in each others way. It really is an optical illusion inside and using my long lens gave great effect with a splash of colour from weeks further along the viaduct.
We sent some time here before dicing with fast traffic to turn the car around and stop on route for a coffee and cake at a little farm place Colin has noticed with eagle eyes as I drove looking for the parking space!
A little later we stopped for a brief look at he Ardingly reservoir with dozens go House Martins swooping over the meadow next to it and a large contingent of bird watchers arrived just as we left so obviously something rare has been reported!
Determined to use both our Boundless cards and National Trust cards we drove to nearby Wakehurst Place and the RHS Millennium Seed Bank. By clever use of our cards, we got both free entry and free parking - result. We have not been to Wakehurs Palce before and at first I was disappointed that the Elizabethan manor was covered in scaffolding but the beautiful gardens, lakes (and very tame pheasants) more than made up for this. The gardens are lovely and almost nicer than Kew as there are virtually no planes overhead and much less people. The see bank was also fascinating with raised beds of different types of environment from gravel foreshore to meadowland and associated botany.
We had lunch and I spend some time photographing the meadows and cornflowers before we decided to drive the hour or so home to avoid the rush hour traffic… or so we thought. We have absolutely no idea what happened but somehow everywhere - literally everywhere - was gridlocked from the point at which we left the M25. An hours journey eventually became 2.5 hours and I was pretty tired after leaving at 4.15pm and arriving home at 6.45pm.
Colin had already decided we should eat out in the evening and managed to book Brouge on our way home which was a great idea. We were tired but still able to enjoy a large pot of mussels and chips and in my case, a slated caramel waffle for dessert.
Apart from the traffic, today was a really nice day.
