A House In The Country . . .

Cara/Andrea here,

One of the many reasons I’m enjoying Downton Abbey and all the enthusiasm for British History it has engendered here in the States is the interest it’s stirred in the great country houses. Now, many of us are familiar with the famous estates, like Chatsworth and Blenheim. But there are so many lesser-known places with unique and fascinating histories, as Nicola often points out in her wonderful posts.

For those of us who don’t live in the UK, and only occasionally get a chance to travel to the Sceptered Isle, these stately houses are incredibly alluring. The grand gardens, the ornate rooms, the opulent furnishings, the memorabilia decorating the niches and walls—it all resonates with wonderful stories and gives us a glimpse into the richly textured past. Last summer I had a chance to visit one of these  marvelous estates, so in homage to the recent start of Season Two of Downton Abbey here in America,  I thought I’d share  a little about Stoke Park, which is located near London, just a few miles from Heathrow Airport.

The lands of Stoke Park and the village of Stoke Poges, where it is located, are mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, and through the ensuing centuries the estate passed to various nobles of the realm. Queen Elizabeth graced two of her favorites with use of enclave, first allowing Sir Christopher Hatton  to reside there, and then giving the honors to Sir Edward Coke. Coke became one of the most prominent lawyers in England, and was involved in sending the Earl of Essex to the gallows, as well as prosecuting members of the Gunpowder Plot. Two years before the Queen’s death, he entertained her at Stoke Park.

Royalty made another visit, albeit a less pleasant one, to the estate when King Charles I was imprisoned for a short time there before his execution. And in 1688, the newly crowned King William III was traveling in the area and wished to see the manor house. However, he was refused entrance by the owner, who said “He has got possession of another man’s house and shall not enter mine.”

Stoke Park eventually passed to the Cobham family, who also owned Stowe, a well-known estate in Buckinghamshire. In 1749, the dowager Viscountess came from Stowe to live at Stoke park—and brough with her another fascinating figure in English history—the legendary landscape designer, Capability Brown.

Lancelot Brown—who earned the moniker “Capability” for often telling clients that their estates had great “capability” for landscape improvement—was born in Kirkharle, Northumberland in 1716. He started his career as a gardener’s boy at Kirkharle Hall, and then moved on to Stowe, where he studied under the famous landscape designer, William Kent.

Brown made a name for himself by breaking with tradition and creating a new “natural” approach to designing gardens and grounds, as opposed to the formal layouts of the past. He called them “grammatical” landscapes—in explaining himself to Hannah More in an encounter at Hampton Court, he said, “I make a comma, and there . . . where a more decided turn is proper, I make a colon; at another part, where interruption is desirable to break the view, a parenthesis . . .” Now as a writer, I of course love this name for his style. And oh, can Brown punctuate!

His style is marked by long stretches of rolling grasslands, with bushes, trees  and lakes—manmade if necessary— artfully placed to create visual texture and interest. Many of the most famous estates in Britain feature his garden designs, including Croome Court, Blenheim Palace, Warwick Castle, and small traces at Kew Gardens. Stoke Park’s grounds—which today include a wonderful 18-hole golf course by the distinguished Harry Colt—showcase Brown’s genius for subtlely shaping the earth and creating pleasing vistas from every angle of the estate.

I was lucky enough to play golf through some of the grounds that he designed at Stoke Park, Now, Mark Twain called golf “a good walk spoiled” but nothing could diminish the pleasure of winding my way through the vistas of rolling grasslands, strategically placed clumps of bushes, and graceful stone bridges crossing scenic waters. It’s not often that I can combine my love of history with my love of sport, so this was truly a special experience.

Other notables who owned Stoke Park include Edward Gray, one of England’s premier poets. His most famous poem, “Elegy Written in a Country Church-Yard” was written about St. Giles’s church in Stoke Poges. The Penn family, familiar to all us Yanks, was also a steward of the lands. In the early 1800’s John Penn, grandson of William, brought in the acclaimed architect James Wyatt to help design a manor house.

Now this brings us back to the Downton Abbey era, which also figures prominently in the history of Stoke Park. In 1908, sport-mad Nick Lane Jackson had the grand idea to “establish a country club somewhat along the lines of those which had proved so phenomenally successful in the United States.” He and a group of investors arranged to lease part of Stoke Park with an option to buy. The Stoke Park Club came into being, and today it still offers its members and hotel guests world-class golf and grass court tennis. (The famous golf match in the James Bond movie Goldfinger was filmed at the club.) The public can book a stay, which offers the opportunity  to enjoy tea and meals in the fabulous period rooms, or enjoy a quiet read in the library or various sitting rooms. It’s well worth a visit for it’s truly a special place, for everywhere you look, both inside and out, you get a breathtaking look at history.

What about you? Are you enjoying Downton Abbey? Would you like to have a stay at a grand English country house. Which one would you choose?

Comments

[Nicola Cornick]

What a fabulous post, Cara/Andrea. To my shame I have never been to Stoke Park but you have whetted my appetite to see it. I love all the connections between the historical characters who owned or lived in these stately homes; we have a wonderful picture of Sir Edward Coke's daughter at Ashdown. The Earl of Craven, who built Ashdown was another one who did not welcome William III. Seems quite a few doors were closed to him on that journey!
My favourite grand English country house where you can stay is Coombe Abbey near Coventry, another former Craven home which is now a hotel so you can actually stay in the rooms occupied by the Princess Elizabeth Stuart when she was a child there!

