Wimpole Estate & Farm at Easter

Spring has well and truly sprung at Wimpole Estate and Farm, we spent the day there on the Easter Monday, the house was all done up with Easter eggs, lambs and goats were gambolling and the daffodils were turning their faces to the sun.

Stowe- part 2

A lot later than I originally planned, here is the second part of my visit to Stowe. (first part here)

I thought he most logical thing to do was to split the photos into two- the first part is mainly trees and autumnal landscape.  This post is about the follies that are scattered around around the grounds. For those of you who don't know, a folly is a fanciful structure, built to be primarily decorative and to be an ornamental part of a large garden or estate. Some follies can however also be practical, a place to rest, take tea or even to sleep if they are far from the main house. 

Stowe part 1

I went to Stowe a couple of weekends ago, but I took far too many photos and I've been putting off editing them. So many photos in fact, that I'm spreading them over two posts.

Hatchlands

Hatchlands is just up the road from Clandon (see pictures from my trip here) so we paid it a quick visit whilst we were in the area.

Unfortunately, just like Clandon, photographs are forbidden inside the property, so I only have a few pictures to show you.

Hardwick Hall (inside)

The interior of Harwick Hall is just as grand as the outside. Some National Trust properties I've been to are pretty much empty on the inside with the furnishing and paintings been sold to private collectors, but Hardwick has plenty of things to look at.

More pictures under the jump:-

To see my photo from the outside of Hardwick see here, and for the gardens see here

Sudbury Hall

I still have loads of pictures left from my trip up to Derbyshire to show you (see my pictures from Canons Asby and Calke Abbey)

Canons Ashby

Owned by the Drydan family, Cannons Ashby was built in approximately 1550, and underwent significant remodelling in 1590s, 1630s and 1700 to reflect changes in style and taste.

As we visited on Thursday, unfortunately the house was closed, but we still had an informative talk about the history of the house and played a game of croquet.

Calke Abbey

We've seen the majority of the National Trust properties in our area, so decided to go further afield to visit some new properties. Last week we took a mini-break to Derbyshire. 

Calke Abbey, was one building on our itinerary, particularity as it is unique within the Trust as it has not been completely restored.  Calke Abbey, tells the story of decaying grandeur, of what happens when families fortunes decline and country estates are no longer affordable. 

Petworth (inside)

Petworth has been a family home for over 800 years, and part of it is still home to the Wyndham family.

When it was first built by the Percy family it was intended for only occasional use, as the family seat was in Northumberland, however in the 1500s it became their permanent home after Queen Elizabeth I became suspicious of their relationship with Mary Queen of Scots.

More pictures of the inside of Petworth under the cut:-

Petworth (outside)

The day before my 26th birthday I quickly ordered a new National Trust young person membership, as they are a fraction of the price of adult membership, but only available up to the age of 25. This sneakiness means I'll be able to enjoy plenty more day trips on the cheap.

On Saturday we went on a 2 hour journey over to Petworth over in West Sussex.

Petworth is a huge 17th century manor house set in 700 acre deer park. It was owned by the Percy family then the Seymours and finally the Wyndham family before been given to the National Trust to avoid death duties (though some of house is still occupied by the Wyndhams)

more pictures after the cut:-

Ightham House (inside)

More pics from my visit to Ightham Mote. If you're looking for something to do this weekend, I'd highly recommend a trip to Ightham. 

The only criticism I have is the cafe is right near to the car park, I think they're missing a trick with this because many people won't bother popping in for a drink as they'll think they might as well wait till they get home.  

Ightham Mote (outside)

As I mentioned in my Red House post, whilst we were in the area we popped over to Ightham Mote (pronounced 'item'), another National Trust property. It has a totally different feel to Red House, not as much a family home, but instead a proper castle.

It wasn't owned by anyone notable, just courtiers of Henry VII and later new money Americans, but the building is fantastic- a combination of fortified stone castle and Tudor, wooden beamed manor. 

Red House (interior)

William Morris' influence can be seen throughout the interior of Red House, flowery wallpaper, huge settles done in a medieval style, and murals painted by his artist friends Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Lizzie Siddal.

unfinished tapestry of Aphrodite 

The house has only been owned by the National Trust for 10 years, so it still quiet sparse. They are still in the process of refurnishing the house as it was in Morris' day, and still uncovering original features hidden under layers of paint.

