We have a saying, ‘one swallow does not a summer make’ indicating many of these birds need to be spotted before any declaration can be made that the seasons have changed to true summer.  So it is not surprising that I saw no sign of a swallow when I walked past the property titled Swallows Nest – I knew it was cool spring and so did those clever birds which must have been off somewhere much warmer at this time of year.  We have 6 swallows and martins that spend time in Tasmania, and depending on which is being considered, the birds may have migrated to Queensland, Indonesia or even to the Arctic Circle for our winters.

The property, Swallows Nest on the road to Bushy Park, seems to offer accommodation for people (but where were the swallows’ nests?) however the property was locked up and looked peopleless. When I read that an old Hop Kiln Guest House was ahead, I imagined seeing a fascinating historic building and therefore I looked forward to discovering it.

The renovated building below apparently first started its life as a Hop Kiln.

More information is located here.

Not far below, the Derwent River poured by.