Waxwing

Waxwing
"To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour."

From "Auguries of Innocence"

by William Blake

Monday 16 December 2013

Christmas at Packwood

I had an afternoon out last week with a friend and we decided to go to Packwood House as the house for the first time had been decorated for Christmas and the new Visitor Centre and Garden Kitchen Cafe are now open.



Packwood House is Tudor but during the 1920's and 1930's the owner Graham Baron Ash extensively re-designed the house, adding rooms and converting a barn into the Great Hall.




The house had been beautifully decorated - just a few photos as I had the usual problems with low light and most were only fit to be deleted.









Here's a rather extreme example of the effects you can get when the light is that gloomy that the shutter remains open for about 5 seconds!!!!




The Carolean Garden with the famous Yew Garden in the background.





Can you spot me in my badger jumper :)




We had lunch in the new cafe - for some reason I omitted to take a photo of the outside of the actual visitor centre but I'll take one next time I visit.

I just loved this rabbit lampshade



Flower prints on the walls


The tiles around parts of the cafe were beautiful - a "tribute" I would imagine to the old delft tiles in the Ireton Bathroom in the House itself.







Sorry for the lack of posts recently - Christmas preparations have meant I have less time than usual to go out and about.

I was busy making mincemeat at the weekend - its well worth the effort and it really doesn't take that long.




11 comments:

Bovey Belle said...

What a lovely house to visit. In our neck of the woods, there are only a couple of NT properties, but I am looking forward to being back in England and able to visit lots we haven't managed to get to from here. There - power of positive thought!

Your mincemeat looks good. I make my own too (as you know), and really ought to make some mince pies this week . . .

Ragged Robin said...

Bovey Belle - Many thanks :) I do hope you get some positive news on selling your house next year. There are still a lot of NT properties within about an hour's journey that I would like to visit round here.

I must get cracking on some more Christmas baking - I keep getting sidetracked by seeing new recipes I would like to try :)

Anonymous said...

You've taken us there before, haven't you? It looks very festive, your pictures are super, I like the one of you in your Badger sweater!

Ragged Robin said...

Toffeeapple - Thanks so much :) Yes, I have done posts quite a few times mainly of the gardens. Just the one of the house though - I thought you might like another photo of the sedan chair :)

Anonymous said...

I love tudor houses and that one looks beautiful. The rabbit lampshade was fab- I'd love to have one of those :-)
I now have a reindeer jumper with a flashing nose- will post a pic later- so I admired your badger one. x

Ragged Robin said...

Countryside Tales - Many thanks :) I've been trying to find out where they got lampshade from - sadly so far without success :(

Look forward to seeing your jumper - sounds cool :)

Wendy said...

Packwood house sounds very interesting. Was much of the Tudor interior replaced in the renovations? It looks wonderfully festive at the moment.
I'm the same with my preparations - Have a lovely Christmas!

SeagullSuzie said...

Beautiful Tudor house, I'm glad you got to visit it in a relaxed mode with your friend rather than rushing about. Yes -could see the badger jumper :).

Anonymous said...

I love Tudor manor houses as not only are they beautiful but also more homely than the grander but colder styles which became the de rigueur after the Jacobean period. This more homely feel makes them doubly attractive in the Christmas period as shown by your lovely pics :-)

PS. In case I don't get another chance I will take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones a very merry Christmas :-)

Em Parkinson said...

I love the reflection of you in your jumper and what a house! I'd just love to live there, given unlimited funds obviously.

Ragged Robin said...

Wendy - Many thanks :) I think the alterations were quite extensive but I'm not 100% sure how much of the Tudor interior remains. Certainly the windows look pretty old!

Hope you have a lovely Christmas too :)

SeagullSuzie - Many thanks :) It was nice to have a relaxed mooch about without rushing round the gardens too :)

David Turner - Many thanks :) I thought the staff and volunteers really had turned up trumps with the decorations - its a shame so many photos were blurred as I could have shown you so much more. The house was certainly very atmospheric and, as you say, homely :)

I wish you and your loved ones a very Happy Christmas too :)

Em Parkinson Many thanks :) I'd love to live there too :) The walled garden is just beautiful in the spring and summer and the thought of seeing it every time you looked out of a window or being able to wander at will without crowds of visitors would be wonderful :)