Quirky Audley End

There were so many photos of Audley End, I wasn't sure which to share, so I thought an additional post of the few things that just caught my eye, and sum up the progress that they are making each year in Audley End. 

These were all taken in and near the walled kitchen garden, with their magnificent greenhouses:

Banana Tomatoes

Audley End House & Gardens

I have been to Audley End quite a few times and it has gradually changed and improved over the years, if the weather is good, you can spend quite a few relaxing hours there...we took deckchairs and a picnic.

Once you have past the entrance gate you follow the signs to the car park.  Try and park near the duck pond because if you are planning to have a picnic, this is the best area and you can set up close to your car but still enjoy the peaceful setting of the pond. It is also only a short walk from the rear of the house and the parterre, so a good place to start your visit.

It's probably best  to begin your tour by taking the path from the car park to the parterre, where you can wander around for awhile and admire the symmetry of the rear of the house and the colourful gardens. If you walk round the left side of the House, as you look at it, you will pass under the impressive cedar of Lebanon tree, which was planted in the 18th. century. When you reach the front of the house, pause and admire the view across the River Cam and  up to the folly on the hill opposite.

History

Audley End was one of the greatest houses of early 17th-century England. In about 1605–14 Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk, took an earlier house created by his grandfather Lord Audley on the site of Walden Abbey, and rebuilt it on the scale of a royal palace. It was alledgedly built to impress King James I, who visited on two separate occasions. It is claimed that the cost of building the house was more than ten times that of the renowned Hatfield House, which was also built around the same time. Over the years, the house was altered substantially and unfortunately made smaller, with its interior being remodelled a few times. Robert Adam transformed this house for Sir John Griffin Griffin in the 1760s, while Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown remodelled the grounds, to create one of England's finest landscape gardens.

Along with many other technological advancements, the House was one of the first country houses in England to have flushing toilets. The first of Joseph Bramah’s new hinged-valve water closets was purchased in 1775, and a further 4 were bought in 1785 at a cost equivalent to the wages of two servants for a whole year! Although none of the Bramah toilets survive, there are two other early loos from the 1870s, one next to the chapel and another in the Coal Gallery.
In more recent times, Audley End was used during the Second World War as a training base for the Polish Special Operations Executive. It was known as Station 43. There’s a memorial urn near the parterre, which serves as a memorial to the many agents, trained at Audley End, who lost their lives trying to free their homeland.

Inside the House
Although it is a relatively short self-guided tour, there are a number of  staff and volunteers to help you admire the interiors of what was once one of the largest and most opulent houses in Jacobean England. You begin in the impressive great hall,  and then visit state apartments, intimate dressing rooms, libraries and 18th century gothic-style chapel. Highlights include the state bed, one of the most important surviving late 18th-century beds in the country, commissioned in anticipation of a royal visit in 1794.  There is a unique natural history collection of stuffed animals and birds. Also a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the family's children who lived in this nursery suite with their governess, nursemaids and tutors. The suite has been restored to how it would have been in the 1830s, and you can see the toys the children would have played with and the nursery furniture they used, as well as a short film.  Another interesting room is the Coal gallery, where you learn about the harsh life of  Victorian servants in the coal gallery.  Bunkers are filled with coal, cupboards stocked with soap and candles, and soundscapes are used to create the hustle and bustle of the servants' daily routine.

The house tour ends with an insight into life in the service quarters, which have been carefully restored to its former heyday you can wander through an interesting world 'below stairs' including a kitchen, scullery, laundry, dairy and larders.

The Gardens
When you wander around the gardens, you are looking at  the work of two of the most famous and influential designers of the 18th century. Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown swept away the remnants of a declining formal garden to create extensive views, a serpentine lake and more natural planting. Towards the end of the 18th century, Sir John Griffin, commissioned Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown to remodel the gardens.  In addition, the kitchen  garden was extended and greenhouses were built to supply the household with fruit, veg, and flowers. The elegant garden buildings, such as the bridge over the River Cam, are the work of Robert Adam. The neoclassical designer who also designed a suite of rooms in the mansion.

The kitchen gardens and greenhouses are lovely and they produce fruit and veg for the restaurant and local businesses, and have some for sale.  They have planted fruit trees that using the methods introduced by Thomas Rivers (a local nurseryman in Sawbridgeworth sadly now closed).

