Category: #50places2025

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Lytes Cary Manor #50places2025

After enjoying my National Trust membership in 2023, I decided I would rejoin the Trust for 2025. 

I went to Lytes Cary Manor in September 2023 and it was nice to revisit the property.

Lytes Cary Manor

Lytes Cary Manor is an intimate medieval manor house with a beautiful Arts and Crafts-style garden where you can imagine living. Originally the family home of Henry Lyte, where he translated the unique Niewe Herball book on herbal remedies, Lytes Cary was then lovingly restored in the 20th century by Sir Walter Jenner. The garden rooms contain a magical collection of topiary and herbaceous borders, while tranquil walks on the estate take you along the River Cary.

Current saving £42.20
One adult £14.00
Parking free
Total saving £14.00
Cumulative saving £63.00
Membership cost £91.20
Net cumulative saving £28.20

I arrived at Lytes Cary Manor and parked the car. It was quite busy.

I headed to the house and had a look around. Last time I was there, due to a lack of volunteers the first floor was closed, this time it was open.

I then headed to the café to have some soup and a cheese scone. However, not only was there a queue, it was packed. If it had been warmer I might have eaten outside, but it was quite chilly, so decided to give the soup and scone a miss. Maybe next time.

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The Vyne #50places2025

After enjoying my National Trust membership in 2023, I decided I would rejoin the Trust for 2025. 

I went to The Vyne two years ago and it was nice to revisit the property.

The Vyne

A former Tudor powerhouse turned 17th century family home, set in gardens, woodlands, and wetlands.

Current saving -£57.20
One adult £15.00
Parking free
Total saving £15.00
Cumulative saving £49.00
Membership cost £91.20
Net cumulative saving -£42.20

The house was an interesting mix of medieval cellars, Tudor palace, and a 17th century family home. Unlike on my last visit the first floor was closed. I enjoyed walking around the house and the grounds.

This year I have planned to visit fifty places.

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Tyntesfield #50places2025

After enjoying my National Trust membership in 2023, I decided I would rejoin the Trust for 2025.

Having just visited Barrington Court, I hadn’t planned to visit another National Trust property the next day. I was going to go to Portishead, as when I was at home it was rather sunny. However by the time I was ready to leave the sun had gone in. So I made the decision to head to Tyntesfield.

As Tyntesfield is one of the closest National Trust properties to me (and is open nearly all year round) I have been a fair few times to this lovely house and gardens.

Tyntesfield

An ornate Victorian Gothic Revival house with extensive garden and parkland, just a stone’s throw from Bristol

Current saving -£80.20

One adult £18.00

Parking £5.00

Total saving £23.00

Cumulative saving £34.00

Membership cost £91.20

Net cumulative saving -£57.20

Tyntesfield is a Gothic Revival mansion located in Wraxall, North Somerset, England. It was built in the late 19th century for the Gibbs family, who were wealthy merchants and industrialists. The mansion is set in extensive grounds and gardens, and features a range of architectural styles, including Gothic Revival, Jacobean, and Victorian. The National Trust, a UK conservation charity, now owns and operates Tyntesfield, which is open to the public. Visitors can explore the mansion, gardens, and grounds, and learn about the history of the Gibbs family and the property. Tyntesfield is a popular tourist destination, and is known for its stunning architecture and rich history.

Having parked in the car park (free for National Trust members) I walked through the National Trust entrance and headed to the house though the grounds. This time I went through back way to the house.

I had a great time walking around the house.

It was nice that one of the rooms was open that I had never been in before. It was a 1950s room, full of stuff, but was open as there were some issues with the fire doors.

I like it when we see un-restored spaces in National Trust properties, it adds something to the experience.

There is a lot of stuff at Tyntesfield. One of the challenges is where to put it all. The agreement they had when the National Trust took over the house, was that nothing could be brought into the house, and nothing could be taken away. The Gibbs family were real hoarders, even retaining broken items which had been replaced.

After visiting the house I walked down to the Kitchen Garden. The Orangery has been lovingly restored, and the greenhouses are used to grow plants, and vegetables for the cafe.

I did consider going for a coffee, but in the end I headed home.

This year I have planned to visit fifty places.

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Barrington Court #50places2025

After enjoying my National Trust membership in 2023, I decided I would rejoin the Trust for 2025.

I drove off to Barrington Court, a National Trust property in Somerset. Checking my photographs I realised I had been there twice before, in March 2017 and November 2017. I didn’t write up those visits to the blog.

Barrington Court

An atmospheric fragment of old Somerset; the estate is the vision of Colonel Lyle and his architect James Edwin Forbes. Whilst Court House remains closed for repair, the ground floor of Strode House is open, and there are glorious garden rooms, avenues, and orchards to explore. Installations in the farm buildings tell the stories of key characters and the development of the estate.

Current saving -£91.20

One adult £11.00

Parking free

Total saving £11.00

Cumulative saving £11.00

Membership cost £91.20

Net cumulative saving -£80.20

Obviously I will need to visit some more places to make the membership cost effective and turn that cumulative saving positive.

I think when we went there in 2017 the cafe was in Strode House, but now is near the entrance. In 2017 we did go inside Barrington Court, however this time the house was closed for conservation work. I think that was the reason I didn’t go and see it in 2023 when I last had a National Trust membership.

This year I have planned to visit fifty places.

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Ashton Gate #50places2025

Went to Ashton Gate and watched Bristol City lose 1-2 to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup third round.

It was a good match and I enjoyed watching it, despite Bristol losing.

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Glastonbury Tor #50places2025

For Christmas 2022 I got a National Trust membership. It had been a few years since I was last a member, went to quite a few new places and returning  to places I had been to before.

I have been thinking about joining again for 2025. However, there are quite a few National Trust places you can visit, which don’t need membership, such as Glastonbury Tor.

Though I have visited Glastonbury quite a few times over the years I have been living down in Somerset, I had never climbed the Tor until October 2017.  With some lovely sunny weather, and some frost, I decided I would head off to climb the Tor again.

Glastonbury Tor is a distinct prominent hill amongst the Somerset Levels and can be seen from a quite a distance.

It is topped by the roofless St Michael’s Tower. There was originally a  wooden church, however that was destroyed by an earthquake in 1275. A stone replacement, the Church of St Michael built on the site in the 14th century and over the centuries has been restored and partially rebuilt several times. Now just the roofless tower remains

The hill and the tower are now managed by the National Trust. Mythically the Tor was thought to be the Isle of Avalon, a legendary island featured in the Arthurian legend. When the surrounding land was swamp, the Tor was essentially an island.

It was back in 1190, that Avalon became associated with Glastonbury, when monks at Glastonbury Abbey claimed to have discovered the bones of Arthur and Guinevere.

There is plenty of cheap parking in the town itself and there are a range of esoteric shops that also deserve exploring (after you have climbed the Tor). As you might expect there are a fair number of teashops too.

This year I have planned to visit fifty places. Glastonbury Tor is the first of that fifty.