After a slow start we were on our way down the M42 to visit Upton House, a country mansion in deep rural South Warwickshire. It was built in 1695 and served as a grand hunting lodge from the mid eighteenth century until 1929 when it was acquired by the heir of the Samuel family whose members founded Royal Dutch Shell. It underwent a period of expansion and remodelling in order to house a large display of paintings spanning a period of five centuries, belonging to Lord Bersted, an enthusiastic collector of fine art and porcelain.
The house is set in a rolling wooded landscape of tall mature trees above a valley which is part of the estate. On the valley floor is a series of 'stew ponds', lakes in which fish used to be cultivated for food. Nowadays, a couple of them are for ornamental purposes, and one has been transformed into a 'bog garden' featuring a wide variety of exotic wetland plants. The main slope down to the largest of the ponds is south facing, and was originally developed as a giant vegetable garden, but since Lady Samuel took charge a substantial section is devoted to a series of floral gardens enclosed by hedges, reached by a flight of steps from the huge apron of lawn in front of the house.
The valley cannot be seen from the house, only the steep side of the hill opposite, so it's a surprise when you walk to the end of the lawn and discover the spectacular view below. On the east corner of the lawn is a 25m swimming pool, which has the reputation of being the first heated outdoor pool in Britain. The house and pool enjoy the benefits of an early oil fired central heating system, which is what a wealthy oil magnate could easily afford to maintain.
The introductory guided tour of the house told a fascinating story about family members and the role they played in the making of 20th century Britain and not only in the energy industry. As their forebears had taken refuge in the East End of London from 19th century anti-Jewish pogroms, they foresaw the need to help finance the Kindertransport rescuing thousands of Jewish children from the Nazi genocide in the late thirties, and they were involved in counter-espionage as well as fuel supplies as part of the war effort. Successful trading relies on information, so business experience is a good preparation for intelligence gathering, whether military or economic.
The introductory guided tour of the house told a fascinating story about family members and the role they played in the making of 20th century Britain and not only in the energy industry. As their forebears had taken refuge in the East End of London from 19th century anti-Jewish pogroms, they foresaw the need to help finance the Kindertransport rescuing thousands of Jewish children from the Nazi genocide in the late thirties, and they were involved in counter-espionage as well as fuel supplies as part of the war effort. Successful trading relies on information, so business experience is a good preparation for intelligence gathering, whether military or economic.
Rhiannon took even more photos than I did, and after supper we each uploaded ours and compared notes. It was interesting to observe what young eyes pay attention to in photography. She took more closeup pictures than I did, perhaps partly because I'd discussed with her earlier how get the best results on auto-focus with a telephoto lens. She's a quick learner. My photos are here
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