For some visitors, the most striking part of the gardens is when you first drive in and when you look at the house from the front. There’s the block of cloud hedging, which is very impressive and consists of mature yew and box. Don't miss the ha-ha at the back of the house. The reason for doing this rather than using a fence is to preserve the uninterrupted view of the landscape and to stop animals getting into the planted garden areas.

The gardens are really worth the visit, so if it’s a pleasant day, definitely take the time to wander around, so you can enjoy the beautiful flowers, and all the other areas that make up the gardens. Don't miss the bit down by the River Cam, which runs through the grounds. Here you will find ducks, geese and fish and some wonderful neo-classical architectural examples including bridges and a waterfall.
In some ways Audley End is unique in terms of English country houses, because in the 19th. Century the focus moved from beautiful landscaped gardens to agriculture. The gardens became a lot more practical and useful rather than just being something nice to look at. A visit to the walled garden and the greenhouses will really give you an understanding of this development.

The Stable Block
A short walk from the House you'll find the stable block and the walled gardens. The stables don’t look like stables at all – they are very grand buildings. There are currently a couple of horses stabled in the very impressive stable block, originally built  to accommodate a royal entourage, but soon converted to stables.  Be sure to pay a visit to the resident horses in the stables and check the timetable of daily events to see what the horses get up to.  There were also a couple of the estate's old fire engines on display on the other side of the stable yard from the stables.

we sat by this 'pond' and had our picnic lunch

How to get there:  Leave Ampthill on A507 heading east towards the A1. Drive through Baldock and follow the A505 in the direction of Royston. Stay on the A505 by-pass Royston and after about 5 miles you will need to turn right onto B1383 in the direction of Saffron Walden. This is very much a country road (Sat Nav postcode is CB11 4JF) but you will soon see the brown signs to Audley End if you don't have a sat nav. It takes about an hour (39 miles) depending on traffic conditions.

Busy tending the garden, a particularly dry summer.

Coton Manor, Northamptonshire

This was just a lovely place to visit - particularly when the sun shines as it did when we went a couple of years ago.  It is a Manor run by the family, where you can visit the gardens, buy plants and also have a light lunch, homemade cakes etc.

They have a website with all the relevant information on there www.cotonmanor.co.uk. It took us just over 45 minutes to get there, and was a pleasant drive once we got off the motorway, you could There are seats around the gardens and also if the weather permits grassed area to sit, so you can take your own blanket.

The gardens slope away to a large meadow, that has been planted with meadow grass and wildflowers.  Chickens and ducks wander around, which are great fun to watch.

The plant nursery is quite extensive and includes some greenhouse plants as well.

We managed lunch a long walk around the gardens, plenty of plant choosing and cake and tea.

Canons Ashby

Canons Ashby is an Elizabethan manor house, owned these days by the National Trust, and it is set in 18th. Century style gardens.

The estate was built by the Dryden family using the remains of the medieval priory which was dissolved by Henry VIII.  The Priory Church (established in mid 13th. century) is all that remains of the earlier priory buildings.

The house and gardens have survived largely unaltered since 1710 and are still very like how they were during the time of Sir Henry Dryden, a Victorian antiquary, who was passionate about the past. 

Although small compared to many National Trust sites you can visit the House, which features grand rooms, tapestries and Jacobean plasterwork, contrasting with the domestic detail of the servants' quarters.  There is also the opportunity to wander around the beautiful gardens and the historic parkland. You can also visit the impressive priory church, where you can see the story of the canons of Canons Ashby.  They do taster sessions in the morning and full access to the house in the afternoon, and you can even stay the night.

The gardens at Canons Ashby are not large but are an example of early 18th century garden design.  The layout and structure of the garden have changed little since.  The formal gardens comprise terraces, paths, topiary and various types of flower beds inspired by a style popular inVictorian times.  These include the Sundial terrace with a focal point of the sundial dating from 1710 and the mulberry lawn with its 100 year old mulberry tree. The garden drops away to the field below separated by a sunken wall that prevents cattle getting into the garden without interrupting the view over open countryside.

There is also a functioning croquet lawn and don’t miss the the metal target in the corner that was used for musket practice.

