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| Kingston Bagpuize House & Garden |
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Virginia Grant is a remarkable lady. She is a qualified nurse, midwife to be exact, trained and qualified as a barrister, has travelled the world extensively, has two children and moved into Kingston Bagpuize House in 1995 with her husband Francis. Owner of Kingston since Francis’ death in 2003 it remains very much her home with her teenage children, and she continues to plan for the house’s future. As much as possible she takes on many of the tasks involved in maintaining the house and gardens and she strongly believes that ‘I should not ask others to do anything I wouldn’t do myself’.
The house itself, seen from the main road, has a guard of honour of beeches dominated by four giant Wellingtonias. The style is early Georgian, front and back, almost identical, as are the two sides. The outside is ornate, each elevation triangulated and with decorative urns. The red brick walls have stone quoins and distinctive surrounds to the windows and doors.
Probably the most prominent feature of Kingston Bagpuize House is the cantilevered staircase, which now reveals the original pine and oak. In the 1950’s the walls were hung with hand painted Chinese wallpaper which were most probably influenced by Miss Marlie Raphael’s, one of the previous owners, tour to the Far East in 1935. There are many examples of Chinese porcelain from that period around the house. The pine paneled library is the family sitting room and a feature of this house is that there is no effort made to disguise the fact that this a house used every day and lived in by the family. The drawing room shows the elegant proportions and symmetry of the house and the keystones over the doors and windows are very similar to those over the exterior doors and windows. There is a smaller sitting room, oak paneled dining room, four poster beds in each bedroom and a tearoom for visitors which was formerly the kitchen.
Close to the house is the former Stable Courtyard which contains the Malt House, where Virginia lived when she was first married, the Granary, Stables, Cowsheds and Dairy. The Gardens are an absolute joy again principally influenced by Marlie Raphael who added to the existing formal gardens by creating the Woodland Gardens and shrub border, planting many unusual species to give year round interest and colour. In 1995 Francis and Virginia Grant started the long term restoration of the garden and Virginia is continuing with this project.
Kingston Bagpuize House as well as being open to the visiting public for 30 days during the year is also a multi purpose venue for weddings, other special occasions and smaller corporate events. There is a civil licence for marriages in the house, up to 150 guests can be entertained in the house with larger numbers in marquees that can be attached to the house, so there is no necessity for going outside. Virginia has a number of tried and tested catering concerns that can cater for any occasion and any number. This a unique property and one that must be seen to be really appreciated.
Reviewed by Colin Rosser |
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