This past weekend, we decided to take advantage of the nice weather and go see a place called Beningbrough Hall & Gardens. Beninbrough Hall was a mansion built in 1716 for a wealthy landowner in York, whose name was John Bourchier. Now, the hall holds pieces of eighteenth-century portraits on loan from the National Portrait Gallery.The portraits and rooms were really neat to see, but what I especially appreciated was how the gallery had interactive rooms for the kids. In one room, the children could dress up like the people in the portraits, and do a "Where's Waldo?" search for elements in a picture. In another room, the kids could put themselves in a portrait by looking in a mirror, setting a background, putting on a costume, etc. They even had a computer program that took your picture and put your faces into a portrait. Here's how ours turned out.
The kids also had a chance to sculpt some noses. 
The gardens around the hall were just lovely. They weren't very full, but signs of life were certainly blooming. 
The gardens also had a play area for the kids, which was nice.
As we were walking around, I couldn't help but think of the book The Secret Garden... the tall, ivy-covered, garden walls... really neat.
So, here's my question for you to answer in my comments: What do you think this little hole in the wall was originally for, and/or why was it walled in? I don't know the answer, but I'd love to hear your ideas!
3 comments:
gnomes...definitely gnomes. I’m sure it was walled up after the parliamentary action against gnomes in 1843. Or maybe I’ve been reading too much Lewis lately.
An original doggie door perhaps?
I have no clue! :o)
Love the pic of the irises! I know they're your favorite.
Maddie is so adorable! The archways must be like the Druids stone port-holes into other dimensions. Obviously.
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