Snowdrops at Kiplin Hall
After days of rain, the weather finally gave us a break, so we decided to drive out to Kiplin Hall to see the snowdrops. It’s an attractive manor house near Northallerton, about a 45-minute drive from Durham, and one we return to several times a year.
Snowdrops with Kiplin Hall rising behind them on a grey winter morning
Kiplin Hall
As Historic Houses members, we don’t pay an entrance fee to Kiplin , which makes it an easy place to revisit in different seasons. In summer there’s a pleasant walk around the lake and exploring the house is fascinating too. On a previous visit I even learned the origin of the phrase “it cost an arm and a leg.” Apparently, because hands were so difficult to paint, portraits used to be cheaper if they were only head and shoulders. Full-length portraits, with arms and legs included, were much more expensive!. But today wasn’t about portraits, it was about flowers!
Following the Snowdrop Trails
Kiplin has two snowdrop trails, and as neither is very long, we decided to do both. After all the rain, however, the paths were extremely muddy. I quickly regretted not wearing wellies, or at least walking boots, as my trainers — and my jeans — are now a very convincing shade of mid-brown.
Although there were fewer snowdrops on the longer woodland walk than we’d expected, the drifts beneath the trees were still lovely. We also spotted plenty of green shoots, so hopefully even more flowers will appear over the coming weeks. Parts of the lakeside path were under water, but we managed to avoid the worst of it and still enjoy the outing.
Drifts of snowdrops lighting up the woodland floor at Kiplin Hall
Tea, Scones and a New Visitor Centre
Since our last visit, a new café and gift shop has opened. Naturally, we tested the scones. They scored well on my personal sconometer for lightness and size, although a little more cheese inside as well as on top would have made them even better.
The new visitor centre has been made possible through a donation from the estate of Annie Marchant, and you can find out more about her in a small museum room behind the café, which includes her kitchen and dairy collection.
For similar ideas for outings that are a little further afield, take a look at our Days out from Durham suggestions.
Heading Home via Northallerton
If you have time to visit the house as well as the grounds, you could easily spend several hours at Kiplin. Today, though, we headed back via Northallerton, a delightful little market town with plenty of tempting cafés.
Lewis & Cooper, Barkers, and of course Bettys, are all excellent stopping points if you’re in need of refreshment before the journey home.
If you enjoy historic houses, you might also like some of the ideas on our Things to do in Durham City page.
Moira and Adam have been Pointers for several years and always enjoy exploring the local area