Chelmsford & District National Trust Supporter Group

Report by Keith Otter

We had 34 members on this trip. Kings Coaches provided a 34-seat coach. Tim was our driver.

Claydon House

Our first stop was a Claydon House, home to the Verney family since 1620. They owned it before that but rented it out. The house has twice been demolished and rebuilt.

Pat and I opted to spend most of our time in the house rather than tour the grounds. The signs directed us to begin our visit upstairs.The visitors’ route does not take one up or down the magnificent grand staircase, although it can be seen from various places on both floors. The staircase is built entirely of wood, with marquetry on the steps and landings. Unfortunately the marquetry makes it too delicate for general use. There are inlaid ivory pieces in the steps. One of the guides told us that this was so that they would be picked out by the candles that people would originally have carried on their ways up or down the stairs in the dark.

Once upstairs we looked briefly at the ladies’ wear on display in the Garland Room: a corset and a stay. The latter was specially designed for use during pregnancy; it could be let out in stages to cope with the wearer’s changing shape as her pregnancy progressed.

Our route took us from there into the house museum, which is dominated by what we immediately recognised as a gamelan. I wonder whether it is ever played. Each gamelan has a unique sound.

The next room was Florence Nightingale’s bedroom. There are several items related to her around the house. A guide told us that Florence Nightingale’s sister was married to the house’s owner. There are photographs of trainees from Florence Nightingale’s nursing school on holiday at Claydon. When we went round, one of the items on display was the sort of dress Florence Nightingale wore. Pat agreed with my comment that it would have been difficult to walk in.

There is a lot to take in in the Chinese Room. It is decorated and furnished entirely in Chinese style, with intricate wood carvings and large porcelain figures of Chinese men.

We made our way back downstairs via another wooden staircase. Apparently most visitors assume it was the servants’ stairs. In fact it was installed in 1957 in what had been a water tower.

Downstairs we made our way through the Pink Parlour with its carved wood decorations to the North Hall. Apparently this was originally called “the Great Eating Room” but was never actually used for meals.

Then we admired the Library before entering the Reading Room, which is now used as a bookshop. After that Pat and I had just enough time for a quick coffee in the Phoenix Kitchen, which is housed in the old stable block, before getting back on the coach for the short journey to Waddesdon.

Waddesdon

Waddesdon is a very large ornate Victorian building. I don’t know how you would describe the style. It was built by one of the Barons Rothsciuld but it was never used or intended as a family home. He wanted it purely as a setting for his vast art collection.

It must have impressed the visitors Baron Rothsschild welcomed to Waddesdon. It certainly impressed me. Room after room is filled with beautiful paintings and other works of art. Many of the paintings are by famous artists and must be very valuable. I can’t imagine what the whole collection is worth.

There are special exhibitions from time to time. When we visited there was an exhibition of photographs by Hélène Bibet taken in Jewish-owned country houses in various European countries.

There are extensive grounds to explore as well but Pat and I spent our whole time looking round the manor itself. It was certainly worthwhile.

Back to Chelmsford

We left Waddesdon at 16:30 and arrived back in Chelmsford at approximately 18:50. It was the first time we could remember arriving back from a Group trip before the expected time.