That's SO Merlin!

While we were on holiday Somerset direction (in warmer days when holidays happen, spirits are light and money runs through your fingers like the sand on the beach), the children both expressed a strong desire to go to a castle for the day. The nearest large one to where we were staying was Dunster Castle so we went there.

This is a view of it from one of the woodland walks in its ground... and it's SO Merlin...

even though the recent series' were set in France to look more traditionally English (go figure!).

The visit went so well that we decided to go the whole hog and join the Natonal Trust for the year and visit lots of other places. There was a special offer on the day to get your entrance money back and a third off the price for the rest of the year.

This was the area for signing up (the stables) and we have been to lots of other places near us since to make it worthwhile. Boy enjoys the walking through woods and grounds most (and the occasional cafe treat but that's really expensive so we usually self cater) and the rest of us enjoy the photo opportunities, occasional dressing ups and enjoying the luxury without the cleaning or expense of owning it. 

I have always fancied a library like Mr Bennett though, where I could just shut myself away and read from my many shelves of beautifully bound books.

It's also the place one of the weird pavement photos was taken. 
See http://socklet-world.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/weird-pavements.html