Back to Blog Page
Great Chalfield Manor.
One of the benefits of being based in Wiltshire is the wealth of ancient and beautiful buildings and gardens that are available in our area. There is a tendency among travel photographers to ignore their home patch, we forget to people on the other side of the world England is exciting, scenic and very beautiful. With this in mind I am making an effort to spend some time this year in revisiting some more local sites ....
Great Chalfield Manor is near Bradford on Avon. The house is a moated manor house built around 1465-1480 for Thomas Tropnell. It was altered substantially in the 1830s.
Externally there is a garden with four tree houses (groups of four yew trees which have grown together and been hollowed out inside to allow you to walk through). Also within the grounds is the tiny parish church, a feature of which is the unusual, bellcote , a stone belfry built on to the roof.
The house and garden were restored between 1905 and 1911 by Major Robert Fuller, under the guidance of Sir Harold Brakspear, with a garden designed by Alfred Parson. The property is now owned by the National Trust and is open to the public. The Fuller family still lives here and manages the property for the Trust. Tours of the house are at fixed times and visitors are escorted by a resident guide
Copyright Paul Strawson - Blog ref: 25