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Buscot Park
& The Faringdon Collection |
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This historic House and gardens, still lived in and very much the family home of the present Lord and Lady Faringdon but now under the protection of the National Trust, lies in the Oxfordshire countryside just outside Farringdon on the borders of Berkshire, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.
The House is home to the Faringdon Collection which contains an extraordinary array of paintings, furniture and objets d'art. The collection holds paintings by Rembrandt, Reynolds, Rubens, and Murillo. The Saloon, perhaps one of the most memorable rooms in any house in England, houses the famous series of paintings by the Pre-Raphaelite artist Sir Edward Burne-Jones known as the Legend of the Briar Rose inspired by the romantic story of Sleeping Beauty.
The gardens are a real treat to explore, especially in early summer. Woodland avenues radiate from the arch in the East Pavilion concealing a series of sheltered roundels - the Swinging Garden, where adults can revisit their childhood, is especially appealing. In the most northerly avenue lies the spectacular Water Garden designed by Harold Peto in 1904.
To the west of the house a descending stairway leads to the enchanting Four Seasons Walled Garden. Guarding the entrance is a magnificent group of seventeen life size Chinese terracotta warriors, copies of those found at Lintong, Xi’an in China. And beyond one can glimpse David Harbor’s recently commissioned Faux Fall.
Our visit ended in the Tearoom with one of the most delicious and beautifully presented home made teas I have ever had.
Natasha O’Farrell |
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