Dyrham Park
Dyrham Park is a baroque mansion located near the village of Dyrham in South Gloucestershire, England. The castle was built upon a previous manor by government administrator William Blathwayt from 1691 to 1704 on the western edge of the Cotswolds. Due to Blathwayt’s well-paying occupation in dealing with the colonies, many contents in the house have come from his career, including a tea table from Java, gilt leather panels from Amsterdam, many European books, Dutch Delftware, paintings by Dutch masters, and more. In the mid 19th century, Colonel George Blathwayts renovated the kitchens and updated the manor to save it from decline. In the 1950s, Dyrham was purchased for the nation through the Land Fund and used as a memorial for those who perished in WWII. Currently, the estate is owned by the National Trust. Since the 20th century, improvements have been made to the gardens, the roofs have been repaired, and additional items for the collections have been purchased. The mansion sits on 270 acres with a 15 stable bay block (now used as the tearoom), forests, a wildflower orchard, ponds, statuary, a herd of fallow deer, and a coved passageway leading to 13th century St. Peter’s parish church. The National Trust does not own the church, but many of Dyrham’s past owners have tombs at the church. Dyrham Park’s interior boasts an orangery, a family parlor, servants quarters, an Italianate double staircase, wood paneling’s, Delftware tiles, and many more artifacts and furniture from Blathwayt’s journeys. The parkland, garden, and tearoom at Dyrham Park are open to the public. Unfortunately, the house is closed at this time. Currently, there is a £10 million project to restore Dyrham Park.
