Three great National Trust houses

On our way to our alternative holiday (our river cruise was cancelled due to unusually low water levels on the Danube) we called in at the first of three large National Trust houses we visited whilst away.

Stourhead, in Wiltshire, is a Palladian villa built in the 1700s and owned by the Hoare family until 1946 when after losing their only son in WWII Sir Henry and Lady Alda Hoare gifted the villa and it's beautiful grounds to the National Trust.

Stourhead

It was Henry and Alda who were responsible for restoring the villa as previous generation had suffered financial difficulties during the agricultural decline and the house had been shut up. Sir Henry and Lady Alda lived in the small cottage whilst the house was being restored.

The Gateway adorned in autumn colours

There were so many grand rooms full of beautiful paintings and great pieces of furniture. I'm always very taken with inlaid work, carpets and intricate designs on wallpapers or hangings. It must be my arty side that draws me to them.

This was stunning, my photo does not

do it justice really

Such detail, amazing craftsmanship

Each room was full of great paintings, furniture and ceramics

Stourhead is also famous for its grounds with undulating paths through woodland, lakeside walks and a collection of statues, temples and follies.

Beautiful grounds especially with autumnal colours

It was quite a long walk round the lake and with the paths meandering up and down the hills it was too far for me so we only had a small stroll. However I did catch a glimpse of the Pantheon through the trees.

The Pantheon 

It was a beautiful place to visit, I can imagine Stourhead looks wonderful any time of year but I especially enjoyed the red, oranges, yellows, browns and greens of autumn.

Pumpkins in the garden greenhouse 

Whilst on holiday we visited Kingston Lacy, a large country house built in 1660s. John and Mary Bankes owned much of Dorset and lived at Corfe Castle (you can read about our visit here in a later post). The castle was destroyed during the English Civil War, John was killed and Mary fought for her castle and land. It was their son Ralph that built the house and generations since have filled it with treasures: famous paintings, Chippendake furniture and the keys for Corfe Castle.

John Bankes

Mary Bankes holding the key to Corfe Castle 

The rooms were filled with so famous paintings by Rubens, Van Dyke and Titian to name just three. Huge beautiful paintings, kept in low lighted rooms, that came to life as the Guides shone their torches on the detail.

Amazing detailed art - original Rubens'

Three eldest children of Charles I - copy of a Van Dyke

The painting came to life under the Guide's torchlight

One room in the house was dedicated to Egyptian times, full of relics collected by William Bankes during his Egypt tour in 1818. The intricate work and hieroglyphics were amazing, especially when you think how old they are ..... but for me they belong in their own country rather than as treasures in an English house.

Egyptian treasure

High in the attic space were two rooms decorated like tents in the Napoleonic War. It s said they were designed for the Duke of Wellington to remind him of the battle, not sure that was a memory he wanted on his many visits to this great house.

Tent bedroom 

Walking around it felt so homely in this house, mainly because the furniture all belonged there. It wasn't a house made to look like it's age it really was exactly as it had been lived in. I especially liked Henrietta's bedroom, very much like today's popular floral designs.

Henrietta's Bedroom 

The third house we visited was on our way home, Lacock Abbey. A real mixture of a building that has been used for many things, including a film set for Harry Potter and Pride & Prejudice.

Lacock Gateway 

The Cloisters corridor - Harry Potter was filmed here

Outer barn

The Cloisters and outer rooms are superb examples of medieval architecture and date from 1232, although some were demolished and replaced in 1400s.

In Tudor times, when monasteries were dissolved, the building was turned into a Country House with a large estate including Lacock Village. Italian design was popular at this time which accounts for the addition of the octagonal tower.

Beautiful architecture 

The entrance and Great Hall are the final parts of the tour. The hall takes your breathe away, not because of its opulent furnishings or paintings as it doesn't have any .....its huge walls are filled with Gothic statues. A very different style to the rest of the house and dates back to the 1700s. I love the story of the goat and his sugar cube.

Stunning Great Hall Gothic statues

As well as the Abbey there is also the Fox Talbot Museum, although we did not visit due to time. William Henry Fox Talbot was the first to create an image on a photographic negative. He captured an image of one of the windows in the South Gallery, unfortunately he did not realise how important his discovery was and did not patent the idea so made no money from his discovery.

The first camera 

It is an expensive business being responsible for the upkeep of the House, Estate and Village and when Matilda Talbot unexpectedly inherited it in 1916 she had to sell some of the treasures to improve the tenants village homes. She gave Lacock to the National Trust in 1944.

Lacock Abbey

Three great houses, all very different, all full of history and interesting details. We are really enjoying being members of the National Trust and whilst on holiday visited a few other smaller properties which I'll be blogging later.

I'll finish this post with my favourite photo of all our National Trust visits  - Hubby and I silhouetted in the Cloisters at Lacock Abbey