Dyrham Park

Posted bysandyroybessandbugzyPosted inAutumn in Italy 2022

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever! Psalm 107:1

Dyrham Park Manor in south Gloucestershire, as we saw it walking down the steep long drive on a muggy late morning. An enormous place which William Blathwayt had built during William and Mary’s joint reign.

Inside the house.

It must be noticed that the National Trust are restoring this house with money they have received from loss of earnings during covid and from a university in America interested in this project. Not all the paintings were where they normally hang.

Delft from 1700. Look at the pineapple!
This troupe l’oeil picture by Samuel van Hoogstraten (1627-78) was commissioned by Povey who sold it to his nephew William Blathwayt. Samuel Pepys said of it : ” I admire his piece of perspective. ” I am admirer too.🤣
The solid wood stairway
An enormous painting the full width of the staircase. “Grandness “so empty except for a person and a dog.
The tapestries were described in a 1703 inventry and are of famous gardens near Brussels.

The garden

The 17th century Blathwayt garden.
William and Mary joint monarchs created elaborate gardens at their Dutch and English palaces. These designs inspired Blathwayt in his landscaping at Dyrham, including an elaborate water garden. He collected exotic plants and grew oranges in a green house. This was political gardening, a statement of status and support for the monarchy, William, Prince of Orange.

The sad thing is a few years after Blathwayt died landscapers like Capability Brown became popular so the parterres were grassed over, the fountains stopped and the stone sold. The era of the 17th century formal garden disappeared.

Looking at this garden now, a little dry but with some colour.

From a window in the house. The parched lawns.
Hardy plants tobacco flowers (Nicotiana)
rosemary and other hardy plants along the walled garden.
Lavender, verbena, snapdragons, and salvias.
The private church with a neatly manicured hedge above the high stone wall.
Returning to our CL site in heavy rain with a prayer of thanks for this wonderful water.

Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby.

(But please don’t flood !!Sandy)

Langston Hughes

Thank you for sharing a bit of this enormous house with us and the good news of real rain!

sandyroybessandbugzy

4 thoughts on “Dyrham Park”

  1. Beautiful and thank God we both got some much needed rain in both our parts of the world. We got some much needed rain yesterday. However my pain levels went through the roof but that happens. We must focus on the blessings ♥️♥️♥️🙏🙏🙏

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