Now, I know what you are going to say, Tatton Park isn't in Manchester. Well, you are right, but it is within driving distance and a good excuse for a day out.

What we didn't know at the time was that today is the last day of the RHS Flower Show, so we thought it would be packed. Well, in a way it was, but for people going to the flower show. For "normal" people like me and Matthew, the gardens and mansion were a nice escape in the lovely weather we had today.

If you click on the full post you will see some of the pictures we took today. All in all, I would say that Tatton Park is definitely worth a day of your time to visit! Let us know if you do go!

Walking through the Walled Kitchen Garden you come to the Rose Garden. Now, I often like to stop and smell the roses, but luckily I checked before smelling this one, otherwise I would have had a nasty surprise.

Unfortunately Matthew and flowers don't agree, and whilst I was smelling the roses, he went to sit on a bench... near to the roses... because that makes sense :)
What do you think of Matthew's new glasses? I like them.

After I took the picture of Matthew, he made me take one of us to, so I used the front camera on my phone for this one. My hair is still a little short after the accident with the clippers, but I quite like this one

After exiting the Rose Garden, you enter a garden named after this, The Tower Garden. This used to be the location of the boundary of Tatton Park when it was first built, and apparently it used to house a "vagrant" whose sole job it was to scare visitors walking in the garden at night. What a job!

Matthew decided it was his turn to take a picture, so had me sit in the Topiary of the Tower Garden. I don't look so good in this pic with such short hair!

Currently at Tatton Park they are having a Biennial, which is a celebration of contemporary art under the heading "Flights of Fancy". This is meant to symbolise an alien vessel fallen into the woods. If you go inside, they bill a planetarium made up of the radio waves received from Jodrell Bank (made famous in Doctor Who). We must have gone in at a boring point in the universes history as it was very dull.

Another of the Biennial works of art, this one apparently explores the relationship between Dame Barbara Cartland, wartime aviation, Tatton Park and 1990s British politics.
Erm, ok, if you say so.
Apparently Dame Cartland was instrumental in the development of the troop carrying glider, Tory "Back to Basics" policy and promoting the rights of children and travellers which apparently explains this. The glider on the top of this camper van is apparently linked to the "Colditz Cock"

Apparently, according to the little snippet of information next to this, Baron Edgerton loved Africa, and when he couldn't visit any longer due to the war, he built this around 1939. Inside it was lovely and shaded despite the sun and heat outside, so I could see how this would be a popular building in the arid plains of Africa.

Another Biennial exhibit, this one is a Thunderbird Rocket that carries a "cultural payload". All the colourful things at the top are flags.
This work was inspired by an unexploded bomb that landed at Tatton in WWII. Apparently, the MoD at the time returned the bomb to Lord Edgerton as a "souvenier" to add to the collection! We did see this in the exhibit of Edgerton towards the end of the Mansion tour. Apparently, in the Cold War, there was a "rocket mail" programme, which failed to deliver post at supersonic speeds to "The Mars Society", where this piece obtains it's name, a global organisation intent on colonialisation.

Pont de Singe or "Monkey Bridge". Apparently built to reflect the architecture of the Japanese Gardens, it doesn't have a way on or off, but instead is there to offer as a meditation for this who wish to contemplate an impossible journey.

From one end of the gardens to the other is the Broad Walk. At the end of this very long (and broad) path is this magnificent monument. A copy of the one from Athens, this was built in the 1830s and gave visitors something to head towards rather than just an expanse of nothing.

A lovely view over the lake from the Choragic Monument. I think this would make a nice puzzle, don't you?

This is the panoramic view from the monument, again playing with the camera on my phone

Second part of the view, unfortunately a little wobble at the start, but you should be able to put these together for a complete 360 view :)

The Japanese Garden Tea House, taken from atop Mount Fuji

The Japanese Garden Tea House and Lantern, taken from atop Mount Fuji

Apparently, guests would walk across this to the waiting area. The bridge is modelled on a traditional Japanese design, but elongated to make an eye when reflected in the water.

When I first saw the name Italian Gardens I had visions of basil, sage and oregano plants creating wonderful scents as you perused. Unfortunately, this isn't the case. However, the gardens and view were fantastic, and the scents of lavendar throughout were wonderful.