Chilly at Claydon House
Categories: uncategorized
Date: 27 March 2013 17:08:24
Followed my sat nav this morning along the winding pot-holed Buckinghamshire roads to a National Trust property, Claydon House.
Celia and I decided to meet there. We got there early and had a good catch up chat.
We bought our tickets from a man in a tiny gazebo. This was the shop too, biscuits, raspberry curd and very little space for anything else. I wanted to get some damson gin, ah well!
Turned out there was a guided tour so we joined 6 other visitors and made our way round the large, beautiful and extremely cold ground floor state rooms.
Celia and I warmed up a little by having carrot and coriander soup for lunch and chatted some more.
We then explored the upper rooms which are only open in the afternoon. These rooms are more interesting, more fully furnished though still unheated. Have I mentioned we were cold?
Florence Nightingale's sister was the lady of the manor and she had her own set of rooms here, so there is much memorabilia about her, photographs, letters, etc.
We enjoyed the Chinese room, sumptuously furnished.
A view from an upstairs window over the Verney estate. The snow shows up evidence of medieval strip farming.
The beautiful main staircase, now unused.
An observation from Florence!
This bust is in the first state room you visit, one of four. It represents America. No, me neither. I love how shocked she looks at her exposure!