@thecuriousglasshouse Lifestyle Blog by Oxford Cottage Gardener
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We have a tradition in our family that once we finish for Christmas we like to go to London to see the sights and get any last minute Christmas shopping of those unusual gifts you can’t pick up anywhere else.
See the bluebells in all their glory RIGHT NOW in the bluebells woods in Nuffield Place.
Knowing that it is bluebell season we were determined to have a day out to see them, trawling through the NT website to look for recommended venues, we see delighted that Nuffield Place was suggested and not very far from where we live.
Last Sunday was a typical spring day, bright and sunny but very cold when the sun went in, so undetered we wrapped up warm and off we went. We have been before but last time it was at the end of the summer so we were hoping to see something different.
As it was sunny we thought we do the grounds first, so we walked through the gardens and into the small woodland beyond.
The sight of the bluebells was stunning as we seem to have picked the best moment with all the bluebells in flower and none of them had gone over yet. Further on slightly we could see the woodland beyond the fence which was even more delightful filled with bluebells as far as you can see.
It was such a treat to see as you always know that with a couple of weeks all this will be gone.
Back towards the house and the gardens were starting to bloom with just a few plants taking centre stage.
We decided to look around the house especially as it was getting a little chilly. The house itself is a fairly modest house (if quite grand) but does retain its 1950’s/1960’s charm. Its vintage pieces are such a draw as it is one of my favourite styles.
I always look at beautifully laid out tables with their cake stands and lace table cloths to imagine the bygone lifestyle.
The house was home to William Morris and his wife, he was famous for starting Morris Garages MG cars, which went on to create the iconic MG range as well as the Morris Minor, the Wolsey and other cars which are truly classic today. Therefore the house does have quite a masculine feel to it. One highlight is the cupboard in his bedroom which has a vice, woodworking kit and many bits where he could ‘tinker’ at night when he couldn’t sleep.
Other items on display include his and her robes as he was a peer of the realm
and delightful vintage bits I remember my grandparents having
It was a lovely day out, a tribute to one of the greats of the car manufacturing industry….well worth a visit.
Best wishes
Sarah x
We had another fab day out to make the most of our NT membership, this time to Grey’s Court near Henley on Thames. I’d heard about its fabulous spring gardens along with a lovely mansion house and Japanese bridge. I’m a big fan of Spring gardens and hubby loves anything Japenese, so I thought, perfect match really.
It was a little overcast and trying to rain when we first arrived so decided to head straight into the mansion house.
The mansion is a 16th Century building with 20th Century additions. It was still lived in by the family until 2003, apparently Lady Brunner could be seen cooking in the kitchen as visitors walked through, but she was always ready for a little chat.
There are some fantastic examples of 18th-century plasterwork ceilings.
There were signs saying no mobiles or photography, which I do consider rather archaic with today’s social media etc, so I did take a couple of discreet shots, but had to be guarded about it.
The views from the windows of the stunning gardens and surrounding parkland were spectacular.
I love to see the old stone mullions around the windows.
and some fantastic stain glass windows too.
There were plenty of rooms open to have a browse around but I didn’t take too many photos in-case I annoyed someone!
The kitchen however was a throw back to the 1960s, and I was quite taken with the style.
It was clearly a well used and well loved family kitchen. A couple of NT volunteers were baking scones in the kitchen so the sights and smells made us quite peckish.
Fortunately for us their onsite teashop, The Cowshed, a modern well stocked NT cafe was the next stop on our visit.
Refreshed we headed into the gardens to see all the spring flowers, we were not disappointed with the variety of plants in flower already.
There were a series of walled gardens, each one giving a different look and feel.
Feeling energetic, we thought we’d embark on the Estate walk, which was marked as 1 3/4 miles, however un-beknown to us quite a lot of the walk was incredibly muddy due to the recent rains, undeterred we ploughed on and it certainly would’ve been a lovely walk if it had been dry.
To round off our visit we took the short walk to the moon bridge, A gorgeous japanese bridge.
Another fantastic day out, we’ll be back in the summer to see how the summer gardens look.
Do pop back to see how we get on
Sarah x
I love my job of being a teacher, inspiring and motivating young people to be interested in my subject. Encouraging them to do well in the examinations they take and even to take my subject at university or for a job.
But of course what I also love is the long school holidays and the freedoms you get knowing you get long substantial breaks from work.
The Easter holiday is approaching with only a week or so left at school and I know the days running up to the break will be long and tiring, finishing off the syllabus for the exam classes and writing reports and collecting target data on all I teach, but I am already making plans for how to spend the 3 1/2 weeks off.
Unusually we are not going away this break, ordinarily we would have a week in a warm country just to relax and rejuvenate a little. This year however we have decided to stay at home and enjoy day trips (with occasional nights in B&B) to enjoy what is around us.
One outing we have planned is a day trip to London. For those who follow my blog know how easy it is for us to take the train. Since they’ve opened the new Oxford Parkway station it takes us straight into London Marylebone in just under 1hr.
I have two exhibitions I would like to attend,
Which is being held at the Royal Academy of Arts
and also
Vogue 100 – A Century of Style
Being held at the National Portrait Gallery
What is brilliant about this is both exhibitions are walking distance from one another and in the Jermyn Street, Saville Row area which are one of husbands favourite places to visit.
I’m so looking forward to going, I’ll let you know how I get on……..
Sarah
The 1940s is one of my favourite eras for its styles, in homes and fashion. So to find out that one of our local National Trust houses has been staged in that style meant a visit was an absolute must.
The house was the country home to one of the great merchant bank families of London, Lord and Lady Bearsted of M. Samuel & Co. (Heir to the Shell fortune) When war broke out in London and there was a great risk to his art and assets in London. he moved the bank and all its staff to the Warwickshire village to be based at Upton House. the National Trust have homed in on this period of the house’s history to recreate the scenes of the era.
It is very cleverly crafted and gives a genuine view of the era. Of course with the 1940s providing such inspiration for current vintage trends of homes and fashion, this recreation of the era is very much ‘en vogue’
Combined with this is the winter garden walk around some of the grounds which is alive with spring flowers at the moment.
As the house tours are booked for set times, we started with the walk around the gardens.
It was a chilly day but with glorious sunshine which reflected off the honey coloured stone of all the wall and brick work.
It made a nice change to be able to see the architecture of the buildings and walls whilst the plants and flowers are still fairly dormant.
The walk included some fairly steep slopes and stairs but it meant the sloping levels opened up some lovely vistas.
A magnificent cherry blossom was just about in bloom when we visited this weekend which was simply beautiful to see
We continued our chilly but invigorating walk as it took us back to the house ready for the tour inside.
We have visited the house before, but at that time they hadn’t staged it in the 1940s theme. I did actually prefer it this time as I did think it accurately portrayed the key time in the house’s history.
So if you have a real interest in this vintage era and have fairly good mobility, it is definitely worth a visit.
Sarah x