Below the formal gardens there are also fruit and vegetable terraces leading down to the Lion gates. Some produce grown in these gardens can be purchased from time to time in season, they have an honesty box on a bench.  There is also a small stone hut, which, amongst other things, is used for drying herbs, so worth a visit to catch the smell.

herbs drying in the shed - the small was wonderful

When we visited there were some lovely old vintage cars on a tour of the country side and they were parked up, so made the visit more interesting.  There are also some lovely chickens just wandering around the grounds.  They keep a blog here of daily pictures taken Websta Canons Ashby

Places to Eat, Drink & Shop: 

There is a tea rooms at the  site which has a reasonable snack menu for lunch. There is also a standard National Trust shop but not that large. There are plenty of places to have a picnic in the parkland surrounding the house and you will probably meet the freerange chickens.    

chickens awandering

and a few more

Visiting vintage cars

and this chap just landed at my feet, so had to take his picture

Directions: Canons Ashby is about 40 miles from Ampthill and on a good day it should take just over 50 minutes to drive there. Leave Ampthill and drive along the A507 to Junction 13 of M1 - joining the motorway heading north. Leave the M1 at Junction 15A and drive in the direction of Banbury/Oxford along the A43 and you will soon see the Brown signs for Canons Ashby. A good tip is to head for Towcester and take a different route home along the A5 (Watling Street). Towcester is a historic and bustling market town worth a short stop for a wander around and perhaps for something to eat and drink. Your drive between Canons Ashby and Towcester will take you through a number of typical picturesque Northamptonshire villages. 

Parking: There is a decent sized free car park within easy walking distance of the House and Reception Centre (200 mtrs). The walkway from the car park is flat and they run transport for people with mobility issues. And they have an overflow car park on the grass near the church.

National trust website:  http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/canons-ashby-house/

Stowe Gardens

Your visit starts at the New Inn visitor centre outside the gardens. This is a mixture of modern and restored 18th-century buildings where visitors in the past were welcomed to Stowe. The New Inn has the Parlour Rooms, which give an indication of what life was like in a Georgian coaching inn. The inn was on the original Ratley Ridgeway which was once a public road from Towcester to Bicester. The road’s closure caused the demise of the Inn in the 19th century.

The modern buildings comprise the small visitor centre, the Nevillery Cafe and the National Trust shop. Stop by the light and airy café for a snack and the shop for products inspired by the gardens, We had a pleasant light lunch.  Note that the main toilets are in the Visitor Centre (there is only one toilet facility in the actual gardens).

A short walk (c.500m) or a ride in a buggy from Visitor Centre through the parkland along Bell Gate Drive brings you to the entrance to the gardens. This is the original walkway that tourists 300 years ago would have used to enter the gardens. Along the route you will catch views of the main house, and  views over the parkland. A lot of work appears to be happening to upgrade Bell Gate Drive. The National Trust are also putting up boxes for bats and owls to nest in and are planting a variety of wildflowers. Once you reach the gate at the end of Bellgate Drive you will see a small bell to the left of the gate – this would have been rung by Georgian visitors to request access to the gardens.

view from the road

Stowe House - now a school

The Gardens

The scale and beauty of Stowe have attracted visitors for over 300 years. Beautiful views, winding paths, lakeside walks and temples create a timeless landscape, reflecting the changing seasons. Full of hidden corners and secret trails, the gardens were originally intended to represent an earthly paradise, and they still cast their spell today. The sheer size and space is perfect for those who love the outdoors and enjoy walking.

Once you have entered the gardens, turn left and walk about 50m along Peggs Terrace so that you are half way between the Western and Eastern Lake Pavilions. From this spot you can see what many visitors consider to be the best view in all of the gardens – Stowe House across the lake framed by trees and landscaping.

The Palladian Bridge - classical bridge built in mid eighteenth century and wide enough to take carriages doing a circuit of the gardens

The Palladian Bridge

There are a variety of trails to help explore the gardens (make sure you pick up a free map from the visitor centre, when you arrive). There are 250 acres and 40 temples to discover.  And there is a lot of new work going on.

Some of the highlights include:-

The Cascade – set between two lakes with great views.

The Palladian Bridge - classical bridge built in mid eighteenth century and wide enough to take carriages doing a circuit of the gardens

Don't forget the less illustrious Wooden Bridge

Rotunda and Sleeping Wood – the garden in the wood was modelled on a similar garden at Versailles.

Lamport 'secret' Garden – in the process of being restored, this 19th-century rock and water garden contrasts quite significantly to the landscaping of the rest of the gardens. Don't miss the waterfall.

