A few weeks ago I noticed a link on one of my local news feeds and saw that it would be possible to get a free National Trust family day pass. I applied early enough to qualify and so was able to plan a day out before the end of November to a National Trust property for myself, Mick and up to three children.
After a bit of research, I chose Coleton Fishacre which is a 1920s house with a tropical garden about twenty-five miles from our home. Sadly, we did not have any children available but as we enjoy the architecture, art and design of that period, we thought it would be a treat for us.
The house, which you can see in my photo nestling into its landscape, was originally built in 1926 as the holiday retreat for the D’Oyley Carte family. This wealthy family owned the performance rights to the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas and built the London Savoy Theatre for their productions and the luxurious Savoy Hotel to accommodate their travelling audiences. It is a beautiful arts and crafts style house, built of stone with oak window and door frames, lovely wooden staircases and floors and art deco features. It boasted large rooms with wide corridors and doorways, and the furniture, whilst not all original to the house, was all of the period.
As we entered the house, we were greeted by a friendly guide who told us a little bit of history and directed us to begin the self-guided tour by going upstairs. We, however, were enthralled by the sound of piano music and diverted into the main drawing room where a lady was playing a grand piano. She was able to tell us a little more history before returning to filling the house with the music of the period. We then followed our instructions around the house, seeing bedrooms, bathrooms, the servants’ quarters and kitchens before ending our tour with the main dining room, library and sitting room. Throughout we were enchanted by the design of the house and all the period fittings and furniture as well as the little touches such as clothes, cosmetics, books and kitchen equipment which brought the rooms to life. We could imagine ourselves moving in and not wanting to change a thing!
We had tempting glimpses of the gardens from the windows of various rooms and were determined to explore the valley which leads down to the sea. Winding paths led from formal terraces and borders down past ponds, following a little stream through woodland and back up to a stunning viewpoint. Despite it being November there was still some unusual flowers blooming as the micro-climate in the valley enables plants that are usually found in much warmer climes to thrive. It really was a most delightful garden with plenty of benches along the way to sit and enjoy the surroundings. However – did I forget to mention that it was absolutely tipping it down with rain all day? There was no chance to enjoy the Gay’s pasties we had brought with us. We retreated to the tea shop for a slice of National Trust cake. Perhaps it was just as well we did not have those three children with us!
The picture above of the sitting room is taken from https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/coleton-fishacre where you can find more information about this lovely visitor attraction.
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