For more pictures of the inside of the Red House have a look under the jump:-

Red House (exterior)

The sun was shining this weekend, so we took a trip to a couple of National Trust properties. First up, Red House in Bexleyheath.  

Commissioned by William Morris, Red House is a significant example of Art and Crafts architecture. Completed in 1860 the unique design rejected the conventional both Victorian industrialism and Georgian symmetry.  

For more photos, see under the jump:-

Hughenden Manor (interior)

Following on from my earlier post about the outside of Hughenden Manor, have a look at my photos for a sneak peak of the interior:-

Hughenden Manor (exterior)

National Trust properties have begin to open up again (most are closed over winter), so we made the most of the weekend sunshine and took a trip over to Hughenden Manor.

Located in Buckinghamshire, is the former country house of Victorian Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli. The house was built in the 18th Century and then remodelled 1862 by the architect Edward Buckton Lamb and the behest of the Disraeli family.

The grounds of the manor include a formal gardens and a woodland park. Most the garden is still dead, so you may want to delay your visit by a month or so if you're planning a visit. The house itself, is of course impressive at any time of the year.

More pictures under the cut:-

Waddesdon Manor (interior)

Following from this post, here's a sneaky peak at the inside of Waddesdon Manor:-

As Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild built the manor to house his art collection, there's a lot going on. Priceless art and furniture fill every room, the affect can be a bit chaotic at times.

drawing room where ladies would sew and gossip 

The writing desk at the foreground of this picture belonged to Marie Antoinette, which to be honest, I overlooked when I first went in the room. The Baron bought many items that belonged to the former French royal family, throughout the house you can see the emblem of the sun king.

The Rothschild foundation are still very much involved in the running and upkeep of Waddesdon manor. Personally, I think that this is lovely, the family are obviously keen to share their collections with the nation and that is very commendable. Alice de Rothschild had very strict house rules, as she was determined to preserve the art and house for future generations.  

chandelier in the dinning room at Waddesdon Manor 

 The Rothschild family are keen to promote contemporary artists. One of the current exhibitions is 'folded beauty' by  Joan Sallas. Elaborately folded napkins and linen appear around the manor. There is also some light installations by Bruce Munroe in the former Coach House.  

This dragon is entirely made of folded napkins, which is actually rather impressive 

 

more pictures (and some risqué art) after the cut:-

Waddesdon Manor (gardens)

Waddesdon Manor 

Waddesdon Manor was built in 1877 by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild as a place to host epic week long house parties and to showcase his immense collection of art.

We were really lucky when we visited this weekend as it was the perfect autumn day, fresh, crisp and sunny. The garden is still in bloom and the leaves are just beginning to turn.

 Ferdinand's sister, Alice, inherited Waddesdon on his death. She was a keen gardener and had a hand in designing the outside space. Alice was a bit of a battleaxe and had some very strict rules. She viewed her role as protector, and was passionate about preserving the manor and art collections for future generations to enjoy.

Rose garden at Waddesdon

Dover Castle

I am officially middle-class and middle aged (despite being 25), as I am now a member of the English Heritage as well as the National Trust.

Today I had a jolly out to Dover Castle

Dover Castle

Built on the coast, just across the channel from France, Dover Castle has been an important fortification for 2,000 years. King Henry II first constructed the castle in the 1180's, but to due to the areas strategic significance, the site has been adapted to over the years to meet the changing demands of warfare. Further buildings were added during World War II, including a network of underground tunnels used as a field hospital.

More pictures after the cut:-

stained glass, I thought it was pretty how it reflected onto the stone  

Wimpole- Library

The library and book room at Wimpole is pretty impressive. At lots of the National Trust properties the libraries are quite dark and musty- not that I mind that- but at Wimpole it is unexpectedly light and airy. I could imagine reading there without suffering from eye strain.

They are currently cleaning the Library and with over 10,000 books it's a massive task, it's going to take over two years! Each book is individually caressed with a brush made from pony hair to remove dust, it is done by volunteers with some guidance from experts. I was surprised to learn they handle the books with bare hands, but apparently cotton gloves are too rough and can scratch away miniature leather particles.

this house steward was kind enough to give a talk about the book cleaning process. 

Some of the books will take even longer to restore, as nearly 259 of them were damaged by a leaking roof. They will be methodically washed, dried and repaired by experts to remove the mould and tide marks. It's going to take over 2 years and £300,000, luckily the cost is covered by an insurance claim.

Very Beauty and the Beast