I’ve been away for a few days with my writing friends; we call ourselves The Lyme Four, because our first writing jaunt, a writing retreat, was to Lyme Regis. We had such an enjoyable and profitable time – profitable in the amount of writing we did and what we achieved, that we’ve repeated it several times since. This time we went not far from home to Stourhead, a stately home – described as a Palladian house and world-famous landscape garden opened in the 1740’s and owned by the National Trust.
Having read that description, I had to look up Palladian:
Palladian architecture is a European architectural style derived from and inspired by the designs of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). What is recognised as Palladian architecture today is an evolution of his original concepts. Palladio’s work was strongly based on the symmetry, perspective, and values of the formal classical temple architecture of the Ancient Greeks and Romans. From the 17th century Palladio’s interpretation of this classical architecture was adapted as the style known as “Palladianism”. It continued to develop until the end of the 18th century.
Wikipedia
We were staying in one of the cottages and it was absolutely perfect, four bedrooms for the four of us, three bathrooms (one downstairs) , comfortable sitting room to lounge and write, perfect dining room with table for writing (and eating) good sized kitchen and separate utility room, and if we had visited when it was warmer, a nice, private garden to disport ourselves in outside. We were right next to the lakes and we could wander round for free as we were staying in the cottage. This is what the Trust’s page says about the cottage we stayed in:
Built from local stone, 89 Church Lawn stands proudly at the entrance to the garden of Stourhead. With views over to the village church, and a concealed garden, the cottage is pleasantly secluded, despite its proximity to the famous stately home. Inside, you’ll find original features such as the floral embellished fireplace and wooden floors among its elegant interiors.
Here’s a link to the page: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/holidays/89-church-lawn-wiltshire
We stayed for two full days and three nights and very much enjoyed access to the beautiful grounds, exploring features such as the temples and grottos, admiring the statuary and elegant bridges, and at this time of year marvelling at the abundant snowdrops. We were a little early for the rhododendrons, but we did see a few lovely blooms. We didn’t venture as far as the Palladian house, too much else to do, walking, taking photos, writing, reading, eating and much chatting!
Lois Elsden 