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Nicola, you would greatly enjoy a weekend at Stoke Park! The rooms are filled with period paintings, etc, and the library has wonderful carved wood panaleing. The walks through the grounds are wonderful too, and there is a great vista with St. Giles church in the background.

Coome Abbey sounds fabulous. Will put it on my Wish List!

[Mary Jo Putney]

You make me want to book a ticket, Andrea/Cara! There are just so many amazing houses scattered across Britain that I can't begin to choose. Though if I did stay in one, I wouldn't pick January--a lot of those places were notoriously uncomfortable in winter!

[Anne Gracie]

Oh, you've made my feet so itchy, Cara/Andrea! Stoke Park sounds wonderful and Nicola's comment has made me note down Coombe Abbey as a place to spend a night or two.

I missed Downton Abbey when it was on TV here, first, and I picked up a DVD of it when I was in the US last year and finally watched it and loved it. I'm looking forward to the next season, which hasn't started here yet, alas.

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Yes, January would not be an ideal time to visit most country houses, Mary Jo. Cold is not my idea of fun! But I just might suffer through it I had a invitation.

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Anne, I adored the first season. This second one is slower, and not quite as much "fun" . . . it's wartime, of course, and so the mood is quite different. Still, I am enjoying it a lot.

[Sherrie Holmes]

Sherrie, here. I read this post with great interest. I adore old houses/manors/castles. The interior decorater gene is strong in me, and I love to drool over pictures of stately old homes and see how they were designed and furnished. My living room is decorated in the style of an old English hunting lodge.

Besides the sheer enjoyment of visiting such stately old homes, it is a great resource for writers of historical fiction, giving insights into how people lived back then. But when all is said and done, it is the visual beauty that enthralls me most.

Thank you, Cara/Andrea, for a lovely glimpse of Stoke Park.

[Diane Sallans]

I adore stories like Downton Abbey - my Mom & I used to watch them together.
I'd love to stay in any interesting house - large or small - tho good plumbing & heating/cooling would be appreciated.

[Janice]

I am enjoying Downton Abbey too, especially the Christmas episode.

This week I watched The Devil's Whore (known in the US as The Devil's Mistress as we Yanks are so sensitive, I guess). It's English Civil War period, with Roundheads vs Cavaliers, Levellers, Ranters, beheadings, Cromwell's rise to power and lots of great clothes. All this is wrapped around a (fictional) story of a young woman who has lousy luck finding husbands who will last. John Simm is absolutely brilliant and Andrea Riseborough looks like she walked off the wall of somebody's collection of ancestral portraits. I highly recommend it.

It was filmed in South Africa, but there's a house in it that looks too old to be South African - a huge stone manor house. I don't think it's CGI. It looks old, cold, drafty, uncomfortable, inconvenient and eternal. I wonder if it really exists and if so where it was.

[Nicola Cornick]

Oh, I loved The Devil's Whore, Janice! What a fabulous series and with the added bonus of Michael Fassbender as well as John Simm - oh, and Dominic West as well. I didn't know it was filmed in South Africa although I did think that some of the scenery looked a bit odd.

[Janice]

Well, that's two of us :) Michael Fassbender was great in the recent Jane Eyre as well. I have to say, the films of today, compared to those of my youth, are insanely rich in eye candy. Except that nobody will ever beat Cary Grant in a tux ;)

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Walking through an historic house is an amazing way to do research, Sherrie. I sometimes wonder if other people think I'm demented because I often end up on my hands and knees, studying carpet patterns, or photographing details of woodwork or decorative trim.

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Oh, Janice, thanks for the heads-uo on The Devil's Whore. Must look for it! And yes, you are so right—nothing like Cary Grant in a tux. Nothing.

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

LOL on the modern conveniences, Diane! I have to admit, having them makes a stay much more comfortable!

[Ann Lethbridge]

I too am a Downton Abbey fan! And looking forward to season 2. I love visiting English country houses, when I am there and now you have added two more to my list, which grows ever longer. Thanks for the photos and the great information
Ann

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Glad you enjoyed the blog, Ann!

[Kelly Morton]

This is a FABULOUS blog. I must visit Stoke Park next time I go to London

[Vonnie Hughes]

A couple of programmes I've been watching avidly here in Australia recently have been A House in the Country and another one whose name I can't recall. It's about English people seeking beautiful homes with an acreage. THE HOUSES! THE GARDENS! Absolutely gorgeous. Of course, figures like 1.4 million pounds trip off the tongue of the realtors.

Many of these homes were built at the turn of the 19th/20th century. Not so much history of course as some mentioned above, but the workmanship on the staircases alone is staggering.

I also love some of the Agatha Christie stories made for TV which feature lovely old homes. Takes a while to come back to earth sometimes.

[Alice Hughes]

Thank you for such an interesting history. Since you ask, I have to say Stoke Park is now at the top of my list for English manors to visit!

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Vonnie and Alice, glad you enjoyed the post.

[Grace Burrowes]

Makes me so hungry for another jaunt to the UK. One of these times I'm going to go and not come back....

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

I'll come with you, Grace!