Claremont Gardens #WordlessWednesday

 

#SilentSunday Winter Trees

My Monday Walk at Croft Castle

Croft Castle, set deep in the Herefordshire countryside, was built in Gothic style in the early 17th century.  Now belonging to the National Trust it stands on the foundations of the original medieval building which remained in the ownership of the Croft family for 1000 years. My walk at Croft castle was a lovely combination of house, church, walled garden and countryside.

The central courtyard is a haven of peace.

In the Gallery you can see the beautiful Gothic style chairs 

Jacobean panelling in the blue room.

The small church of St Michael and all Angels is a reminder of the settlement of Croft, now gone.

Within the sheltered walled garden are terracotta pots and a greenhouse full of produce.

There is a flourishing vineyard from which wine is made and sold on site.

And even in late summer there is plenty of colour.

Now visit the original Jo's Monday Walk. This week she is in Knaresborough

#WordlessWednesday Polesden Lacey #NationalTrust

All photos by Peter L. Lloyd

Out of the Ashes- The next stage for Clandon Park House #NT

Clandon House September 2015

At about 4 pm on 29th April 2015, a catastrophic fire broke out in Clandon House.  Despite the efforts of nearly 80 firefighters it took until noon the following day to damp down the fire.  Everyone had been safely evacuated and some of the artefacts recovered but much of the 18th century furniture and ceramics have been destroyed.

This month the gardens have been opened by ticketed sessions on Saturdays so I was able to see for myself the shell of the building before it is completely covered for its protection.

The original Elizabethan house in Clandon Park was replaced by this Palladian Mansion, designed by Giacomo Leoni, in approximately 1730.  The park had been purchased in 1641 by Sir Richard Onslow, MP for Surrey.  It remained in the Onslow family until 1956 when, experiencing the same problems of maintenance costs seen in last night's episode of Downton Abbey, Lady Iveagh donated it to the National Trust.

The gardens, which were landscaped by Capability Brown, were later added to by a Grotto and a Maori Meeting house.

The Maori Meeting House called Hihemihi was brought from New Zealand by the 4th Earl of Onslow, William Hillier Onslow, when he returned from his duties as Governor of New Zealand.

During World War One, the 5th Earl, Richard Onslow offered the house as a war hospital.  His wife, Violet, Countess of Onslow became Commandant of the Military Hospital, from 1915 until 1919.

Update Plans for the future 

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/clandon-park/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3062092/Clandon-Park-House-fire-Surrey-sees-firefighters-battle-blaze.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-32528435

My memories of The Surrey Infantry Museum at Clandon House http://somerville66.blogspot.co.uk/2015_04_01_archive.html