Dyrham Park is situated in it's own valley on the edge of the Cotswold escarpment, a few miles north of the city of Bath.
17th C plans for the house and park
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Dyrham is the late 17th C baroque mansion built by William Blathwayt, a hard working civil servant who thrived during the political upheaval of three monarchs. Because of Blathwayt's royal connections, in particular William III of Orange, it became a showcase of Dutch decorative arts. The collection includes delftware, paintings and furniture. The extensive collection of delftware tulip vases has led to an annual Tulipmania being held at the house every Spring.
The extraordinary high cost of a single tulip bulb in the 17th C led to these vases being made. Some of them are several tiers high and can hold up to 40 individual tulips.
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This tulip, known as the Viceroy, was displayed in a 1637 Dutch catalogue. The bulb cost between 3000 and 4200 guilders depending on size. A skilled craftsman at the time earned about 300 guilders a year.
Deer roam in the parkland on the east side of the house, where once there was a beautiful garden. Can be seen on the plans above.
East side of the mansion
inside the orangery
  
Estella rijnveld tulip
Azalea
two variegated camellias
The south side of the mansion
The tulips should have looked like this, but we were a bit late for them. Some had gone over and been removed, but a few remain to enjoy.
We sat on the chair you can see on the left, contemplating the exquisite design and beautiful stonework of this west side of the house. The mansion is nearly 400 years old, and we do not seem to have progressed in all of that time. Today you do not see houses of this quality, detail and perfection being built.
To finish some plants from around the garden
Actinidia Kolomikta - the leaf tips eventually turn pink
Ribes speciosum - Californian gooseberries.
Symphytum - comfrey
Brunnera Macrophylla
Mixed tulips
The church sits on a high bank to the side of the house
We treated ourselves to this Camassia from the plant stall
This post was prompted by Gina
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Lovely to live in the maisonette, lol.
ReplyDeleteHave you visited Dyrham Bob - it is just across the river severn from you?
DeleteMagnificent mansion and flowers Rosemary. I just bought two small pink camellias yesterday. I have never seen a Camassia before but love blue flowers. Do enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteDear Olive - we spent today at Dyrham in lovely sunshine. I was thrilled to find the Camassia, they are a lovely shade of blue, and the good thing is that they multiply. Your camellias will be great for next spring.
DeleteThank you for the beautiful posting, Rosemary — you and H do get about! From a design standpoint, I was intrigued to see the urn with its body covered with acanthus leaves, and then a plain base. It's usually the other way around.
ReplyDeleteDear Mark - H says he is ROOG (running out of gas). This place is only a hop and a skip away from where we live.
DeleteThank you for pointing out the urn. I could see there was something different about it, but had not realised what.
There is so much to take in there with the urns and statuary on the parapets to the beautiful carvings and design lower down the building.
We did not visit the inside of the house yesterday.
Gorgeous shots! I love the mansion and the grounds. It all looks so wonderful! Too bad you missed the tulips...that certainly would have been something to see.
ReplyDeleteDear Marie - The mansion is situated in such a beautiful valley, sheltered around the edges by wonderful old trees. The tulips were really a week past there best, but still a few left lingering around to see.
DeleteWow, what an amazing place!!! And oh my gosh, I can't quite wrap my head around the price of those tulips!!!!!
ReplyDeleteCheers to you,
Marica
Dear Marica - The price of tulips rocketed in 1637 during the Dutch Golden Age. The tulip bulbs were a recent introduction. It is generally considered to be the first recorded speculative bubble.
DeleteGlad that you enjoyed seeing Dyrham.
Hello Rosemary:
ReplyDeleteWe have visited Dyrham on several occasions and love it not only for the magnificence of the house itself, but also for its wonderful situation in the valley. The church alongside is, in our view, an additional attraction too.
Whilst we recall the tulip vases and the Dutch connection, we did not realise that a Tulipmania event was held there each year.
Dear Jane and Lance - the situation of the church always catches me by surprise. You wander through the arched stable doorways and there it is sitting snuggled into the side of the bank beside the house. It is surprising that you cannot see it as you walk down the valley.
