A photographic journey by Paul Smith
1 Residential trip - October 2025
2 National Trust Packwood House
3 Originating in the 1400s
4 Restored in 1920s and 1930s
5 Adorned with rich tapestries
6 The Great Hall
7 Stained glass features
8 House restoration by Graham Baron Ash
9 He was a wealthy connoisseur
10 Packwood House from garden
11 Packwood House lawn and order
12 Topiary garden
13 Enjoying the garden
14 Our hotel in Frodsham, Cheshire
15 Some Chester attractions
16 Start of guided walking tour
17 The famous two tier Rows
18 And still going strong
19 It is one of Britain's finest heritage cities
20 Some Georgian and Victorian gems
21 Part of extensive Victorian restoration
22 Wild boar, symbol of Roman XX Legion
23 Black and white, half-timbered architecture
24 Varied architectural styles
25 Chester Heritage tour
26 Built on the site of a Roman temple
27 Nearly 1,000 years old
28 Chester Cathedral Gothic architecture
29 Internationally significant stained glass
30 Pleasure cruise on the River Dee
31 Passing some spectacular homes and gardens
32 Commentary told us of Chester's rich history
33 The afternoon cruised by
34 National Trust's Erddig, Wrexham
35 Our group at Erddig
36 Restored parterre at Erddig
37 One of many restored formal gardens
38 Around the house at Erddig
39 This Welsh estate's heyday was during the 1700s
40 In one of an evocative range of outbuildings
41 There were also verses to staff
42 Sword display on ceiling
43 The Yorke family home for 250 years
44 Over 7 generations of Yorke family lived here
45 Philip Yorke III gave it to the NT in 1973
46 Extensive apple orchard varieties
47 Informative postcard
48 A UNESCO world heritage site
49 Aqueduct crosses the Dee Valley
50 The highest canal aqueduct in the world
51 Awaiting an oncoming narrowboat
52 All aboard
53 Looking forward to our trip
54 The Aqueduct is 1007 feet long
55 127 feet high
56 Postcard with photo by Sheila Halsall
57 Above the scenic Dee Valley
58 Narrowboats in the Llangollen Canal
59 Along the 11 mile long Llangollen Canal
60 Aboard the 'Thomas Telford'
61 Along the Vale of Llangollen
62 This will be tricky to pass
63 Easy does it
64 Disembarking the Thomas Telford
65 Time for tea and a Bara Brith
66 The red dragon was adopted in the 5th c
67 Sign of the day
68 Llangollen, on the River Dee, Denbighshire
69 Bridgewater was named after the nearby canal
70 It has the largest walled gardens in the UK
71 Exploring the gardens
72 Autumn colours
73 In a restored Victorian greenhouse
74 In the Chinese garden
75 View of the Chinese garden
76 Exploring the 156 acres
77 Back in the RHS shop
78 An elegant Georgian mansion in Altrincham
79 Dunham Massey has 45 listed buildings
80 The Hall was built in 1616 by Sir George Booth
81 It was home to 2 ancient families
82 The Booths and the Greys
83 Huguenot silver collection
84 A fine Edwardian interior
85 The Great Hall
86 Dunham Massey kitchen
87 Formal gardens and moat
88 As You Like It
89 The Bard of Stratford
90 Alas, poor Yorick
91 Symbols of wisdom
92 RSC Theatre
93 RSC Gift Shop
94 RSC Costume gallery
95 RSC Elizabethan costume
96 Behind the Scenes Tour
97 All the world's a stage
98 Gadzooks and odd bodkins
99 Stratford-upon-Avon
100 Half timbered but full service
101 Constructed around 1610
102 Reputed to be Stratford's oldest pub
103 Entrance to Tudor World
104 Steeped in tradition and history
105 RSC theatre complex, Stratford upon Avon
106 All's Well That Ends Well
