NATIONAL
TRUST 2017
Every year I try to visit as many National Trust
properties as I can. There are so many interesting,
beautiful,
fascinating buildings and wonderful gardens and
parklands within the National Trust portfolio, that I know I will,
unfortunately, never get to visit them all. However,
It is always an immense pleasure, and sometimes a real
surprise, when I visit one of these historic
properties for the first time and
I am certainly never disappointed. Over the years I
have written about some of my visits, and
below is a summary of some that I visited in 2017.
CHARTWELL
This is somewhere that had been on my wish to visit list
for sometime. As a great fan
of Sir
Winston Churchill, I was delighted to finally get to
visit his old family home. Chartwell was Churchill's beloved
home from 1922, it is a lovely, characterful
building, with many rooms left just as they were when he and
his family lived there. For art fans, there is a
wonderful collection of Churchill's art work, a
varied and impressive display adorning the walls of his old
studio. It was a delight to view so many pieces of art and learn
about how,
in his 40's, his passion for painting grew from his
cousins
encouragement for him to take up painting as a way of
combatting his
depression.
The grounds at
Chartwell are beautifully laid out and feature lakes
which were designed
and created by Churchill himself. There is a restaurant
and a shop on-site, as well as a good sized car park. The gardens are
open from 10am to 5pm and the house from 11am to 5pm, although the
house does close during the winter months, so please check the
website for up to date information. Entry to the
house and gardens is £16 for adults and £8 for children
(including gift aid). Entry to the
garden and studio only is £8 and £4. Located in
Westerham, Kent, the postcode for directions is
TN16 1PS.
ICKWORTH
This was actually my second visit to Ickworth.
Unfortunately, on my first visit, a few years ago, the house was
closed and I only got to look around the gardens and parkland.
Ickworth is a Georgian house with Italianate influences. Commissioned
by the 4th Earl of Bristol in the 18th century,
Ickworth is set in beautiful gardens and extensive parklands, and
surrounded by the magnificent English landscape.
As I had explored the grounds extensively on my previous
visit, I was happy,
on this occasion, to spend my time looking around this
splendid house. I especially enjoyed visiting the restored servants
basement which gave a
fascinating insight into what life was like 'below
stairs' in the 1930s.
During
the winter months, entry to the house is limited, but
usual opening times are from 11am to 5pm, with the gardens open from
9am to 5.30pm. Entry to house and gardens cost £15 for adults and
£7.50 for children (inclusive of gift aid). Entry to gardens only
costs £9 and £4.50. There is a restaurant and a cafe, ample
parking, a gift shop and garden shop where
a good array of plants and shrubs
and garden accessories can be purchased. Located close
to Bury St Edmunds, the post code is IP29 5QE.
GRANGE BARN
Located just outside Coggeshall in Essex, Grange Barn is
a wonderfully,
characterful 13th century monastic barn,
reported
to be one of Europe's oldest timber framed buildings.
Within the barn and outbuildings, visitors can view a good collection
of very
interesting woodcarving tools and old agricultural
carts.
There is no
cafe on site, but there are toilet facilities.
The barn is closed during the winter, opening again
mid march. Opening times are 11am to 4pm. Entry is
£7.50 for adults and £3.75 for children, these prices include entry
to nearby Paycocke's House and Garden. The post code for directions
is CO16 1RE.
PAYCOCKE'S HOUSE & GARDEN
Within walking distance of Grange Barn,
sits Paycocke's House, a delightful Tudor Merchants
house. Built around 1500 for Thomas Paycocke, the house has a
fascinating history and is a remarkable example of a Tudor building.
The secluded,
elongated garden, hidden away at the back of the house,
is compact but very peaceful, so
much so, it is easy to forget you are in a town
setting and not some rural location. Refreshments
can be purchased in the small cafe located within the house, and a
gift shop and toilet facilities can also be found on site. As
with Grange Barn, Paycocke's is closed during the winter months.
However, normal opening times are 11am to 5pm. The post
code is CO16 1NS
For further information on all National Trust properties, please visit: www.nationaltrust.org.uk
