I’ve been wanting to visit Blithewold for years and put myself on their mailing list a while back.
So, when I got an email saying that the gardens were being put to bed starting tomorrow, I asked Ron if he’d like to visit today, and he agreed.
We did the transfer station run and had lunch here, which got us to Bristol a little later than planned, but still plenty of time to roam around and even tour the mansion.
Blithewold is a beautiful estate, no doubt, but its owners’ riches were obtained from coal mining in northeastern Pennsylvania. The original mistress, Bessie Pardee Van Wickle, was the daughter of coal baron Ario Pardee who with his son Calvin Pardee, was responsible for the Lattimer Massacre in which 18 unarmed miners were murdered by sheriff’s deputies.
We stopped in New Bedford to fill up the van and pick up swordfish and steamers. Had the clams tonight with a green salad.
Great day. Ron loved it. He imagined how much fun a five year old boy would have at that vast estate, with its gigantic lawn, rocks, gardens and bosquet.