DeleteI think that the Tulipmania event has been happening for about the past 10 years. One year they actually put tulips in the tulip vases which was spectacular. As the vases are so valuable they probably decided once was enough.
Beautiful photographs, fantastic colours. I am greeting
ReplyDeleteThank you for your greetings - glad you enjoyed seeing the photographs.
DeleteRosemary... what a fantastic of colours and shapes!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful,gorgeous, very, very nice!
Looking at the wonderful mansion, I can't help but think: isn't Nature clever? For man to build something incredibly beautiful, like that mansion, it takes much planning, drawing, building... so much work!
It only takes one little seed, or a bulb, for Nature to produce something which literally takes your breath away!
I have a Duch Delft Tulip vase. It's lovely and very useful. I love tulips, especially when the stems become bent. They become more interesting!
HAPPY DAY!
BUONA GIORNATA!
ANNA
xx
Dear Anna - nature is wonderful and delights the eye all of the time. Man can impose himself on the landscape, sometimes with beauty at other times with havoc.
DeleteLucky you having a Delft Tulip vase, especially nice to have at this time of the year.
Take care Anna and ciao♥
Dear Rosemary, Oh my,what a beautiful Delft Tulip Vase. Would love to know if a picture exists with tulips arranged in it.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the mention. You did a proper post about Tulipmania. Love also the other photos. You live in a very special area. I didn't realize how many treaures England has set aside for visitors to enjoy. ox, Gina
Dear Gina - if you like wonderful gardens and houses, there are plenty here. Churches and pretty villages too.
DeleteI have found a picture of a tulip vase filled with flowers, but not very artistically arranged. Have a look here - http://blog.londonconnection.com/2011/03/22/hampton-court-palace-the-delft-collection/ It will give you some idea.
I had intended to visit tulipmania but your post inspired to do so - thank you
Dear Rosemary
ReplyDeleteI have no words to express how much I love your page and not only for the wonderful photos and for the information you give us.
Have a nice week
Olympia
Dear Olympia - your comments are so kind and generous - thank you so much. I am pleased you enjoyed reading about Dyrham and seeing the photos.
DeleteA beautyful place to see Rosemary. A fantastic post.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week
Thank you Marijke - it is a lovely place and glad you enjoyed it♥
DeleteThank you for sharing ! I have to go to England again soon!
ReplyDeleteDear Lise - do come again very soon. Not such good weather as Italy though. Thank you for your kind comments.
DeleteWonderful post, Rosemary.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful place.
Looks like a place where I could walk around for hours.
Thanks for sharing.
Mette
Dear Mette - it really is a place that requires two visits - wander around the valley and garden, and then another visit to do the inside of the house.
Deleteleve these photo!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your visit - glad you enjoyed the photos.
DeleteThank you for sharing Dyrham Park with us.
ReplyDeleteI adore the Camelia picture with the rose tinted veining. Its beautiful but also to me its veining is almost meaty in a Mary Shelley "It's alive!" kind of way.
I have never seen a tulip vase before, this would surely keep those wandering stems in position.
Paul
Dear Paul - some of the delft tulip vases are over a metre high, and stack up like a pyramid. There were four funnels on each tier to show off each tulip. These original 17th C tulip vases sell for about £50,000.
DeleteLovely post and photos, Rosemary. I must confess to never having even heard of Dyrham Park before, though it looks very well worth a visit. I think the parkland setting looks wonderful and wonder whether the planned formal gardens were ever completed. Today only a billionaire could even contemplate building a house of this size and quality and employing the staff needed to run it properly. Sigh...
ReplyDeleteIt is a NT property, just off the motorway when you have crossed the Severn bridge.
DeleteThe magnificent formal gardens on the east side were cleared away when they became unfashionable in the 18th C and then landscaped by Humphrey Repton.
I am glad that you enjoyed seeing it. We visited last Sunday, which luckily was a beautiful day.
Wow, such a gorgeous place ... and so far away from Greece. Thank you, for sharing Dyrham Park, looks like a beautiful spot to take a stroll.
ReplyDeleteDear Dani - not all that far really, just a 3 hour plane journey and you could be here.
DeleteIt is a lovely mansion in a beautiful setting.