Race Around the World - Bicton Park Botanical Gardens

Elephant Fountain near the entrance

 The Bicton Botanical Gardens have a selection of trees (mainly) from around the world.  The entrance looks like a large garden centre, but there is so much more.  There is also a formal garden (Italian), and a church on site.  Although this is no longer used, and was locked.

When the gardens were opened, the owners decided to also build a railway as the house had been separated from the estate and is now Bicton College.

We wandered around the gardens, took a trip on the train, then went inside for lunch.  The food was good, my cheese scone was one of the best I had ever had, but it was ridiculously expensive. 

Palm House

The palm house is the most impressive building on site.  Built before Kew Gardens, it is constructed so that the glass panes for part of the supporting structure, and make the dome freestanding.

 
The stream had been dammed to make the lake and various features had been built on its way down the gentle slope.  We got to Fairy Falls, and walked up the steep bank to the hermitage (locked).  We sat on the seats outside to watch the dragon flies hunting over the pond. It was warm in the bright sun, hardly a cloud in the sky, and a gentle breeze.  Lovely, until ... three or four women arrived and sat on the next seat.  I do not want to hear about your health problems, your relationship problems, or those in your family about to give birth.  The moment was ruined.  We moved down to the Japanese pagoda.  Quiet again, this time disturbed by a family taking pictures - at least that's a normal activity.

We finished by re-visiting the American garden and the giant redwoods. Then the rain began.  It was not quite light and we were soon in the car, where the rain stopped pretty quickly.

An excellent day.