National Trust Wallington

If your travels take you up to Newcastle, this is a great spot to spend an afternoon. There are gargoyle heads — big ones — that greet you at the entrance. You can tour the giant «house» (17^th century Palladian mansion with tons of art work and great architecture) but what I remember most were the fabulous gardens! There is a «walled garden» which is best described as sunken, with all kind of plants, surrounded by streams and fountains. There is also a conservatory with some really exotic plants… I could spend an entire day here and in the past, I have done so. You can walk even further around the grounds into the woods where «follies» are scattered as well as some ancient statues from Greece or Italy, etc. There is also a large farm market that sells smoked salmon and meats, cheeses and bakery goods. It’s open from Spring until Fall. If the weather is good, this is the place to be.