May 20th: Open Day at The Bishop’s garden, Norwich Cathedral

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We had a lazy morning, recovering from the activities of yesterday … my legs certainly knew I had climbed that tower. Funny, I didn’t feel that way after climbing the tower at Ely. Perhaps it was the additional 110 steps? The calendar indicated that the Bishop’s House Garden was open today should we feel so inclined. We did. The BIshop’s House Garden is open for a select few weekends in the year and a small admission fee is charged, but each open day is assigned a particular charity, and that charity can plan additional events and activities within the garden. Today was the turn for Hope into Action. Their website states that they “provide homes for the most vulnerable in society in partnership with local churches…. [their] model is built on the belief that when people have a safe, secure home surrounded by loving, non-judgemental relationships they will find the strength and motivation to make positive life choices.” We didn’t have a problem with that, so we forked over our £4.00 each and wandered in. What a wonderful site awaited us; the garden itself is beautiful, tended to by one head gardener and a few volunteers, but there were families and couples of assorted ages strolling the grounds.

I do love Norwich, it is a city, it feels like a City, there is movement all around, hustle and bustle, life in every alley, on every street, in every garden and every park. But it is also rural, and there are families everywhere, strollers being pushed up and down the cobblestone hills, in between the historic churches, elderly couples strolling hand in hand through the market or chatting over a slice of bakewell tart or cream tea at one of the many tea chops. I love that the Salvation Army has a cafe which sells cream teas for £3.50.

The activities on the lawn were mainly directed at the children - face painting, soccer goals, treasure hunts through the gardens, but there was also a used book stand. We did our best to avoid it, unsuccessfully. I do not need to make any purchases as I am travelling with one small backpack … but buy we did; a Welsh/English dictionary and a couple of novels for RL, and  a very slim copy of R.L Stevenson’s Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes for me. The gardens were beautiful and included a box hedge maze, a mowed labyrinth with assorted wildflowers growing in it and a pear tree at the center, a jungle walk, and a “bambooserie” with assorted bamboo trees. There were alcoves covered with fading wisteria, the last of the bluebells, and roses bushes everywhere just waiting to burst into bloom - it would be lovely to return in a few weeks and see them.

Across the road from the garden is the Wig & Pen pub. They were serving Sunday roasts … we were unable to resist the temptation of sitting in the sunshine dining on roast beef, Yorkshire pud, roast potatoes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and lashings of gravy… all washed down with a pot of tea? It was delicious and the perfect way to spend our final Sunday afternoon together. Late in the evening we thought it fitting to end this leg of my travels with a spot of tea and a slice of Battenberg cake. Mr Kipling, you do make “exceedingly good cakes” as the ad from my childhood goes...