The list above barely scratches the surface of the things to see on a visit to Stowe Gardens – there are too many temples and classical style buildings to mention. Such is the layout of the gardens a visit can take anything from an hour to half a day or more

One thing to note is that Stowe House is now a school so although it is possible to visit the state rooms, they are not always open so check in advance of your visit.

the wooden bridge

History

The gardens at Stowe were created by Lord Cobham an 18th. century aristocrat and politican, whose family was reputed to be richer than the King. The gardens were designed as a statement of this wealth and soon became one of the country's first tourist attractions. Stowe was a pioneer in moving away from well-ordered flower gardens to a more natural landscape full of views, temples and lakes.

The formal gardens were swept away by 'Capability' Brown in the 1740s, the gardens retained the picturesque ideas of the temple and the monument. These buildings were framed by long vistas down which to view them. But with the softened edges of the lakes, the opening of the views and the building of even more elaborate temples, Stowe became celebrated as the most beautiful landscape gardens in Europe and its influence was felt as far away as Russia. Tourists were welcomed into the gardens as early as the 1730s and the first guidebook, written by a local book-seller, came out in 1744. Further development work was carried out in the 1770's and Stowe was definitely the place to be for the rich and powerful – during the 18th. and 19th. centuries royalty from across Europe were frequent visitors to Stowe.

How to get there: Leave Ampthill on A507 heading towards J13 of M1 and just before J13 join the A421 heading in the direction of Buckingham. Stay on A421 until you arrive at Buckingham and then simply follow the brown signs to Stowe (MK18 5EG). It is 26 miles and should take about 40 minutes depending on traffic conditions.

If you approach the Stowe estate from Buckingham you will drive up the Grand Avenue. The look of the avenue changes throughout the year – but whatever time of year you visit it’s really an impressive sight and certainly shows off just how wealthy the family were to be able to have such a long and grand drive. At the top of the drive is the majestic Corinthian Arch, which frames a superb view of Stowe House

Arrival: Follow the signs and you will find the large car park, which is about 150m from the entrance. 

Shaws Corner - National Trust

The journey is around 45 minutes drive from Ampthill (22 miles), a pleasant country drive.  It is the former residence of Sir George Bernard Shaw. 

I would think unless you are a really big fan of GBS you will only spend an hour or so around there.  It was a nice afternoon out and lovely to take a picnic, as there are no catering facilities there, just some ice-creams.


The garden is lovely and slopes away from the house, but I did feel that it could do with some attention, particularly the flowerbeds, the orchard and wooded areas are fine.  GBS had a writing hut which is still in the garden.

As you can see the house in not a 'stately manor' just a large house with servants quarters.




There are some seats around the grounds and we did take a picnic and enjoyed just sitting in the grounds in the sunshine.










There is a lot of information about GBS in the house and there are volunteers that take you through a lot of the history.  If you enjoy the history of the writer there is so much to see, and it is still as he left it.   

Parking can be a bit tricky, as the car park is quite small, but there is a steady stream of people coming and going.

As we are National Trust members it didn't cost us anything for the entry, I did think that the entry price was a bit high at the time.

Ascott - gardens and house - National trust

sundial summer 2013

Trip out
Ascott House is near Wing and about a 30 minute drive from Ampthill, about 18 miles.  

We visited the gardens in summer 2013 and was pleasantly surprised, and it is definitely worth visiting.

The gardens are varied, there is a mix of footpaths and some grassed areas.  There are some amazing hedges using a variety of plants, and topiary, along with a sundial made from box and other green shrubs.

They have seasonal planting in some of the beds, both with annual and perennial flowering plants.  Some modern pieces of statuary as well as some lovely old pieces, a lake and a pond with fountains.  Make sure you get a map and you can do a circular walk.

There are benches around the grounds, so you can sit and take in the views.

The house has a few rooms that can be visited, containing a large amount oriental porcelain, paintings, furniture and ceramics, and also hand blocked wallpapers and tromp l'oeil dutch tiles.

The car park is outside of the gardens and a fair step to the main part, I think there is wheelchair access a lot closer.  There are only toilets at the car park.


There are no refreshments available, so make sure that you take something with you, if you are going to stay a while.

They have a website here: 
www.ascottestate.co.uk

It is owned by the National Trust:
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ascott

The opening times are limited, so check the website before you set out, and would love to hear your comments.