Lori and Tim in the UK

Chatsworth

Chatsworth

Chatsworth House is a about 25 miles from Derby near Bakewell and is the home of the Duke of Devonshire. It's been home to the Cavendish family, since Bess of Hardwick settled at Chatsworth in 1549. It's also where they filmed scenes from the movie Pride and Prejudice

The castle is really nice, better decorated than most of the other buildings that we've toured. Nice wall and ceiling paintings in the foyer. The carriage was used to bring the Cavendish family from Chatsworth down to London the the Queen's coronation in 1952.

The Dukes' dining room

We liked the Lion sculputres

Some beautiful gardens

One of the unique features of the land/castle is that they use lake water from the hill above as a pressurized water source for all the fountains and streams.

The river Derwent is a little high with all the rain. This river runs down through Derby.

Tour of London's Olympic Village

Tour of the Olympic village

We had booked a tour of the Olympic facilities before we went down to London. It was a good tour, but not what we expected. We did get to see a number of facilities, but the approach they took with the buildings was quite different and not what we expected. Security is already tight and this is the closest we got to the Olympic stadium.

They've tried to create a concept that they don't have an empty Olympic village after the Olympics are over. The "Sculpture" in the foreground is an observatory, but is not the torch. The Olympic stadium is being sold (leased?) with two bidders remaining (either a concert venue or a Football stadium)

The swimming venue. It seats 17,000, but both sides will be removed after the Olympics to end up with seating for ~4000.

Another stadium (field hockey) in the background.

Housing where the athletes will stay. They will be used as apartments after the games.

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle

We stopped by Windsor Castle on the way back home from London. Windsor is less than 10 miles from West London so it's a quick trip. Lori and Megan went into the Castle.. I had been in there a couple of times so I explored town. The Queen spends weekends at the castle.

The castle from the courtyard

Ceremony of the changing of the guard

The hat makes him look taller. Lori didn't know how close was the proper protocol for the picture. I guess this was ok since he didn't shoot her.

St.George's Chapel, the burial spot of Henry VIII, the Queen's parents and her sister, Princess Margaret

Late lunch before heading back to Derby

Hardwick Hall and (more) Matlock

Hardwick Hall and (more) Matlock

Lori and I went to Hardwick Hall for the day. Hardwick Hall was built by Bess of Hardwick, the richest women in Englan beside Queen Elizabeth I. She was married 4 times, and widowed three times. Bess became famous for her building projects, especially two of them; Chatworth (on the list of things to see, also near Derby), and Hardwick Hall. She's buried in a vault in the Derby Cathedral (1608).

The first Hardwick Castle. After Bess became wealthy, she built her own castle on the same grounds. The older castle was used for guests and servant quarters (and eventually partially sold off for building materials).

The new(er) Hardwick Hall.

View from the old Castle. The field of yellow is rapeseed, a cash crop and primarily used for biodiesel fuel in the UK.

A close up of rapeseed

This would look nice in our backyard back home

A nice backyard

Lori having a moment with Bess - hopefully not thinking about her next husband :)

Bess of Hardwick Hall

Bess in stone

The house is full of 1600's tapestries

Lori is rather uncomfortable walking amongst nature... and the animals seem to sense it.

Mom and her new lambs didn't seem to notice us . but Lori again uncomfortable when then they followed us down the trail

This guy was a little timid... he felt safer behind a tree with Mom

MATLOCK

Matlock is a small town nearby in the Peak district. It was finally warm ~ 70F - shorts weather!! (the warm didn't last many days)

Matlock --- UK putt putt golf... this is a poor man's putting green, with numbered stakes in the ground.. nobody was playing, but I assume that you putt to the next stake and count your strokes until you hit the stake..