Clandon Park

Last Saturday, as it was such a lovely bright sunny day and we had no plans, I cajoled Michael into making a visit to Clandon Park, a nearby National Trust property. It only took us 10 minutes to drive there and then we were quickly making our way up to the beautiful old house to have a nosey around.

After grabbing a bit of lunch in the cafe, we explored the house, which was built in the 18th century. The highlight was definitely the beautiful stucco in the Marble Hall (which I sadly didn't get a picture of) - based on Classical art and sculpture, it was filled with impressive figures and intricate carvings.

There was also a small but very interesting exhibition featuring information about the time when Clandon Park was used as a military hospital during the First World War, like many similar great houses were (thanks to Downton Abbey for that knowledge!). The Surrey Infantry Museum is on site as well, but we haven't yet had a chance to visit that - maybe next time!

Cardigan - Gap, Dress - Goldkid @ Spitalfields Market, Bag - Accessorize, Brogues - Clarks, Hat - Miss Selfridge, Ring - Topshop

I even snuck in a couple of cheeky (awkward!) outfit shots...This cardigan was a massive bargain in the Gap sale and it's so warm and cozy I keep having to take it off when I'm inside as I get too hot! Definitely a good buy for this freezing weather.

The most unique aspect of Clandon Park is Hinemihi, a Maori meeting house brought back from New Zealand in 1892 when Lord Onslow, the owner of Clandon, was governor there. He dug it out of the debris of a volcanic eruption to bring it back and it's the only one of its kind outside of New Zealand that isn't in a museum.

Hope you enjoyed this little look at a beautiful house! I can't wait to get some more use out of my young person's membership and explore more National Trust properties in the area. Does anyone have any favourite NT houses in Surrey or further afield?

Inside Lacock Abbey

A few weeks ago I promised more posts on Lacock Abbey, and finally here's the next one! As well as the older monastic part, there's also the house which used to be home to the Talbot family and run a full staff. It was given to the National Trust in 1944, when times were hard for many wealthy British families and they found themselves having to sell off their great houses (probably a familiar theme to any other avid Downton fans out there!). Here are some of the more interesting bits and pieces I noticed on our tour:

I loved the Household Wants Indicator; I could definitely use one of these for my kitchen! The detail was so ridiculous, with four different types of fruit (dried, fresh, glacé and tinned) and meat (cooked, extract, fresh and potted) and some things I couldn't work out, like isinglass and minerals (vague much?). Trying not to think about what 'meat extract' might be...

So many books! This was just a small selection...

Imagine having that rug in your nursery - I know I'd be too terrified to play in there! That rocking horse looks pretty fun though (if also a bit angry).

This helmet was one of the odder things in the house; it looks like something out of Game of Thrones - has anyone else ever seen one like this? It must be purely decorative, right?

This was my favourite room! I love the blue colour of the walls and most of the pieces (save maybe the ornate 18th century paintings and mirrors...) wouldn't look out of place in a vintage-loving home of today. 

Next up: Lacock village itself - hopefully in less than 3 weeks this time. ;)

Lacock Abbey

As I walked home across pavements that had been turned into small rivers, while the wind tried to make an impromptu balaclava of my hair, my thoughts turned longingly to the glorious summer of 2013 (which I really hope can be recreated this year)...

In June 2013 my mum and I visited the lovely village of Lacock in Wiltshire and its great house, Lacock Abbey, a National Trust property. Lacock Abbey is a country house made up of an interesting jumble of architectural styles, built on the foundations of a nunnery! You can definitely sense its medieval past while wandering around the cloisters.

Lacock Abbey was also where bits of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince were filmed, so of course that made me even more excited to visit!

It only got better when I found out  this place was the home of William Henry Fox Talbot, who created the first photo negative in 1839...can I move in please?

This place was so beautiful and the weather was so perfect that choosing which photos to share was incredibly hard. I was planning to do a second post on the village of Lacock, but I might have to do a third one on the inside of the house itself as well, there were so many interesting things!