Day out: Croome Court

Croome Court has everything but the kitchen sink.  From Georgian mega-wealth to World War II canteens to Hare Krishnas to boys’ schools to bats … it’s like a giant example of ‘make do and mend’ — nothing in this estate has gone to waste.

Eeek.  You can view the bats’ roosts from a electronic viewpoint in the old RAF Defford buildings.  Very cool.

The forties-era canteen serves hot and cold food and plenty of tea.

The medieval church was pulled down, moved, and redesigned to suit the modern (for the mid-eighteenth century) tastes of the mega-wealthy Earl of Coventry and his friend Capability Brown (interior by Robert Adam).

The  ice house shows off an older form of food preservation.

Pan looks over the ‘natural’ landscape.  (This natural landscape was created entirely by design.  Not sure how to call that natural, but leave it be, leave it be…)

Look back and see that perfectly situated church of St Mary Magdalene.

The Trust has set out some civilized lawn chairs, next to the ha-ha and a herd of pretty cows.  What could be more picturesque?

The Temple Greenhouse.  Just a little thing.  The gardens here once had a collection of rare and exotic plants second only to Kew Palace Gardens.

And those pretty cows.  They were not too impressed with me, I think.

Yes, still here in the greenhouse, with a view towards Croome Court, over that natural landscape once again. 

The late eighteenth century druid gives a think.

The carriage court road from Worcester.

The Punch Bowl Gates on the entrance from that road to Worcester.

They have not been opened in … quite some time …

The tufa and limestone grotto, with a statue of the nymph Sabrina (representing the river Severn).  The surfaces were once covered with semi precious gems.  As one does.

The lake, which was dug out by hand, for a truly natural look.  Across the lake you can see an urn raised in honor of the 1788 visit of George III.  (Seen more clearly in watery reflection than in the air.)

The Island Pavilion, brought back from vandalism and disrepair to the beauty it is today.

Inside the house, very little furniture, but a loving and detailed effort to restore the house to its days of glory.  This is the Long Hall.  The Tapestry Tea Room was closed during our visit, but it smelled delicious.  The upstairs is inaccessible due to beetles; the basement has interesting bits of servants’ history along with slightly sad rows of old school cubbies.

What house doesn’t do well to have topless sphinx women on the stairs?

The Rotunda sits half a mile from the house.  The Earl used to entertain guests here with banquets.  Pity the poor servants who had to haul up burgers with all the fixin’s (or the eighteenth century equivalents) all that way.We hit every spot on the visitors’ map … every spot but the Park Seat, with its commanding view over the grounds, that is.  See it, waaaaay over there?  No?  Right under the arrow.  Yeah, after walking five or six miles around the estate, I decided a zoom lens view was going to be close enough.

Another picture-perfect day in Camelot.

Here are things about Croome which I found amazing and don’t plan to tell you about — just because I’m mean that way:

Did you know one of the beautiful Gunning sisters married the Earl of Coventry and lived HERE at Croome?  (Regency Romance fans UNITE!)

Did you know the SECRET WEAPON that WON THE WAR was developed here at RAF Defford?

Did you know Neo-Palladian is one of my FAVORITE WORDS?

Did you know Croome Court has the largest collection of Coade Stone in the country?

Did you know there is an annual Hare Krishna festival at Croome?

Did you??

Well, I’m swamped with trying to get through photos from other days out, so I’ll leave you to seek and find information about those tidbits on your own, if you like.