Last week we went for a guided tour of an historic property under the scheme "Invitation to View".
Braxted Park is a late eighteenth century house set in its own extensive grounds, surrounded by a wall which is four and a half miles long. The current owner gave us a talk about the history of the house and what it takes to raise the income to maintain such a property in the present day.
In the past the house had been owned by a series of people named Du Cane and, improbably, by a Mr Darcy. More recently, the owner's grandfather had acquired the house to use as a base for entertaining clients and providing office and lab space for the electronics company, Plessey, which he had founded.
The current owner had set up a golf course and managed the property as a wedding venue. Over a hundred weddings were held there last year. All this, simply to fund the maintenance of the house and grounds.
We were given a guided tour: a beautiful ballroom with Adam ceilings, an orangery used for civil ceremonies and everywhere garden settings suitable for the taking of photographs.
From there we walked down through the grounds to the ornamental lakes where there is a curious structure, like an ice-house, but not actually an ice-house.
Just over the edge of the parapet a goose rose from her nest revealing this huge clutch of eggs.
It was an interesting way to spend a Monday.
Braxted Park is a late eighteenth century house set in its own extensive grounds, surrounded by a wall which is four and a half miles long. The current owner gave us a talk about the history of the house and what it takes to raise the income to maintain such a property in the present day.
In the past the house had been owned by a series of people named Du Cane and, improbably, by a Mr Darcy. More recently, the owner's grandfather had acquired the house to use as a base for entertaining clients and providing office and lab space for the electronics company, Plessey, which he had founded.
The current owner had set up a golf course and managed the property as a wedding venue. Over a hundred weddings were held there last year. All this, simply to fund the maintenance of the house and grounds.
We were given a guided tour: a beautiful ballroom with Adam ceilings, an orangery used for civil ceremonies and everywhere garden settings suitable for the taking of photographs.
From there we walked down through the grounds to the ornamental lakes where there is a curious structure, like an ice-house, but not actually an ice-house.
Just over the edge of the parapet a goose rose from her nest revealing this huge clutch of eggs.
It was an interesting way to spend a Monday.
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2 comments:
Postcard pictures. What a lovely spring day. Thanks for sharing!
Love the eggs! I can not even imagine maintaining a place like this a huge undertaking!
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