The National Trust - Peace in Nature and History

So – another New Year is upon us! The days are cold, but on a bright winters day, there is nothing better than a good walk in nature to clear the head and keep us healthy. I just thought this month I’d celebrate the National Trust, by sharing some photos from a lovely afternoon I spent at Petworth House and Deer Park last weekend.

I think my £7 a month membership to the National Trust is probably the best money I spend! It is my treat to myself, and gives me a huge range of beautiful gardens and houses to visit whenever I like, and in the winter months these places tend to be a little quieter, which is great when I like to take my time reading the history of these places and chatting away with the volunteers to learn more. As a National Trust member you can obviously visit all of these places for free, as well as get free parking when scanning your card at the machines.

The National Trust has been caring for special places for over 125 years. They have 5.37 million members, over 50,000 volunteers and 10,000 staff. It is now the biggest conservation charity in Europe, caring for over 250,000 hectares of farmland, over 780 miles of coastline, and 500 historic properties, gardens and nature reserves (source: www.nationaltrust.org.uk).

Petworth House is just a lovely place to be. The Pleasure Garden here was designed by ‘Capability’ Brown, with it’s serpentine paths, formal beds, a woodland walk and the beautiful Ionic Rotunda of course, which was erected in 1766. He positioned this on the steep hillside to give commanding panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.

As you wander around the grounds, you can find and spend a few minutes resting inside the beautiful Doric Temple. This was relocated from the Deer Park to the garden by Brown in 1875. A lovely spot to be peaceful and read a book or for quiet contemplation. It also now houses a memorial to Henry Scawen Wyndham who died in action during the second world war.

I always pack a flask of coffee (which might just have a tiny bit of whisky in to keep me warm too!), and a book to read and a packed lunch, for when I feel I need a little rest on a lovely bench somewhere! I love photography, and these wonderful places always have so many fantastic things to focus on. Beautiful gardens, stunning lakes, lovely old houses packed full of artifacts, paintings, sculptures, tapestries and other amazing items of interest. I re-visit a lot of these places time and time again, yet always find something new to see and learn about. The view over the lake in the grounds at Petworth, with the winter sun shining down, was just lovely this time.

Petworth is a magnificent 17th Century treasure house displaying one of the National Trusts finest art collections, including works by Titian, Van Dyck, Turner, Blake, Reynolds and Gainsborough.

The North Gallery homes a stunning collection of pieces, including the oldest English terrestrial globe in existence – this Molyneux Globe! There are over 9,000 items at Petworth in total.

Petworth also has a fantastic mid-18th Century Servants Quarters, once home to 40 servants. My favourite part of the house is this amazing staircase, where you can also see a view of the beautiful church outside from the large windows here. I also love the ‘Carved’ Room where you can see the most wonderful woodcarving on the walls, but sadly this section was closed last weekend. There are a large number of beautiful state rooms to see at Petworth House, but they are not all open in the winter months, to give them time for conservation works. They all open again from 4th March to 31st October.

There is also a wonderful chapel inside the house with the most beautiful stained glass window. This is the best-preserved interior from medieval Petworth – and is a lovely peaceful space.

Just up the road from the main Petworth House and Lake, you can re-park up at the 700 acre Petworth Deer Park (National Trust members get free parking here too). This is a huge green space to walk in, with beautiful views all around, also designed by ‘Capability’ Brown. With views of the South Downs, it has woodlands and two lakes.

If you are patient, and willing to search and walk for a while, you may come across some of the beautiful fallow deer that roam around these grounds. They are just stunning, graceful, inquisitive creatures, and it always feels like such a privilege to see them together. I had to walk for over an hour and a half to find them this time – so it was good for my fitness (!), and well worth the effort! They are just adorable.