Trust In Me - Georgian Splendour In Sleepy Shropshire

A rock gig and a boozy Wetherspoons all-dayer, what my birthday week was lacking was some culture so this morning, wrapped up in big coats, hats and thermal undies we headed across the border to the county of Shropshire.

Warning - it's been a while, we were excited - this post is photo-heavy!!!

Attingham Park was the seat of Noel Hill, 1st Baron Berwick and Whig politician, who was awarded his title in 1784 by William Pitt the Younger in gratitude for assistance given in the restructuring of the East India Company. Hill already owned a property on the site of Attingham Park called Tern Hall but, with the money he received in addition to his title, he commissioned architect, George Steuart, to design a new and grander house to be built around the original hall.

Work on Attingham Park was completed in 1785 and is the National Trust's fourth most visited property. Within the estate there are five Grade II listed buildings, including the stable block, the toll house and a couple of bridges that span the River Tern. There are also twelve Grade II listed structures which include the retaining walls of the estate, the bee house (photos below), the ice house, the walled garden, the ha-ha and the Home Farm.

The Regency Bee House, one of only two known to have existed in the UK

Attingham Park has had rather a colourful history, originally a family home, during the First World War, Thomas, the 8th Lord Berwick, lent the property to a Dutch American family, the Van Bergens, who established Attingham as a hospital for soldiers wounded at the front. by 1916 it had sixty beds and an operating theatre. During the Second World War it was home to a group of evacuated schoolgirls from Birmingham. It was gifted to the National trust in 1947. From 1948 until 1971 it served as an adult education college.

The walled garden

After exploring the organic garden we took a gentle mile-long stroll along the banks of the River Tern then headed for the mansion house. For most of the month of December there's a 1940s Xmas theme - two of my favourite things, NOT! But, gaudy ornaments and the Andrews Sisters backing track aside, there was plenty of spectacular Georgian furniture, glorious architectural detail and fine art to distract me. The vintage clothes on display were pretty special, too - especially the midnight blue velvet gown in the drawing room (photos below).

Check out those knitted patchwork blankets draped across the sofa in the East Ante-Room.

I'm pretty sure Lynn's got a 1940s cotton pinny very similar to this one. 

 I'm not sure if Noel, the 1st baron Berwick ever travelled to India but there's lots of Indian art on display including two large murals depicting a particularly unpleasant tiger hunt.

The boudoir, a love token from the first baron to his wife, was hand painted by French painters.

The showcase of stuffed exotic birds was pretty horrible.

 The picture gallery was designed by John Nash in 1805, the glass roof flawed from the beginning as it leaked. 

The second baron went bankrupt in 1827 and the contents of the house were auctioned, although many were reacquired in later years.

I loved this Italianate table. Those chaps look like centaurs - the birth sign of us Sagittarians.

I adored the portrait of the exotic looking lady with the white blouse. The bench with the winged lions makes me go weak at the knees - gorgeous!

The decoration on the walls was completely original, not looking too bad for over two hundred years old. 

The rooms on the first floor were unfurnished. They currently house exhibition space and details of the on-going conservation work.

WEARING: Super bright vintage maxi by Honeycomb (amazing birthday present from Ann), 1960s sheepskin & suede coat (Second to None), 1970s tooled leather bag, Stuart Weizmann boots & felted wool hat (all charity shopped)

 I always love the kitchens in stately homes. This black range is a beauty. There's a modern gas hob on the top of the stove as the local WI were running a cookery demonstration during our visit. 

Note the original Camp coffee label - now changed so the Sikh solider is sitting next to the British officer and no longer waiting on him. How odd are those blue Kit-Kats?

The table laid for tea, 1940s style. Loving the vintage coat on the rack.

We were in two minds about renewing our National Trust membership following a member's vote which allowed trail hunting to continue on their lands but, as a number of people have pointed out, if all us antis revoked our membership then the pro-hunters would have free reign to do whatever they wish. So we shall continue being members and object, veto and complain at every opportunity.

On the subject of old houses bit of exciting news - there's now a SOLD sign outside The Cottage! Sadly the lovely lady's offer was too low but the couple who're buying it absolutely love all the original features, don't want to change a thing, have already sold their house and are renting locally. Can we have the sale done and dusted before India? Keep everything crossed!

Thanks for the birthday love, you lovely people! I'm looking forward to cracking open the birthday rum in a couple of hours time.