Norton Priory, Runcorn, Cheshire.

[shelagh]

Had an invite from John and Clare Dower to go with them to Norton Priory Museum and Garden on Friday afternoon.  It was gloriously sunny so I thought you might like ot have a look with us.

Norton Priory an Augustinian Monastery until the dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry the VIII in the early 1500's. As far as I recall most of the place was razed to the ground.  Land bought in 1545 by the Brooke family who built at least one house and lived there until 1921 when it was sold. The house was then demolished in 1928. (Very informative museum)

Pictures come from the very large walled garden 1402/3/4 is a plant I don't know but it has Physalis type fruits.

[shelagh]

We decided we were a little late in the season and must try to remember to come earlier next year.

1416 is John thinks a type of gall on the rose, sorry it is a better picture but it was rather breezy.

1418 is a remnant from the Gnome Hunt held for children the previous weekend.

1419 is a folly and 1420 is a porch which the Brooke family built right on to the undercroft to act as an entrance to the house.

[shelagh]

1423 is a lovely new sundial in the form of the Green Man.

1425/6 the original undercroft used as entrance hall and storage.

1427 partial view of the site from the new viewing platform, if you look carefully you can see some of the old stone coffins still in place,

We recommend it as a place to visit.

[Giles]

Shelagh,
- something along the lines of Nicandra physalodes, perhaps.

[Brian Ellis]

We recommend it as a place to visit.

I'll second that Shelagh, I remember a nice walk through the wood to the canalside too.

[Palustris]

Some of us used to live just down the road from it and never went, not until we moved away.

[shelagh]

Well John and Clare have lived in the area for 40 years and this was their first visit.  It's retirement that does it.

[ronm]

1416 is indeed a Rose Gall Shelagh. It is a Mossy Rose Gall, also called Robin’s Pincushion. Caused by a cynipid wasp, Diplolepis sp. It is a plant growth and houses the larvae of the wasp. Beautiful things , although males are extremely rare, the species consisting almost entirely of parthenogenic females .
I think there are six species in the UK.

[shelagh]

Thanks to Giles and Brian for the identification of blue flower and thanks Ron for such a comprehensive explanation and naming of the furry Rose.  As I approached it I thought a bottle brush had got entangled in the Rose and then saw it was erupting from the Rose leaf.  Fascinating