Ice house, ancient woodland, first frost

Still catching up on last week.

We woke morning to a thick frost. Good job we were in a toasty yurt and not a pod or a tent!

 

This ancient sweet chestnut tree is in the grounds of the Rydal Estate - where William Wordsworth made his last home. A local leaflet claims it is about 500 years old but we talked to a local tree surgeon while we were there and he said that various experts have looked at the tree and believe it could be as old as 1,200 years!

 

If you look carefully here you will see an ash tree growing out of a branch arm of another mature tree. The tree surgeon took us and showed it to us. It is very unusual in that the ash roots have grown down the outside of the other tree and have adapted to function in this way.

 

Here is an ice house - also within the grounds of the Rydal Estate. We hadn't come across one of these before.

 

Who said holidays aren't educational? Pah!