Kirby Hall

The East Midlands seems to be one of the few areas of England that the tourist authorities haven't tried to spoil (whoops!) develop! so perhaps I should keep it a secret :) If you go east of Leicester towards East Anglia and further south towards Northampton there is so much to see. Isolated villages, rolling fields and hills, a variety of old houses - I could go on.

You'll find Kirby Hall south of Uppingham just over the Northamptonshire border. The actual remains are little more than a shell of an Elizabethan house although it only became a ruin in comparatively recent times. What it is notable for is some very well preserved carvings on the roofs and columns. (Click photos to enlarge.)
Roof
At the rear of the of the house there are some gardens laid out in a traditional style
A little way from Kirby Hall you'll find the village of Harringworth. (I can recommend the Pub!) Across the valley the Victorian railway engineers built a spectacular viaduct to carry the trains.
In recent months the viaduct has returned to use whilst repairs to the main line are carried out.

Meg on narrow bridge Near Harringworth. (May, 2000)