18 July 2015 - Charlecote Park - a National Trust Property, Warwickshire

A morning walk to stretch our legs led us to M and S bakery section...mmmm...I finally bought an Eccles cake which lived up to my expectations and was delicious and we enjoyed our treats for morning tea.  After a bit of school work catch up and researching we decided to head for Charlecote Park for a picnic lunch and a bit of history.  It is another fabulous National Trust Property which means a cost free and enjoyable outing.

Approaching the entrance of Charlecote Park, through the gatehouse

The Victorian mansion before us

 Charlecote Park is about 30 minutes drive from Banbury and there is plenty of parking.  It always feels grand to walk down a long driveway with a historic house in the distance.  This one certainly met with "Wow" as we approached the 900 year old property on which the Victorian house now stands.  It is on the banks of the Avon River which snakes along the property complete with swans and fallow deer.  There are large well kept grass areas with play areas and play equipment for the children and picnic tables.  Before looking inside the house, we had our typical cobbled together picnic of baguettes, ham, Wensleydale cheese (made famous by Wallace and Grommit!), lettuce and dare I say, nutella!  Once again, the weather was lovely, 22 C, cool breeze and fluffy clouds.

Picnic first by the Avon

Picnic setting from another angle

"Flow gently sweet Avon (afton!)"...

Water pumps

Staghead in Tack Room

 We checked out the tack room and carriage stable.  Once again we learned all sorts of things including why horses wear grass shoes - for funerals so they were quiet but also so they didn't make holes in the ground when mowing the lawns.  There was a 150 year old stag head from another one of their properties in Scotland and plenty of horsey equipment.

On right - horse shoes take on a whole new meaning!

One of several carriages

 The kitchen was vast with shining copper pots and huge platters and tureens.  The National Trust  property volunteers are a wealth of knowledge and are always good to talk to.  This property also had activities for the children to do: folding serviettes and practising Victorian writing.  Fun and educational.

The kitchen - the size of the crockery was enormous.

After lunch we headed into the great hall for a most interesting and amusing account of Joyce's Tudor costume by a National Trust volunteer.  She explained about the foundation garments which were worn all day and night (without a bath or changing!).  Baths were once a year in June.  She mentioned some well known sayings which came from the Tudor times and what they meant.  A skirt was called a "cheat" because it was made of expensive beautiful material at the front where it was visible and covered by a long cloak at the back where it was made of cheap material!  The term "straight laced" comes from the straight laced bodice which they women were strapped into.  Another quirky one was "to be cut down to size" from Queen Elizabeth 1 who had anyone's ruffle which was larger than hers literally "cut down to size" right where they stood!  The kids were totally engaged for all of her presentation especially the funny bits like the mix of lemon and urine to bleach cloth white.  The "V" on the front of the dresses signified "V" for virgin and Queen Elizabeth 1, the "virgin" queen always wore dresses with such design.  By the way, Queen Elazbeth 1 actually stayed ay Charlecote from time to time!

Painting of Lady Alice and some of her 13 children. 

 There are some interesting features in these old Tudor paintings which tell of the times. The boys were dressed as girls so that they wouldn't be stolen by highwaymen to toil the earth!  Further, many pictures in a production line by different painters for each feature and full body paintings were rare.  It cost a lot to have arms and legs painted hence the saying: "It'll cost an arm and a leg"! They didn't sow their teeth as their teeth were all rotten!! And poor old Alice with her thirteen children was not permitted in public after about 5 months of pregnancy when she was confined to bed until 6 weeks after the birth.  No wonder she looks so pale!

Amazing inlaid marble table (2 tonnes of it!) built for the Borghese family.  

Luke's interest in the table was keen especially after spending time enjoying the inlaid marble table at the Natural History Museum.  The dear volunteer took time to explain how the table was made and its history.  One interesting point of note was that while this was being made (it took ten years), an apprentice built another identical table in case the table being built broke.  The table was finished with no defects and so was the apprentice's replica - oh no!  Two "unique" tables!  The second one was supposed to be destroyed but wasn't and emerged some thirty years later,  It now resides in Powys Castle in Wales.  The colours, which are not clear in this photo, were magnificent.

The first Sir Thomas Lucy (there were three of them)

Lady Joyce

 

Paintings of Lucy family members

One of the Lady Lucys by the Avon

More inlaid marble

The drawing room

Lovely tapestry

Clock with roman IIII instead of  IV

Luke looked for and found fossils in the marble floor.

The Lucy  shield - Latin for pike is luce, hence the pike on the shield

Dining setting

More amazing marble table tops

Another marble topped table - love the lapis lazuli on it.

Magnificent library

You know you are "someone" when you have bespoke carpet with your pikes on it!

Another view of the library

Heritage pigs

The garden treasures

 The garden was magnificent and the insects busy.  The garden was designed by one of the great English garden designers: Capability Brown in 1760.  We were lucky to see such a lovely display of blooms.  So peaceful and pretty after London's grime only about a week ago.

Poppies

Lillies with bugs

Butterfly still for an instant!

Bumble bees buzzing everywhere!

Most beautiful iridescent blue dragonfly at rest.

This thistle and bees reminded me of a wedding bouquet!

Let's just say, the beetle population will increase!

Croquet on the lawn

The Parterre

Catching the last  few minutes before closing!

Across the river were plenty of fallow deer

This statue decided to come home with us!

Farewell with a hand stand!

In about 1189 Sir Walter de Cherlecote inherited the estate.  The buildings from that time no longer stand but when Sir Thomas Lucy (the first) married 12-year-old heiress Joyce Acton in 1546 he used her money to rebuild Charlecote as one of the first great Elizabethan houses. It is unbelievably vast.  The Victorian decor since the time (1823) of George Hammond and his wife Mary Elizabeth Lucy is opulent and stunning without being overcrowded.. Sir Edmund Fairfax-Lucy and his family still live in one wing of the house.  It seems that marrying heiresses was the key to the continuation of the Lucy family's estate!  And as my sister pointed out, the peerage is always fascinating and there are always scandals and stories to be told!