Walk Leader
John Rutherford
Capacity
10
We will enjoy a rich, varied and relaxing day taking photos in the Thornbridge Estate, which is situated in the heart of the Derbyshire Peak District. The gardens are described as “quirky and quintessentially English”. They were designed in the late 1800’s “to create a vision of 1000 shades of green which the owner wanted to see from his bedroom window”. The Estate includes the Italian Garden, a 30m Herbaceous Border, a Water Garden, a Koi Lake and terraced lawns overlooking the Derbyshire countryside. You will come across three temples, two grottos and numerous statues and urns. More recent developments include the Kitchen Garden, Scented Terrace, Long Border, Modern Knot Garden, Cascade Garden, the Greenhouse and the Orangery.
You will be free to wander around the garden. You will be given maps showing what is where in the estate, along with times and places to meet for review and refreshment. Please avoid working in groups, especially with tripods, as this might disrupt the wanderings of other visitors. There are opportunities to photograph everything from garden ‘scapes to macro shots. You may find polarising and neutral density filters useful and a reflector if there is bright sunshine.
Walk Location
53.230163221251, -1.70195855
Walk Directions
Location: Thornbridge Estate is on the A6020 Ashford to Hassop Road. We are advised not to use a postcode for navigation as it leads to the wrong entrance. Using What3Words is preferable. They are; ///gather.mango.tank. (I have tested this and it is very accurate). Alternatively, you could use Google Maps and search for “Thornbridge Estate”.
Once through the main entrance simply follow the signs to the car park. Parking is free. When you walk into the Estate, the first building is Quackers café. We will meet there, on the outdoor seating deck, at 10.30.
Admission charge: The usual price is £8.00. Once I know the final number in the group, I will make an advance booking which will discount the price to £6.40. We pay this by card on entry to the gardens.
Lunch: For those who want lunch in the café, we can book it when we meet in the morning and it will be ready for us at a time we choose. The Thornbridge website has a specimen menu to give you some idea of what is available and the price.
Accessibility
Most paths are well made and level. If you go off the beaten track there is occasionally an uneven path that requires a bit more concentration. Stout walking shoes are recommended.
Toilets: Toilets are in the café.
Feedback Meeting Type
Decide At Walk
Feedback Talk Date and Time