​I love going to writer’s homes. Standing in the very place they wrote and trying to absorb some of their thoughts and talents.  Thomas Hardy has been a particular favourite (Have a read of my blog about his Dorset life) but I’ve been saving Greenway, Agatha Christie’s home for a while.

Last summer, it was on the agenda for the last day of a two-week holiday to the West Country.  I’d saved it to the very last moment for the day we returned to London knowing that we’d have a wonderful last day of the holiday and I might not feel so bad about returning to the smog of West London living.
Greenway is nestled in a wooded valley which runs down to the River Dart.  From the lawn outside the house you have wonderful, far reaching views across the valley to the river and the house couldn’t be more perfect as a holiday home for this notorious writer.

​I slowly sat down and played some Bach and Tchaikovsky.  What an absolute treat and something I will never forget.  How incredible to sit at the very same piano that Agatha Christie did and hear the same echoes of music around the walls as her and her family would have enjoyed.   She loved music and one can imagine the musical entertainment that must have happened here during parties and Christmases with the family.

The smell of damp woodland was glorious after that mornings rain and William was in his element as a four year old with woods, mud and sticks to find!  We had a lovely walk down the valley through the woods.  And although it is predominantly trees, there are some wonderful flowers which suddenly leap out at you, providing a splash of colour amongst the greenery.
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The boathouse at the bottom of the valley is famous as it is the setting for Dead Man’s Folly, in which the house also features.  I’m currently making my way through the audio CD read by David Suchet on my way to work in the mornings which I bought in the shop.

National Trust Website
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/greenway 
Parking:
All Parking spaces must be booked in advance of visit. You can book by visiting: http://www.nter.org.uk/ or calling 01803 842382. Same day booking is possible by telephone depending on how busy they are and phone lines open 9am-4pm. When you arrive you are greeted by a car park attendant who shows you where to go. Parking charges for non-National Trust members: £3 session.

Anyone who knows me will know that my ideal day out will consist of 1 of 4 things: a beautiful building, a beautiful beach, beautiful countryside or a beautiful garden. Penhurst Place ticks two of those things…except it’s not beautiful…it’s stunning, glorious, magical – there’s not enough words to describe it.

Another place that has been on my list for sometime, it was someones comment on my twitter feed about a painting that finally prompted me to visit one very hot sunny day.
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Situated in the village of Penshurt, near Tonbridge in Kent – Penshurst Place is a family owned castle and stately home set in beautiful landscaped gardens. Once owned by Henry VIII, it has been in the Sidney family for more than 460 years and its current custodian is the Viscount de L’Ilse and his family.  Henry VIII used it as a hunting lodge and then it was given to Anne of Cleeves as part of her divorce settlement, but it was in 1552 that it passed to Sir William Sidney, by Edward VI.  Sidney has been a loyal tutor and steward to Edward.   It is one of the most spectacular, and beautifully preserved family stately homes in England, which showcases a wonderful mix of beautiful rooms, artefacts, tapestries, paintings and furniture from the 15th-18th centuries in a unique collection of stately rooms.

Modern additions for the twenty first century traveller make this an excellent day out for people of all ages as well as families as there’s so much to do and see here in the house and gardens as well as the wider grounds and we spent a whole day here easily.
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On entering the house the first room you come to is the famous Barons Hall. This was described by the writer John Julius Norwich as ‘one of the grandest rooms in the world’, and this stunning medieval hall is at the  heart of Penshurst Place. It belonged to the original part of the house, it was completed in 1341 and features a magnificent chestnut roof, several arcaded windows, a 16th century Minstrel’s Gallery and a very unusual octagonal hearth.  This then leads you along passages to other stunning rooms which send you back hundreds of years, into times past where you can imagine being a member of the Sidney family and walking the corridors throughout history.  One incredible room leads onto another, and each has its own unique history and atmosphere.

Another favourite was the West Solar room which was once withdrawing room of the medieval house, the family would go here for some privacy.  But every room you go into, there’s a wonderful display of Jacobean and later furniture, family portraits, coats of arms, and a real sense of a medieval hall.  Yet despite its grand feel, it also has a homely feel to it and it still feels like a family live here.  Recently it has been used for TV and Films and many scenes from Wolf Hall for the BBC were filmed here.  There are photographs of the actors and scenes as well as examples of the costumes and set dressings that were used in the filming, which is fascinating to see.
Outside there are extensive grounds, about 11 acres which are divided into garden rooms.   From the south lawn outside the  main building there is a wonderful vista of a formal layout the fountain. The village church is to the right on what is known as church terrace although there is no access to the church from the gardens and this needs to be approached from the village.

