My final adventure from the archives is still one of my favourites. Ormsby Hall is a small National trust site hidden in the centre of Middlesborough, North Yorkshire. The house is pretty small but the grounds are extensive and really colourful during the spring. I had absolutely no aims or plans during my day here, but my photographer was hoping we had timed out visit right. The grounds are flat and easy to navigate, however, the most beautiful areas are enclosed in the curated walled gardens. But you will have to wait to find out if our visit was successful.
I began in the Georgian manor house, which was once owned by the Pennyman family. Unlike my last few visits to old houses, Ormsby is really well kept in its original style. It was regal yet simplistic at the same time, sometimes I think the old houses are decorated in a fashion that wouldn’t have been liveable. For some weird reason my photographer didn’t take any photographs in the house. Normally I am trying to convince them to stop looking through the lens of the camera and just enjoy their day. Some of the rooms were brightly decorated and filled with historical information about the family and their achievements, whilst other rooms felt distinctly cold. I loved reading about Ruth Pennyman, who was an artist and avid theatre goer who inspired the local community.
The final few rooms were the most interesting because one was filled with a miniature train track of the local area, but sadly I was to big to ride. The final room was a second hand book store, filled to the brim with vintage classics. My new years resolution was to read more of the classics if I could find any, and I struck lucky during my visit. The books were all either £1 or £2 which makes reading possible for everyone, though the cheap prices made it hard for my photographer to leave.
I headed to the old stables to see the horses but sadly Cleveland Police no longer house their horses here. It was a shame because I would have loved to see the animals up close. Leaving the main building via the courtyard, my photographer decided we should visit one of the smaller rooms. They didn’t inform me that I would have a nice pile of hats to iron.
Lunch was spent in the sunshine under the most beautiful wisteria tree (disclaimer: I did not eat the wisteria, this time). I mastered sitting on a deckchair in the sunshine for the first time, does that make me British now? Whoever designed the gardens at Ormsby did a wonderful job. No two tulips are the same, giving the illusion that the house is floating in a sea of beautiful colours. It makes me sad that this only appears for a few short weeks in spring but I am so pleased I timed my visit perfectly.
After lunch I decided I needed to do some exercise to burn off all of the food I had eaten. The staff at Ormsby Hall must have thought the same because they had left lots of vintage games on the lawn, of course I just had to try them all out. Luckily, wrinkly human had joined my adventure and knew all about the Georgian games, including how to cheat. I started with croquet, a phenomenon which is both a ball game and delicious potato dish. I was rather good at the game but for some reason my ball kept rolling off in the wrong direction, maybe I need a smaller mallet.
Next up was Jenga, but not just and Jenga, it was the giant one. I love this game because I am small enough to climb up the tower and hold my bricks in place with my feet. Much to my photographer’s disappointment, I had won game number two.
We had decided the loser had to buy the winner a coffee, and I must say coffee always tastes better when it is free. The remainder of the afternoon was spend hiding in the shady spot under the blossom trees. No-one was around and I felt as though I had the whole area to myself which was like heaven. I’m not sure if it was planted specially but the wildflowers were beautiful peeping through the long grass and trees. Whilst I was visiting the staff were setting up for a wedding and I think it would be a beautiful place to get married.
I ended my day with one final wander through the grounds and I tried to hide from human but it didn’t work…this time. If I could have taken anything home it would have been one of the purple tulips because they were a beautiful colour.
My day at Ormsby Hall was great and wrinkly human absolutely loved it here. For a National Trust site, it is much more relaxed and quiet than some of the bigger estates. I found the whole place to be really dementia friendly and the staff were all great. I think Ormsby Hall is one of my favourite places to visit because it is an escape to the country without having to drive miles out of the city.
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