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RedditWhile the madding crowd moves on to the next sight, probably Stratford-upon-Avon, why not linger in the area a few more days? Within an hour's drive of the Churchills' palace estate are some of the area's most interesting country manors, with their lovely gardens, and even a splendid medieval castle.
Pope's Retreat
"To err is human, to forgive divine," penned Alexander Pope, one of England's most quoted writers. At Stanton Harcourt Manor you can tour the tower over the chapel that he made into his summer retreat during the years 1717 and 1718 so that he could translate Homer's Iliad. A pane of glass in one of the windows bears the inscription: "In the year 1718 I Alexander Pope finished here the fifth volume of Homer." The manor house itself was built between 1380 and 1470. It was one of the first homes of that period to be erected without fortifications.
Don't miss the enormous cone-shaped wooden roof over the stone kitchen building, an ingenious medieval chimney design that's unique to this area. As smoke from the open fires collected in the cooking area below, wooden louvers in the roof opened in the direction of the wind to draw it out. Open from April through September, admission to the house and gardens is £5 (about $7) for adults and £3 (about $4) for children under age 12. Stanton Harcourt Manor House and Gardens (011-44-1-86-588-1928) is located nine miles west of Oxford on the B4449.
A Botanical Inspiration
"Here then are a few words about a house that I love," wrote designer and craftsman William Morris in 1895 of his beloved country home, Kelmscott Manor. Built in 1570 of local limestone, the home became a haven for Morris from 1871 until his death in 1896. In the garden Morris found inspiration for his botanical textile designs. An appreciator of garden design, he was quick to point out how the look of a fine home could be ruined when it was surrounded by "a nightmare of horticulture." His garden, he often noted, grew in perfect, pleasing harmony with the manor.
Kelmscott Manor is open from April through September on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.; on the third Saturday in April, May, June and September from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.; and on the first and third Saturdays in July and August from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is £6 for adults (about $9) and £3 (about $4) for children 8 to 16 years old. Younger children will be admitted at the discretion of the staff. For information, call 011-1-36-725-2486. From Oxford take the A40 exit to Cheltenham. At Witney take A4095 to Faringdon. Look for the Kelmscott sign on the right after the village of Clanfield and follow the signs to Kelmscott Manor. There is no public transportation to the village.
The Splendors of Upper-crust Poverty
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