Dunham Massey Hall

 Sunday 10th July 2022 still in Dunham Massey.

Another swan convoy greeted us this morning. Sadly, they too went away empty handed.

The guide books speak highly of a local NT property, Dunham Massey Hall. It seemed a shame not to take the opportunity to visit it when it was so close. Accordingly, we decided to take the day off and not cruise anywhere today.

Dunham Massey village is very small and most of the houses look as if they were once part of the estate surrounding the Hall. This building was originally a school built in 1759 "For the benefit of the townspeople of Dunham Massey according to the will of Thomas Walton, Gent."

Rush hour in Dunham Massey! MM was moored a little to the left of that bridge.

We saw a sign for "Little Heath Farm Shop" down this road, appropriately named Cow Lane. We found a collection of classic red brick farm buildings inhabited by hundreds of house martins that constantly swooped around the yard. The welcoming farm shop was tiny but well stocked with their own excellent meat and vegetables.

The lane through the village took us to the back of the Dunham Massey Hall estate, which we entered by climbing over a stile into the park and a large wooded area criss-crossed by wide paths that radiate away from the house. It is not a huge house but quite grand, and the stables and coach houses were almost as large again. The guide book says that the house has a sumptuous interior containing a collection of Huguenot silver, paintings and walnut furniture.

We did not go into the house but headed for the stables, which now house an excellent restaurant and coffee shop where we had a welcome snack. The name of the restaurant is appropriately made from recycled horse shoes. Clever - and very attractive!

Downstairs is an ice cream parlour where they sell Snugbury's excellent ice cream. Very welcome on such a hot day. We visited the home of Snugbury's on the Llangollen Canal a few years ago and it is amazing!

The park is home to a large herd of fallow deer. Despite notices warning people that the deer are still wild animals and should not be fed or approached, many people were encouraging their children to walk up to the deer for a photo opportunity. This relaxed individual didn't seem to be too bothered by the attention. Isn't he handsome?

Neither was this group, taking advantage of the shade, bothered by the people nearby; however, the noise of a drone buzzing close overhead did unsettle them for a while until it flew off.

Returning to MM, we had another relaxing afternoon as the temperature rose inside and out. It reached 34 degrees inside!

So the coolest place to have dinner was sitting on the towpath in the shade of the trees with a welcome glass of wine!

Today, MM had the day off.