Day 50 8/8/19 Petworth House and Park, in the South Downs
National Park.
First some photo's of the wildlife in their backyard, we missed the Fox and Jackdaw.
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| Woodpecker in the garden |
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| Squirrel enjoying the morning sun |
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| Got some lucky shots |
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| And even luckier |
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| Another Woodpecker photo |
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| And a Magpie |
Mike and Jan took us to see Petworth House today, a stately
home about 35 miles south of them in the South Downs National Park.
We travelled in style in their TF21 Alvis.
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| Mike and Jan's very elegant TF21 |
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| Maritta also enjoys the morning sun |
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| View from the back seat |
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| Somewhere near Box Hill |
The house was the home of three interconnected family’s; Percy’s the
Seymour's and the Wyndham's.
It was rebuilt in the style of the Baroque Palaces of Europe
and was a haven for artists. Turner did a lot of his work here.
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| Ionic Chapel in the gardens |
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| There are some spectacular trees on the property, not sure what this is but there was a Giant Sequoia that as to big to photograph |
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| And some interesting fungi |
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| Doric Chapel |
Unfortunately some parts of the house which would normally be
open were closed due to preparations for a wedding. It did give us a rare
opportunity to visit the upstairs library and studio where Turner did much of
his work.
The National trust displays some of the finest pieces in its
art collection here and although we saw quite a bit of it, some is in the parts
of the house we couldn’t visit, next time, again.
The property includes about 700 acres of deer farm, however
we didn’t see any deer on this occasion, they were obviously in some other part
of the property.
The property has been in the same family for 900 years,
being the ancestral home of the Percy family. The chapel survives from the
grand Medieval Manor house that was fortified in 1308-9. The house was
transformed into its current style in the 15-1600’s. In the 1750’s the formal
gardens where re-designed by Capabilty Brown and the entrance changed to the side
courtyard where visitors still enter today.
In the late 18th century the then Earl became a
great patron of the arts and entertained many artists and sculptures worked
within the building. John Constable, also a guest of the early called the house
“The House of Art”.
In 1947, the then Lord Leconfield, gave Petworth to the
National Trust in the face of massive death duties.
His nephew, Lord
Egremont, negotiated the gist of the art collection for the same reason. The
current Lord and Lady Egremont still live in the House and it is their son who
is getting married there, the house is not normally available for such occasions.
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| Servants quarters and kitchens |
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| Main House (right) |
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| There are some very ornate wood carving in the part we couldn't visit, this is a selection of the artisans tools |
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| Photograph of some of the wood carvings |
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| Tunnel lead underground from the kitchens to the main house. |
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| Amazing collection of copper, tin and pewter cookware |
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| More copper pots and pans, mike and Jan admiring them |
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| This amazing spit was first installed in Tudor times and operated by a boy with a crank handle, the later mechanism (at the top) was added in the 1930's and is operated by a fan in the chimney using the rising heat from the fire to turn it. |
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| Maritta tries the life of a Scullery Maid, stood besdie steam boiler used to heat various kitchen appliances including an antique form of Bain-Marie |
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| 1930's electric over (control panel on the wall) it proved very expensive to run so was only used for special ocassions |
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| Impressive collection of cookee cutters |
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| Un-named bronze statue |
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| Medieval Chapel |
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| Inscriptions above the alter |
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| Very impressive lectern |
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| World Globe given to one of the Earls by Arthur Connan Doyle whilst he (the Earl) was imprisoned in the Tower of London, gentry, although imprisoned for a variety of reasons, mainly disagreeing with the King, couls still carry on their lives. |
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| Northcote |
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| The Thames at Windsor. Turner |
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| Various Sculptures and Artworks |
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| Calcott, amazing detail in the sea |
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| Venus and Cupid, Hoppner |
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| Evening, Turner |
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| Chaucer; Canterbury Tales, thought to date from 1430, one of the most rare and significant books owned by the National Trust. |
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| Mike and Maritta leave the main house |
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| Wall around the house and garden |
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| Front of the Main House (try and ignore marquee's |
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| Looking out over the Deer Par |
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| A number of these are in the garden |
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| Village of Petworth and the wall of the House |
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| House from the Village of Petworth |
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| Tower spotted on the way back |
