ArtShades

Holiday Snaps

Along with many others we decided to holiday in the UK this summer.  There were lots of places we wanted to explore and we had a great time.

  

 

  

   

  

 

Where did you go?

A trip to Kew Gardens

We squeezed in a visit to Kew before heading back home from London on Sunday.  It is years since I've been there in person, but really enjoyed watching  'A Year in Kew' - the TV series the BBC ran a couple of years ago.

I love the Victorian splendour of the Palm House

  

with its ornate ironwork providing the perfect backdrop to those huge fronds.

 

Leave via the west door and you step from tropical rainforest to the lavender fields of Provence.

 

The amazing Treetop Walkway (designed by Marks Barfield Architects, the architects of the London Eye) opened just over a year ago.  It is 59ft high! 

 

You can see how it was built and even take a virtual tour. 

You get a great view of the Glasshouses from up here too

 

and the entrance to the Rhizotron down below.

 

The tree you can see above is a bronze sculpture, but one little bird thought it was the real thing....

 

After discovering a fabulous photography exhibition (which deserves its own post) we went to see the Waterlily House

 

- a lovely little glasshouse with a special atmosphere all of its own.

 

I like the way the patterns of the roof metalwork are reflected in the water.

  

A truly inspiring place.

Kew Gardens is situated on the banks of the river Thames in south-west London, near Richmond.  Find Kew visitor information here.  Kew Gardens, Kew, Surrey TW9 3AB

Kew is open 363 days a year.

Stourhead NT Garden in Wiltshire

On our way back from Studland recently we stopped off at a National Trust garden in Wiltshire for lunch.  What a discovery!

We stumbled upon 'one of the finest landscape gardens in the world' and I confess I had never heard of it.  Stourhead was designed by Henry Hoare II as a place to entertain between 1741 and 1780.

As you can see it was a beautiful sunny day and the woodland walk was stunning.

 

Every so often a breathtaking vista would open up through the trees with a folly or classical temple framed with lush green.

There is a magnificent lake which was created by damming the River Stour.

 

I always like to see the old walled kitchen gardens which so often form part of such great estates and see how the National Trust staff bring them back to life by growing vegetables, fruit and herbs. 

My only regret was our visit was all too brief; I could easily have spent the entire day there.

The azaleas and rhododendrons were in full bloom during our visit on 31 May, it would be lovely to go back and see how the gardens change through the seasons.

If you are familiar with the garden when is your favourite time of year to visit?

Stourhead landscape garden, Palladian mansion, parkland, woods and chalk downs are located at Stourton, Warminster, Wiltshire BA12 6QD

The garden is open all year from 9am until 6pm (or dusk if earlier). 

Blackwell - The Arts & Crafts House

Whilst in the Lake District at half-term we visited Blackwell - the only building by architect Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott that is open to the public (and has been since 2001).

The visit reminded me just how much I love the designs of the Arts & Crafts style - the simple forms, the natural qualities of the materials used and the motifs inspired by the flora and fauna of the British countryside.  As you might expect, it was the stained glass that took my breath away.  This was my favourite.

 

In each room stained glass mullion windows are positioned either side of the fireplace with window seats built into the alcove.  Visitors are encouraged to sit and reflect, to take their time and soak in the atmosphere.

The White Drawing Room is considered to be one of Baillie Scott's finest interiors.  It is a beautiful room.  The light floods in through a large bay window and the views of the fells and the lake are stunning. 

These columns support the mantel shelf which continues around the room.  They are topped by capitals of carved wood which branch out into leaves, flowers, fruit and birds.

The entire ceiling is covered in intricate plasterwork which has survived intact and this is the detail of the Rowan leaf and berry plasterwork frieze which extends around the room.  I am still working out how I can replicate the effect of shadow and light in my bedroom at home.  It was gorgeous.

Blackwell dates from 1898-1900 and was built on the hillside above Lake Windermere as a holiday home for Manchester brewery owner, Sir Edward Holt and his family.  The Holts visited regularly until the death of their eldest son in 1928 in the First World War and subsequently the home was little used.  It was later leased (and used as a school until 1976 and then as offices) meaning very little was done in the way of alterations or modernisations.  This is the main reason so many of its wonderful original features are still in place today.

Can you spot the blue birds that appear in each piece of stained glass throughout the house?

In 1999 Blackwell was bought by the The Lakeland Arts Trust, an independent charity which 'aims to bring enjoyment and inspiration to people's lives through art and history.'  Many donations and a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund has enabled the complete restoration of Blackwell which is now Grade I Listed.

All images courtesty of The Lakeland Arts Trust.

From stained glass, decorative metalwork, intricate wood carving and hand-printed wallcoverings to marble tiled hearths and ceramic tiles, Baillie Scott has incorporated a wide variety of crafts throughout the house, many made by leading designers of his day.

I enjoyed seeing how the same motif had been depicted in various materials by different craftsmen.  The Rowan berries and leaves had been carved from oak in the Main Hall, block-printed on the hessian in the Dining Room, moulded in plaster in the White Room, etched in the stained glass of the Master Bedroom and even created from lead in the rainwater hoppers at the top of the drainpipes!

 

For me it was a truly inspiring visit; the designs, natural materials and honest craftsmanship of the period, twinned with the latter day social responsibility of the The Lakeland Arts Trust, epitomise the Arts & Crafts Movement.

For those of you interested in introducing some Arts & Crafts style to your own homes I stumbled across a great design source Arts and Crafts Home.  I also recommend the book The Arts and Craft Sourcebook by Charlotte Kelley available from Blackwell's bookstore.

For a beautiful coffee table book take a look at The Arts and Crafts Movement by Rosalind P Blakesley published by Phaidon.

And finally, for those of you who dream of owning an original piece by designers such as A W N Pugin, William Morris, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Dr Christopher Dresser, C FA Voysey, and E W Godwin, there is a sale of major works at Sotheby's in March (via Jennifer at Design Hole).  There are some amazing stained glass panels!

Light and Shade at Warwick Castle

I jumped at the chance to be a helper on today's school trip to Warwick Castle.  It is an awe-inspiring place with parts dating back to 1068 and today was my third visit.  The light today was beautiful and it was magical to be there off-season as we almost had the place to ourselves.

 

A great day was had by all.

New Series of Grand Designs

I am delighted to see that Grand Designs is back with a new UK series starting tomorrow at 9pm on Channel 4.  The first show promises to be another challenging development - an ambitious self-build in Cheltenham just 25 miles from me.  I have no plans to restore an old castle or design my own house, but love to watch the determination, commitment and passion of the owners that do and, of course, the great presenter Kevin McCloud.