Petworth

Like Stourhead, Petworth is a nice place to daydream about being able to realize one's whims on the grandest scale, and it emphasizes the huge gap between the vast majority of the population and the ultra-rich and privileged few who owned and occupied these vast estates.  (Now, of course, the National Trust owns them, the upkeep having proven too much for the descendants of the original owners.  Lord and Lady Egremont still reside at Petworth, however, so I don't pity them too terribly much.)

Petworth is an enormous stone barn of a house, with an entirely separate, gigantic edifice housing the kitchens, storerooms, servants' quarters, and workrooms, which were also open to view.  I believe I read that the stone wall around the estate runs for 13 miles.  There is also a medieval stone chapel that the house has sort of wrapped itself around, so that the outer walls of the chapel are now inside the house.  The house is full of paintings, including Van Dycks, and numerous other treasures.  The size of the rooms is phenomenal.  At this one we just wandered from room to room, trying to absorb the impression of such overwhelming grandeur rather than looking at specific objects -- until we came to the sculpture gallery.  Set against dark red, windowless walls was a collection of Greek and Roman sculptures that would have been an impressive collection at a big museum, as well as some more recent (i.e., 18th and 19th century) sculptures in classical style.  Seeing them was our favorite part of our visit to Petworth.


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