All the elements for a quintessentially delightful summer excursion came together for our outing to Charlecote Park. The sun shone, the manor house was pleasing to the eye and the fallow deer, in Capability Brown’s parkland, were obligingly nonchalant for our photos. The interior rooms were light and full of surprises as you would expect from a house still the residence of the Lucy family for over 700 years. From the timeline we learnt of the visit by Queen Elizabeth I, reminded that William Shakespeare was reputed to have poached deer on the estate, and followed the family’s four year grand tour of Europe where they acquired furniture and marble tiles to enhance their remodelled family home. Amongst many old family portraits, a more modern painting turned out to be John Buchan’s (49 Steps fame) daughter Alice who married into the family. The estate is still a working farm and we also had a glimpse of the former domestic spaces – the Victorian kitchen, washhouse, brewhouse, stables and carriage houses. Thank you Stella for organising a most enjoyable trip.
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