Wollaton Hall - Home Of Super Heroes
w/e 19 August 2012
All this week's pictures were taken
with a Kodak DX6490
The recently released Batman movie "The Dark
Knight Rises" was partially filmed in Wollaton Park at Nottingham
with the Hall being the backdrop as Wayne Manor, home of the
Super Hero.
Unlike Batman, we walked into the park and up one of the tree-lined
long drives from Wollaton village. I noticed the label on this
particular tree and thought it may have something to do with
the warty-like protuberance near its base but the label had faded
and the projection appeared to be where a long gone branch had
been removed.
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The trees obscured views of the Hall for much of the way and
we followed the path between it and the Industrial Museum passing
several A-boards on the way each one bearing a Batman-like logo
depicting the Hall.
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We followed the path through a gated narrow passage and entered
the formal garden area where a couple of park workers were busily
tending the flower beds.
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We walked to the edge of the formal garden to view the distant
lake where aroma-ography or smelly-vision would have been useful
for you to enjoy the scent of the lavender along with us.
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Turning back into the formal garden we headed for the Camellia
House admiring the colourful flower beds set in the carefully
manicured lawns.
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The Camellia House is the oldest cast iron glasshouse in Europe.
On a previous visit to Wollaton I captured an image similar to
the above through the glass but I think this is the first time
I have visited the park and been able to see the Camellia House
from the inside.
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  Pausing only to admire the borders around
the Camellia House - (why don't mine look like this?) -
we left the formal garden following a path (left) at the side
of the glasshouse to reach what many people regard as the rear
of the Hall although originally this was the main entrance. We
walked all around the Hall (right) to today's main entrance which
was originally the "tradesmen's entrance".
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Passing in front of the Grade 1 Listed Elizabethan mansion we
descended by the old coach road to the former stable block, home
of the Nottingham Industrial Museum. The temporary gazebo on
the grass had a display about wildlife in urban areas.
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  Having unexpectedly met a neighbour from Ilkeston
near the Hall we were told of some wildlife in a passage leading
into the courtyard (left & right) in the Industrial Museum.
High in the rafters of the passage was a swallow's nest and three
chicks looking down. With the parent birds flitting about we
left them in peace and moved on to make our way home just as
the rain started.
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Taking a lead from the resident deer in the park we took shelter
under the canopy of one of the trees near the driveway we had
walked along when entering the park but it was only a short sharp
shower of about five minutes and we were soon able to make our
way home to find there had been no rain in Ilkeston at all. So
no rain in Ilkeston and no sign of Batman at Wollaton either
and the closest thing to Batman's accomplice Robin? Well that
would have to be the swallow chicks!
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