Country Houses and Castles

Introduction

We visited many country houses and castles on our trip -- not as many as we had planned to see, but a good sampling from many time periods.  A large part of the appeal of visiting the homes of the rich is, clearly, the ability to imagine what it was like to live in them.  (We learned about life in a humbler abode through our week in the Old Yates Farm cottage.)  Country-house visiting has a long tradition, as shown by the novels of Jane Austen (e.g., Pride and Prejudice, wherein the main character visits the real Chatsworth and the fictional Pemberley).  I admit to particular curiosity at great houses where families are still in residence, and I peer at their personal photographs and check out what book the Earl has next to his chair.  In the houses we visited, it was easy to imagine being an invited guest, if not a resident, because of the lack of crowds and crowd-control mechanisms.

(Shut up already!  Just show us the pictures!)

A Few Words About the National Trust

Most of the houses we visited are owned by the National Trust.  We joined the American branch of the National Trust, the Royal Oak Society, before we left, which meant we were admitted free to any Trust property we visited.   I found that not having to worry about admission prices to each place encouraged us to see some interesting sights that we might otherwise have passed by in an effort to economize.

The National Trust does wonderful work to preserve and provide public access to important buildings and natural areas.  The Trust does not, to my knowledge, own any big-name properties with lion safaris, carnival rides, or displays of dungeon tortures.  Instead, their properties appeal to people interested in architecture, art, and antiques -- not only can one see a house and get some idea of how and by whom it was inhabited, but one can see, up close, excellent collections of paintings, china, glassware, and other decorative and fine arts.  In general, except where there was a particularly fragile carpet, we were able to wander at will at the houses and get a good look at the furnishings and possessions they contained.  Volunteer stewards in each room were available to provide information as desired, and some of them were particularly friendly and outgoing.

I have only one criticism of the National Trust:  the days and hours during which the properties are open are fairly restricted, often to two or three days a week and just a few hours in the afternoon.  This makes it hard for foreign visitors to schedule everything they want to see in a week or two.

Now, back to the tour.  Click on one of the following to go right to it:
 

  • Croft Castle, near Leominster
  • Hanbury Hall, near Droitwich
  • Witley Court, Great Witley, Worcestershire
  • Wightwick Manor, Wolverhampton
  • Ludlow Castle
  • 1 Royal Crescent, Bath and Bath Assembly Rooms (not technically correct in this category, but anyway)
  • Lacock Abbey, Lacock
  • Stourhead House (and, most notably, Gardens)
  • Petworth, in West Sussex
  • Bodiam Castle
  • Leighton Hall, London
  • Standen, near East Grinstead


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