Woolly says – The sun was blazing down as we bumped our way across the car park in our attempt to find some shade for the car, proving impossible, we locked up and left the vehicle to increase in temperature while we were gone.

In my excitement of finally getting here I had managed to forget to change and could already feel the sweat trickling down my tusks onto my rugby shirt. The human wiped a few beads from her brow as we excited the ticket office gripping a map.

Hampton Court Castle, also known as Hampton Court, is a castellated country house in the English county of Herefordshire. Dating from 1427, Sir Rowland Lenthall had built the original house on an estate which had been granted to him some years previously on his marriage to the king’s cousin Margaret Fitzalan, a daughter of the Earl of Arundel. From 1510 to 1781 it was owned by the Coningsby family during which time it was remodelled by the architect James Wyatt. In 1810 the estate was purchased by John Arkwright, the grandson of the inventor and industrialist Richard Arkwright, the house was remodelled in the 1830s and 1840s to restore a castle-like layout, exterior and decoration, reversing earlier attempts to make it appear more regular and domestic. Between 1924 and 1972 it was the seat of Viscount Hereford and was bought by American businessman Robert Van Kampen in 1994, he died in 1999. The Castle and grounds were sold by the Van Kampen family in 2006 and again in 2016. Today it is run as a wedding venue with selected days to tour the castle interior.

As we entered the gardens the smell of lavender filled my trunk form the hundreds of bushes that lined the flower beds, a sculptured bear welcomed us into the wonderful displays in the ornamental kitchen gardens.

Vines grown to mark boundaries and to shelter the many veggies planted below them it was a riot of colour and scent. Jo raced over to a bed of sweet Williams to inhale their fragrance, one of her favourite flowers.

A gap in the hedge led us into the south gardens with a large owl pointing the way towards the box hedges passing the impressive lime trees and more flowers.

The south garden boasted two pavilions sat on their own islands with water rills interlacing the grounds.

We turned a corner into a glorious rose garden full to bursting with blooms and the perfume heady in my trunk.

A gate led us into the Dutch garden with its length of canal and green slimy waters which given the heat was a tempting place to dip the paws in to cool down.

Doubling back on ourlseves we arrived at some wrought iron gates and an area known as the wisteria arch which provided some wonderful shade for a short moment.

Following the path, we passed sculptured hedges and more beds of vibrant flowers and bushes.

A sign told us that we had reached the maze, but the human suddenly vanished towards the sound of water, I quickly followed down the rocky steps into the sunken garden with its cooling waterfall. We sat for a while enjoying the cooler surrounding before circuiting the pool only to find ourselves at a small opening.

Cautiously poking my tusks inside we slowly entered the dark, a small glimmer of light in the distance lit our way as we wandered through, arriving at a set of steps, up and up we went suddenly arriving at the top of a tower which looked over the maze.

Rubbing my paws in glee I raced back down the tower and headed into the maze.

Ten minutes passed no with sign of the small mammoth, I started to call him and could hear faint noises coming from a distance, with our guided castle tour only minutes away I started to worry that he would miss it just as a trunk appeared from under the yew bushes.

Woolly says – It had proved to be a tricker maze than expected and as I could hear Jo’s voice becoming more panicked, I took the only option available and went through the bushes instead of round them. With time ticking we trotted onto the south lawn pausing for a brief greeting with a lovely wooden stag and a moment to admire the lawns and surrounding fields.

It was also the first time we had glimpsed the castle, hidden behind its thick hedges only glimpses appeared until we arrived at the rear of the building finally showing us some of its gothic finery.

Entering a courtyard area, we found our guide and stood waiting quietly for the other folks to join us. Given that we both hate guided tours we hadn’t been overjoyed at the fact that if we wanted to see inside, we had to join in but had agreed to make the most of it. The gentlemen guide introduced himself and asked if anyone thought they were at Hampton Court Palace, obviously expecting a negative answer, a lady in front of us put her hand up followed by two more. The guide looked slightly concerned and informed us that quite a few people got the two places confused and that we were in the castle and that the palace was a hundred or so miles away towards the south. I chuckled to myself and pretended to look at a door that was halfway up a tower with no means of getting out of it.

The guide having reassured the guests that they would still have a lovely day even if not at the place they expected led us along a corridor filled with stag heads and armour before arriving in an inner courtyard.  The buildings were wonderful but not as wonderful as the huge wooden door that led out onto the front of the castle, which was when he dropped his biggest piece of information. Nothing that we were going to see had been in the castle for longer than 29 years!

When the castle had been sold in 1994 it had been an empty shell and everything now residing in it had either been bought in auction or made for the castle, this included the curious chandeliers that we found in the banqueting room, even the large mounted house and the large fireplace on display was a reproduction.

Following the gent along another lined corridor we arrived in the church. This had manged to keep a couple of pieces of stained glass and half of its incredible ceiling from the estates former sales.

Next came a large hallway now bar area full to bursting with newly acquired suits of armour and tapestries.

Upstairs we were allowed to peek into some of the guest bedrooms and bathrooms which provided accommodation for the wedding attendees.

The ballroom was much more Victorian in style with its huge windows and mirrors although somewhat soleless.

The library next door felt much cosier with its grand piano and secret doors hidden amongst the literature.

A formal dining room which appeared to be lined in walnut was quick to lose its mystery as the guide showed us the paint affects that had been used to create the walnut affect.

With our tour at an end, I was delighted when the human announced that we needed cold drinks and a sit in the shade before moving anywhere, we sat for a while under a large tree enjoying the shade and slurping down our icy drinks.

Feeling able to find our way back to the car park we wandered back through the gardens admiring the large banks of poppies and reenjoying the scents of the flowers that followed us everywhere.

Heading straight past the car we decided to see if we could get a picture of the front of the castle which we were yet to see, passing the impressive front gates which we now knew to have been built in 1995 we rounded a line of trees allowing us to glimpse the castle in the distance. Ropes stopped us from going closer so Jo zoomed in on the camera and I kept my paws crossed that we might at least have one picture to look at.

The car was an inferno inside as we rolled the windows down and headed off along the road, a chuckle escaped from me as I remembered the ladies who had gone to the wrong place today and wondered if they would be telling anyone when they got home as to how far out they had been on the navigational abilities!