The red stemmed plant in front of the fence is Cornus sericea. Not a particularly garden worthy plant apart from in the wintertime, when the bare stems can really brighten up a dull corner. The bright colour is best on new wood, so it is recommended that the shrub is pruned hard after flowering.

The lake in the photo is one of the largest natural meres in England outside the Lake District and one of nine glacial meres in the area. ('glacial' means that the depression occupied by the mere was the location of a block of ice that persisted at the end of the last ice age). These meres are different from those in the Lake District in that they do not have a flow of water into them to maintain the level. It is a haven for wild fowl, which are kept well fed by locals and visitors using special food which is sold in the vicinity. No bread is allowed, (but I'm sure that some is sneaked in).