Synopsis: Sumptuous rooms of great grandeur made for a lovely repeat visit to the National Trust property Saltram House. The gardens were coming on apace, with lots of interest to be found in them.
(selection of photos from Flickr photo set – use link above to view album)
Saltram House (NT) is a large Palladian house on the outskirts of Plymouth. Considering its proximity to Plymouth and the busy A38, it’s a surprisingly secret place. It is in my opinion one of the most interesting and beautiful houses in the county of Devon. It was half-term, and so my sister-in-law Christine joined Mum and I on this day trip from Exeter today.
On arrival at the property we sought out a picnic bench near the car park, as we’d brought lunch with us, courtesy of Tesco. The day was overcast and a little cool, but the picnic was pleasant all the same. It was nice to be outdoors for a time.
As there is information enough about Saltram House on the Internet, I’ll simply highlight here a few things that I found particularly appealing, on this, our visit today. My photos of this trip, as always, can be found on Flickr using the link above.
What a beautiful place at which to finish the day. A chance to be transported to a world so very different to that of England. Quite evidently China took the western world by storm during the 18th century as nautical trade routes opened up and the cultures intermingled.
Napoleon is quoted as saying, “China is a sleeping giant – let her sleep, for when she wakes she will shake the world”. I’ve a sneaking suspicion China may have just woken up.
Words like plush and sumptuous spring to mind when I wander around Saltram House. It is not a place to be rushed, but repays a leisurely pace and an eye for finely crafted objects. I’ve a feeling Jane Austen would have appreciated Saltram House, as she always had a very keen eye for what was deemed elegant.
Frances Talbot, the first Countess of Moreley, did correspond with Jane Austen, so perhaps there was some commonality of taste between the two.
As a badminton player myself, how could I not include this little china figurine, ‘The Badminton Player’. I have to confess to looking a good deal more ragged when I’m playing. But then, this fellow is of a good deal more youthful appearance than I can muster these days. And it’s very rare that you’ll see me on court wearing a hat, and hardly at all one with such a dashing plume as this fellow sports. Could this be where I’m going wrong?
Perhaps rather sadly, even the feathers on my shuttlecock these days are made of plastic. What is the world coming to?
Feel a sneeze coming on? Well, you’re in luck, as this is the handkerchief tree with quite an array of the commodity you require. Nature always has a surprise up its sleeve, and this time it has turned out to be a handkerchief. Sorry, a tad corny that last line.
I’d just read The Railwayman Man by Eric Lomax, the story of his harrowing experiences as a POW working on the Burma-Siam Railway during WWII. Christine, Mum and I settled down to watch the recent film adaptation of the book later in the evening. The film ramped up the drama a little bit in one or two places, but is generally true to the tenor of the book. Both are worth checking out.
A rather interesting garden map for Saltram House has been published on Google Maps by ‘antortic’, with advice from the landscape designer Nathaniel Richmond.
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