Friends of Langley Park

Blenheim Palace Trip with the Friends of Langley Park, October 2009 

On Saturday 10th October 2009 the ‘Friends’ group enjoyed our second official trip, this time to Blenheim Palace near Oxford. Following on from a highly successful New Forest trip earlier in the year we once again chose a beautifully sunny day to visit the home of the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. Travelling in a ‘Sunshine’ minibus courtesy of Lynch Hill Combined School (thank you to Lyn and Peter) we arrived safely around lunchtime and were immediately impressed with the palace and the grounds. The Capability Brown landscaped grounds – twenty times the size of Langley Park - were magnificent as were the water features, the gardens, the maze, the railway and everything else that makes Blenheim such a brilliant day out.
 
The guided tour of the house was extremely interesting especially seeing the actual bed and bedroom where Winston Churchill was born. Whilst some of the group explored as much of the estate as time allowed, others were happy to sit in café by the water gardens enjoying a cream tea.
 
The day was complete in the welcoming surroundings of the Kings Head, Woodstock where we enjoyed excellent hospitality and a lovely meal including free wine and coffee, courtesy of the landlord, Ian. The main topic of conversation around the table was where to go for our next outing in the New Year! 

Friends of Langley Park New Forest Trip, May 2009

On Sunday 10th May 2009, the 'Friends of Langley Park' enjoyed a most splendid day out in the New Forest - our first official trip.  Travelling courtesy of the Upton Scout's Lottery funded minibus and with the sun shining brightly, we set off towards our first destination, Lyndhurst, where we saw cattle and ponies roaming free.  Some of the group strolled along the High Street stopping in at various shops and the 'New Forest Visitor Centre', whilst others enjoyed a leg stretch across the heathland taking in the local sights and sounds.

We then drove slowly along country lanes via Beaulieu (meaning beautiful place!) and on to Exbury Gardens, the family home of the Rothchild's where we were met by Nigel Philpott, Commercial and Marketing Manager.  Nigel led us on a guided tour of the gardens giving us an insight into the history of the Rothschild's estate and its world famous Rhododendron and Azalea collection - reputedly the finest in Britain.

Having experienced the vision of how Langley Park might look in the future, the group then travelled the last mile or so to Lepe, one of the primary sites for the D-Day landings.  Most of the group managed to walk/stumble along the shingle beach to visit the actual launch site, while others sat resting their weary limbs and drinking tea, enjoying the lovely views across the Solvent to the Isle of Wight.

The day ended with some delicious refreshments at the Beaulieu Road Inn, followed by the return trip up the M3 back to South Bucks.  The day was deemed an outstanding success and another trip has already been arranged to visit Blenheim Palace on the 27th September 2009 (see Calendar for details).

Slideshows by Jerry Lake

(click on each photo to start the slideshow)  

Langley Park Country Park                     Wildlife around Langley Park