The story of Derbyshire's Hopton Hall can be traced back to the 1400s but the modern hall and gardens owes its growing fame to 1996 when estate manager, Spencer Tallis, took over clearing the grounds and laying out a garden full of features. Two of my roses owe much to a visit there last summer. Today's post concerns the snowdrop walk taking one along a meandering walk, along well laid paths, through the grounds, ponds and house. The visit is well managed with directed parking and articulate people on hand to point out features. The hall is situated in the Derbyshire hills and the altitude seems to have kept the snowdrops fresh and at their best. The tea shop is the best I have encountered this year and cost of admission fair. This may be compared with the better known Painswich Rococo Gardens in the Cotswolds, visited last week, overpriced - costing twice as much and not nearly as nice. (Our HHA card got us in both for free.) Hopton's thick carpet of snowdrops on a bright sunlit day was uplifting, as were the topiary, general garden and vintage cars. As a self-confessed galanthophile I have to admit I would swap each and every snowdrop there for just one of the Bentleys, Jags, or Rollers on display!
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