Saltram

Grey and overcast this morning. We tried out the shower in the caravan for the first time. It was very good, and we can both shower on less than half a tank full of water. The sun was coming our by the time we headed off to Saltram House. We had a picnic lunch by the car before heading off to tour the gardens and it was a little chilly in the wind. When we started walking the sun came out and it became a lovely sunny day.

Saltram overlooks the River Plym and is set in a rolling landscape park that provides precious green space on the outskirts of Plymouth. Strolling along the riverside or through the woodland, you can almost forget that the city lies so close.

Saltram was home to the Parker family from 1743, when an earlier mansion was remodelled to reflect the family’s increasingly prominent position. It's magnificently decorated, with original contents including Chinese wallpapers and an exceptional collection of paintings (several by Sir Joshua Reynolds). It also has a superb country house library and Robert Adam’s Neo-classical Saloon.

The garden is mostly 19th century, with a working 18th-century orangery and follies, beautiful shrubberies and imposing specimen trees providing year-round interest.

On our way back to the car we a nice ice cream and then headed back to the caravan for what was a very nice warm evening with the sun shining right to 21:00.