Castle Howard, walled garden pergola walk with roses.

Plein air pochard box sketch 12 x 10 inch

Decided post lunch to run over to Castle Howard and so it was early afternoon as we arrived. Took George for a walk and then a quick look around the walled garden before some late light lunch. Spotted this pergola walk with floribunda clusters of roses now in flower. Indeed the closely mown grass was covered with their white petals. The head of the walk featured two chairs which did two things, they indicated scale and created a focal point. The weather was sunny though very breezy which made painting inside the sheltered walled garden our best option. Swallows flew very low through the garden, perhaps as a reaction to the gusting wind outside or maybe, logically, that there would be more insects among the flowers than in the open parkland.  Walking back to the car we spotted some of Robin Hood's men and indeed someone who looked like Maid Marion. They were accompanied by parents, we smiled as there must have been a Robin Hood themed event somewhere in the grounds today. We missed it as we were inside the walled garden, so we hope everyone had a good time, except the Sheriff of Nottingham (:o).