The House That Nearly Died

This interesting notice caught my attention yesterday on arrival at Barrington Court. This stunning 16th Century Manor House was the location for a Christmas Antiques Fair organised by Chasty Cottage Fairs.

What an incredible setting for an event!

I could barely set up my stand without resisting the temptation to take some photographs. Part of my stand was within the old fireplace, fortunately I had taken plenty of lamps to light the space. At 10 am the customers started to pour in. I was kept busy until after lunch when I took the opportunity to explore and take some more piccies.

Below is the view into the courtyard with its frozen pond. There are newer parts to the house that were restored in the 1920's by the Lyle Family. The property had fallen into terrible disrepair in the previous century and was almost derelict in 1907 when the National Trust bought it.

The foggy morning gave it real atmosphere, it reminded me of a film from 2001 called The Others. It certainly could have been filmed here!

If you get the chance to visit  Barrington Court, the gardens are also something very special. Their design being influenced by Gertrude Jekyll. I certainly intend to make a special journey to see these gardens next year.

This last photograph was taken of the front of the house at about 8 am. I was struck by the similarity to a dolls house that I read about a few years ago. It was called Childs Court and can be seen here . Not only do the houses look the same. There is also the similarity that both houses were rescued and restored lovingly from a very poor state.