This weekend, with our new National Trust membership in tow, we visited Wimpole Estate, a country house set on the outskirts of Cambridgeshire. The estate contains a hall, a working farm and a Folly, as well as beautiful walled and landscaped gardens. We could have spent hours there but as you can imagine it was busy and very HOT. We managed to get around most of the estate and I took a fair few shots of the inside of the hall as well as the grounds which I have shared below.
The house itself is the largest in Cambridgeshire and boasts impressive pseudo-Roman and baroque style architecture. From a beautiful bath house in the basement to the opulent yellow drawing room, the two varying styles married surprisingly well. Overall, the decor sits within the eighteenth century but it was clear to see that the various owners throughout the centuries had wanted to place their on mark on the interior, which is why there are such differing styles and furnishings from room to room. There is also a chapel in situ which is not something I have seen before on my travels, however the biblical murals on the walls are impressive.
The house is bulging with paintings. In every room there is at least one large feature painting of either owners past or of somone who was once connected with the house over the centuries. Plus, there are over 50,000 books in the library which is a darkened room to help preserve the covers and texts.
A mile away is The Folly, which is a fake ruined castle. If you take a walk over to the folly, you’ll venture past two vast lakes teaming with fish and determined grazing cows that you’ll need to side step! Once you reach the folly you’ll be rewarded with a panoramic view of the estate looking directly back on the hall, landscaped garden and the rest of Cambridgeshire. It’s definitely worth the walk just to take in the scenery and to admire the graffiti etched into the walls.
On our way back to the house we detoured through the walled gardens replete with fruits and hundreds of flowers colorfully in bloom. It’s a working garden so spaces had been raked ready for new seeds to be planted. It’s reassuring to see that your entry fee goes to good use.
If you have a free weekend, the estate is definitely worth a visit – expect to spend a full day here but don’t go over a bank holiday weekend like we did as it was crowded in areas.
Have you been to any National Trust sites recently? Where do you recommend?
