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National Trust, Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire (057)

National Trust Properties

Waddesdon Manor, Aylesbury, HP18 0LH, Buckinghamshire

 

Waddesdon Manor

Built between 1874 – 1889 in the Neo-renaissance style for Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild. Waddesdon Manor stayed within the family until 1957.

When the last owner died (James de Rothschild), it was passed over to the National Trust, the Manor and its contents and is now managed by the Rothschild Foundation.

Ferdinand de Rothschild wanted a beautiful building and had in mind a chateau familiar with those built in the Loire Valley. He chose the French architect Gabriel-Hippolyte Destailleur to do the work. Destailleur was already familiar with the type of work, as he had overseen many projects, including the Chateau de Mouchy. He also worked for another member of the De Rothschild family, namely Baron Albert de Rothschild on his Palais Rothschild in Vienna.

The wine cellars are interesting in that it contains the best of 15,000 bottles, some over 150 years old and come from the Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Chateau Mouton Rothschild estates. It is the largest collection in the world of Rothschild wines, it also has some very important labels created by artists such as Salvador Dali and Andy Warhol.

The works of art inside the house of the very best quality, artists such as, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Boucher, Cuyp, Van Dyck, Titan and many others. Sevres ceramics, Beauvais Tapestries, first quality English Silver, carpets, books the list unending.

the French Landscape Gardiner Elie Laine. Extensive levelling of the hill was carried out, the Gardens and parks were laid out and an attempt was made to grow full length trees using chloroform to decrease the shock of moving the trees and planting them, however there are many trees in the parks and gardens that were successfully planted. Trees such as Yews, cedar, redwoods and other conifers, chestnuts, limes and maples are all successfully well bedded in.

During the reign of James de Rothschild the gardens were not the most spectacular however from the 1990’s a more up to date, using computer software for many of the colour combinations and in the gardens are many lovely statues by such sculptors as, Italian Sculptors Giuliano Mozani and Filippo Parodi, French sculptor, Jean Raon, to name but a few.

In my opinion, a great House and Garden to visit, teas and a scone well worth the wait.

Finally there have been many films made there. Here are a few examples:

Never Say Never Again

Carry On “Don’t Lose Your Head”

Ladies in Lavender

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

 

In 2018 there were approx. 465,000 visitors to the Manor, and was the largest visitor attraction anywhere in all of the National Trust Properties.

 

 

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Uploaded on June 30, 2020
Taken on September 18, 2014