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| The magnificent Lanhydrock |
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| The crenelated gatehouse |
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| Precision topiary at the entrance to the house |
One of the finest country houses and estates in Cornwall, superbly set in wooded parkland of 450 acres, with beautiful herbaceous borders, a fabulous formal garden and colorful higher gardens filled with rhododendrons, camellias and magnolias, Lanhydrock offers a glimpse of life in the Victorian era. From the richly furnished main rooms reflecting Victorian comfort to servants’ bedrooms, the great kitchen and the Nursery Wing, the 49 rooms contain numerous laminated cards with interesting factoids of all descriptions showing what life was like “upstairs” and “downstairs”. There was a card on the behavior of demanded of the maids which can be summed up as: “speak only if spoken to and briefly”.
Through the crenelated 17th century gatehouse, one enters the magnificent grounds with precision clipped topiary standing nearly 20 feet high. This was the home of the Roberts family – later to change their name to Robartes, who rose in affluence from their interests in the tin trade, as merchants and bankers. By early 17th century, the head of the family Richard Robartes rose to sufficient prominence to be knighted as Baron Robartes of Truro, which, according to history, cost him £10,000 in 1624.
The principal rooms all have beautifully worked plaster ceilings, including that of the Long Gallery with magnificent illustrations of Old Testament scenes.
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The Long Gallery - 35 metres in length with
one of the most ornate plaster work ceilings in England |
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| The spacious drawing room full of Victorian clutter |
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| The children's classroom |
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| An engineering masterpiece - the spit roast in the kitchen |
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| An ornate brush and pan |
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| Stuffed animal heads abound |
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A beautiful Meissen mirror,
a wedding gift |
But by far the greatest feast for my eyes are the profusion of spring flowers. The woodland area on the approach to the house was ablaze with bluebells, their delicate blue casting a spell on a magical spring day.
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| The magical bluebells, my springtime favourites |
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| The delightful symmetry of a formal garden |
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| Sights and sounds of spring |
And here's a simple haiku on the joys of spring with my loved one:
Carpets of bluebells
Fiery corals and rubies
Dance of the season
