On the way back to London after a visit to southern Wales, I stopped at Dyrham Park with the bloke. He was in a bit of a rush to get home, and as the walk down to the house was fifteen minutes with a long thirty minute wait to see inside the house, I did not get to explore the property as much as I would have liked. In retrospect, I should have just stuck with visiting the gardens as the house (unknown to me at the time) only had a couple of rooms open and is in major renovation. The renovations should be finished toward the end of the summer.
Dyrham Park is a 17th century estate made from the fortune of the British Empire. It's a hilly landscape with beautiful views in the parkland and a beautiful garden with ponds and flower borders. The highlight for me was a brief visit to the wildflower orchard, which was filled with tulips and other spring flowers during my visit.
The estate is a recent acquisition of the National Trust, and it underwent restoration in 2015.
I made my way down the long walk, which started off through a grove of trees and then went downhill. There are some nice views of the mansion at the bottom of the hill. My main problem was five days of intense walking meant that my legs were shattered.
After coming to the house, we had to wait awhile in the orangery to get inside.
There were only a couple of rooms to see due to restoration, so I did not get much of a sense of the house. The creator of the estate, William Blathwayt, has a large collection of fine art and Dutch Delftware due to his work as a diplomat in Europe.
After the visit to the house, I had a wander in the gardens quickly. The orchard with the tulips and daffodils was very impressive.
Around the back of the house are some beautiful beds and a nice church. I'll leave this and a longer exploration for my next visit.
Due to the rushed visit and the renovation, I will be visiting this property again. It does look beautiful in the spring. The only downside is the long walk, particularly on the return visit.
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