GABRIELLE

 Leoni’s monumental South Front, constructed between 1729 and 1732, is more purely Italian than most English Palladian Architecture.

The view of the South Front from across the “Reflecting Lake” was made famous by the 1995 BBC production of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, as it was used for Mr Darcy’s Country House ‘Pemberley’

In 1815 Lewis Wyatt designed the Orangery for Sir Thomas Legh but it was left to the 1st Lord Newton & Manchester Architect Alfred Darbyshire to complete the Orangery in 1862. The Orangery is One-story & symmetrical with an 11 bay front, the 3 central bays cant forward, each bay is divided by Tuscan pilasters. Built of Ashlar brown sandstone, pitched glass roof and two stone chimneys. End bays step forward with semi-circular headed niches containing urns. 

The early use of under floor heating from waste heat from the brewhouse and laundry behind the Orangery created conditions suitable for less hardy plants. The Orangery contains some of the plants from the time of the 1st Lord Newton, a 90 year old fig grows on the back wall and another wall has two camellias which are thought to be 175 years old, which are a rare and as yet unidentified species.

A pair of Ram’s Head Urns are placed either side of the stone steps in the Rose Garden and along the roof line of the Orangery. All around Lyme Hall various depictions of the Ram’s Head can be found; embossed onto the spines of books in the Library, on the Minton Floor tiles in the Orangery (which also include the 1st Lord Newtons monogram) and as a key stone above the arch way to the Stable Block (1863)

The 3rd Lady Newton  created the double herbaceous borders to a scheme by Graham Stuart Thomas (approx. late 1930s) with a great variety of perennial plants graded according to colour, strongest at the entrance and decreasing to paler shades at the far end. This artistic idea was probably influenced by Gertrude Jekyll who instilled in him an interest in the garden as an art, explaining her theories on colour and the usefulness of herbaceous perennials. 

The Viaduct has been painted by many artists over the years most famously by L.S.Lowry, born on 1 November 1887 in Stretford, Manchester. In 1905 he secured a place at Manchester School of Art and studied under Adolphe Valette. Lowry often visited Stockport and painted many other parts of the Town Center. Local Artist, Alan Lowndes began to achieve success with his scenes of Northern Life in the late 1950s and painted many scenes in & around Stockport including “The view of Stockport Viaduct” in 1973.

This is Big Red a pansy it is available as  a Limited Edition print.

The name PANSY is derived from the French word Pensee "thought" the flower is regarded as a symbol of remembrance.

Hamlet- Ophelia "there's Pansies, that's for thoughts"

This is Ginger a pansy it is available as both as an Original Painting and Limited Edition print.

The name PANSY is derived from the French word Pensee "thought" the flower is regarded as a symbol of remembrance.

Hamlet- Ophelia "there's Pansies, that's for thoughts"

This Blue & Gold a pansy it is available as both as an Original Painting and Limited Edition print.

The name PANSY is derived from the French word Pensee "thought" the flower is regarded as a symbol of remembrance.

Hamlet- Ophelia "there's Pansies, that's for thoughts"

This is Violet a pansy is available as a Limited Edition print.

The name PANSY is derived from the French word Pensee "thought" the flower is regarded as a symbol of remembrance.

Hamlet- Ophelia "there's Pansies, that's for thoughts"

Honister Pass starts at Gatesgarth Farm, at the southern end of Buttermere. Rising to 1167 feet in height at the summit, it is one of Cumbria's highest passes, with a gradient of 1 in 4. At the summit of the pass is Honister Slate Mine, the last working slate mine in England. This view is from the summit looking down the valley towards Gatesgarth Farm & Buttermere