COWBRIDGE u3a HISTORY GROUP TOUR WESTONBIRT HOUSE AND GARDENS
32 members of Cowbridge u3a History Group set off from Cowbridge in steady drizzle, en-route to better weather in Gloucestershire.
Many will have heard of, and may well have visited, Forestry England’s Westonbirt Arboretum, some 3 miles from Tetbury. Fewer will be familiar with the nearby historic Westonbirt House and estate, which, until the 1950s, owned the botanical plantation.
After a leisurely lunch at a cosy 17th century Didmarton hostelry, the party visited the Grade I listed house, which has been described as the finest example of Victorian architecture and gardens in the Cotswolds, to learn its story during an excellent 1½ hour guided tour.
The estate belonged to the Holford family from 1665 until 1926. The first house on the site was an Elizabethan manor house. George Holford demolished this building and replaced it with a Georgian house in the early 1820s.
George’s son, Robert, inherited Westonbirt in 1839, a year after an uncle had bequeathed him a fortune. It was Robert who played a major role in establishing the arboretum and who replaced the Georgian house (only some 40 years old) between 1863 and 1870 with the present mansion. He also remodelled the gardens, diverted the main road and relocated the villagers. He was unable to move the parish church and graveyard, but incorporated a sunken pathway into his grounds to allow parishioners to access their house of worship without disturbing his privacy.
Robert’s only son was another George Holford, who joined the Army aged 20 in 1880. He was in the military for almost 30 years, becoming closely associated with royalty and court life. He inherited Westonbirt House and the arboretum on the death of his father in 1892. George, known for his passion for gardens and orchids, devoted much of his time to his Westonbirt property.
Although an eminently eligible bachelor, George did not marry until 1912, when he wedded the widowed Susannah Menzies*. There were no children.
After George’s death in 1926 the house and arboretum passed to his eldest sister's son and were subsequently sold. The whole estate became owned by Westonbirt House School, which still operates on-site today. After over 80 years as a girls-only establishment, boys were allowed in three years ago. Because it is still a functioning school, access to visitors is strictly controlled for obvious safe-guarding reasons.
The arboretum was gifted to the nation in 1956. The gardens and surrounding parkland were listed Grade I in 1986.
After an interesting tour of the decorated interior of the house, including the Main Hall with its built-in organ, the party were restored with a cream tea. Most of the group then set off for an hour’s exploration of the extensive gardens, which featured an Italian Garden, an ornamental lake (with huge dragonflies darting about) and a array of various mature trees, but some were content to relax on benches in the warmth, taking in the extensive views.
All too soon, it was time to board the coach for the journey back to Cowbridge after an enjoyable outing.
Many thanks to Valerie Monaghan for organising the whole venture!
Steve Monaghan
* Stuart Menzies, the stepson of George Holford, was to become head of MI6 in WWII. Ian Fleming is said to have modelled "M" in his James Bond novels on him.