The HouseOur trip today was to Bramham Park gardens and estate, home to the Lane Fox family. The current owner Nicholas Lane Fox is a successful investment manager and entrepreneur. Bramham was established by his ancestor Robert Benson whose father gained wealth as a lawyer. The layout of the park in a formal French garden design and house was completed in 1710.
Our attention on arrival was drawn almost immediately to a red kite circling overhead. We were told by our host Judy that a couple had built a nest and raised chicks on the estate.
We were invited to explore the landscaped gardens at our leisure. The gardens are laid out in a formal design with architectural features at intersections including the T pond, Gothic Temple, Obelisk ponds and cascades, Open Temple, Four Faces statue and Chapel. These features could be seen at the end of the long rides which sometimes when bordered by tall beech hedges these were called allées.
The gardens are situated on the famous belt of magnesian limestone. Our particular interest focused on the meadows in between the rides which had been traditionally managed for over 300 years. They contained a profusion of plants and insects. These areas were a sea of knapweed coming into bloom and orchids common spotted and twayblade just past their best. 
Fragrant Orchid(Broad leaved helleborine was present on the margins of the woodland and fragrant orchid was seen by Donald and Stuart near the Obelisk in Black Fen.)
Four Spotted Chaser Other hay meadow plants included lady's bedstraw, fairy flax,and St John's wort. Many plants were in seed including yellowrattle and cowslips. Giant bellflower, woundwort and willow herb were seen on the woodland margins. On the lawns we found squinancywort, rock rose and eyebright. 125 species were identified and recorded by Alice. Butterfly species included an abundance of ringlet also meadow brown, large skipper, tortoiseshell and red admiral. Dragonfly species included emperor and brown hawker (I am looking forward to viewing Sue's pics in the Gallery).
A small number of us ( now known as the elite group !) took the half mile walk to the area known as Black Fen. It was an intergral part of Bramham's landscape from the beginning. Orginally an area of peat bog and badly drained land unsuitable for farming it was planted as a woodland. It contains the Obelisk, a monument created in 1760s as a memorial to Robert Benson who died in his 30s. This is a wildlife area and arboretum containing some exotic trees. On our return we observed the White Horse of Kilburn in the distance.
Fourteen people attended this outing. We were lucky to have the benefit of a warm and sunny day.Margaret