Go on an adventure in the rain to find a Fairy Door

FairydoorLast week we were blessed with fabulous sunshine and amazing temperatures, this week we weren’t (unless you’re a duck or plant starved of water). But rain doesn’t have to mean the end of outdoor fun and games if you have some wellies and a decent waterproof coat. There’s nothing better than getting out into the countryside and experiencing some nature close to home. Sure you might need a shower or three when you arrive home caked in mud but getting outside is good for the whole family. You could even add some magic to your trip and go on an adventure in the rain to find a Fairy Door!fairydoor5

We did just that a short time ago and found this amazing fairy residence nestled in a pretty little woodland quite near to us.

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Inside the fully working door there were instructions on the kinds of gifts the fairy likes to receive. These messages change throughout the year depending on the seasons and the fairy’s mood!

This particular Fairy Door is located in a private woodland in Derbyshire which the landowner graciously allows the public to visit all year round. Thanks to all the extra touches I’m convinced the owner must love housing this magical little cottage and seeing just how much pleasure it brings to local children and adults alike.fairydoor3

Aside from fairies though we found a wonderful small stream and had a great time looking for birds and squirrels hiding in the trees. We’ve been somewhat inspired by watching Springwatch!

By far the muddiest member of our family was our pet Dalmatian who turned almost completely brown after he rolled around on the ground, but muddy footprints aside he had a great time too 🙂

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There’s actually quite a few fairy doors located across the country, so why not ask around and see if there’s a local one you could visit for a magical rainy adventure!

Yarn Bombing at Acorn Bank

Acorn Bank is a National Trust property very near to Penrith and the Lake District. Having read on the UK Hand Knitting website about a community project located there I was eager to visit. People had been asked to knit natural things to decorate the trees! Unfortunately there is not a lot to see in the house itself although there are hopes for some restoration work in the future.

Acorn Bank has lovely gardens and a working water mill that grinds flour. Unfortunately the day I visited was very wet so I didn’t spend too long looking around, instead venturing into the woods to find the knitted creatures and plants.

The bluebells were all out and as they are one of my favourite flowers I had to get a quick picture 🙂

Knitted pieces had been created by lots of different people, the name of the contributers could be found in a book inside the house. If I had more time I would have loved to have joined in, but we have our own Yarn Bombing project set to go up at the end of this month so needed to concentrate on that! Here are some pictures of the things we saw.

At first I wondered why there were playing cards hanging up but then I realised that this is an Alice in Wonderland Tree and from a previous post you will know how we love Alice in Wonderland!

After getting rather damp in the woodland we rushed into the cafe for tea and cake (any excuse!) and this I can thoroughly recommend. I had a truly delicious slice of gluten free almond cake.

Colours in Nature

Just recently the weather near us has been decidedly dull, wet and miserable. While unpleasant for many reasons, it does at least have the side benefit of encouraging nature and producing a plethora of wonderful colours.

We always have a camera on standby when we’re out and out about, so when we snapped these few pictures I thought I’d share them with you all. Hopefully the sun will make an appearance this weekend and we can all get out to enjoy these wonderful colours.