There is fun here for all the family throughout the year with events, activities and workshops throughout the season.  There’s a toy museum which we didn’t get to see but will stop in next time, a brilliant adventure playground for all ages and a woodland trail, a maze made of maize in the summer holidays, and a fabulous garden restaurant. There’s also a well stocked gift shop in the visitors building near the car park and the Porcupine Pantry Café which is open daily all year for visitors.  We tried both the cafe in the gift shop as well as the main one near the house and both were lovely.  A good selection of hot and cold food as well as children’s lunchboxes and we sat under the shade of a horse chesnut tree to enjoy our baked potatoes and ice cream.
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Parking is really easy – there’s a huge car park and you can also park here and go on the woodland walks or walk back down the drive and into the village to see the Tudor square and visit the church.

Entrance is reasonable and in line with what you would expect to pay, plus there are some discounts available if you are a member of the RHS or English Heritage.
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I can’t wait to come here again – a great day out for all the family.

​I have always loved the stories, ever since my mum read the Tale of Mrs Tiggywinkle to me as a child.  Many children and adults will be familiar with Peter Rabbit and his escapades in Mr McGregor’s garden, and perhaps not so familiar with Tales such as The Tale of Pie and the Patty-Pan.  Perhaps even less familiar are we that many of the illustrations represent not only Beatrix Potter’s love of gardens and indeed her own garden at Hill Top, near Hawkshead in Cumbria but also of the village of Near Sawrey where she lived.

For The Adventure
Hill Top is owned by the National Trust and open to the public.  Situated in the village of Near Sawrey near Hawskshead.  There is a small car park in the village (which used to be Potter’s orchard) with a short walk to the cottage.  It is suitable for families, but take note that entry is by timed ticket and the cottage is small, so it’s worth getting there early.   The garden is at its best in late Spring and Summer.  The small village also has many places of note which are also featured in Beatrix Potter’s Books such as Buckle Yeat and the Tower Bank Arms, as well as Castle Cottage which can been seen from Hill Top across the field opposite.
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hill-top
Nearby Wray Castle is where she spent some summer holidays with her family and can be visited on the same day as Hill Top given enough time.
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wray-castle

Following the Great Fire of London, people became increasingly aware of protecting themselves against disaster and finding ways to plan ahead to ensure the large-scale destruction of London didn’t happen in such a way again.  New laws were passed to ensure the future of the metropolis and also to help move an ever-growing city forward into a new generation.   New policies which were passed were concerned with rebuilding, the style of houses, design, construction and layout of the streets but also provision was made in terms of fire fighting for the city.  One new law stated that each quarter of the new city should have 800 leather buckets and 50 ladders available in case of fire.[1]  Each house also had to have buckets available as well. 

In 1667, a notable writer, doctor and economist, Dr Barbon, was heavily involved in the reconstruction of London and also in developing the first formal insurance company. It was called The Insurance Office and was based near the Royal Exchange.[2] Other companies were soon formed such as the Friendly Society and the Hand In Hand Company and every company would have its own firefighting team in order to help protect the properties they insured.  The oldest documented fire insurance company was The Sun Fire insurance company founded around 1710.  They still existand after many permutations are now known as the Royal & Sun Alliance

In the event of a fire, all brigades from the individual insurance companies would rush to the fire in case it was one of their buildings.  If the fire wasn’t in one of their properties then they would either leave or stand and watch.  However, for a fee other companies would put out the fire of a someone who had a different insurance policy and eventually they would also put out fires of non-subscribers as the fire could spread easily to one of their properties on their own insurance policy.

However, this was not a practical situation.  There needed to be a quicker way for companies to know the buildings they represented.  Firemarks were created and issued to all policyholders.  Originally they were made out of tin and would be fixed to the outer wall of the house or under the eaves. As they evolved they were also made of iron, lead and brass and bore the symbol of the insurance company and often a serial number as well. ​

 
The fire marks were used during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries until there the municipal fire brigades were established.

The first company to use the fire mark was The Sun Fire Office and their plaques featured the sun with a face on it.  The Sun Fire Office fire marks can be seen in Montpelier Row still on several of the properties. 

​By 1825 fire marks were no longer routinely used, many homes left up the marks regardless of whether they subscribed or not and this can be seen in Montpelier Row, Twickenham where several have remained and can still be seen clearly today.  A number of properties still retain their original fire marks which were placed on the front wall, near the eaves or in the centre of the front wall.  On one of the properties  we can see the marks of both the Hand In Hand Insurance Company and the Westminster Insurance Companies. 

The insurance companies kept very basic details of their policyholders which outlined the property, the items insured and the sums insured for.  Surviving records tell us something about the residents and their status and wealth as well as the value of the house at the time.  The Sun Fire records are held at the London Metropolitan Archives and these provide an sight into the lives of those whose properties were insured as well as their status and wealth.  The homes in Montpelier Row were clearly for the affluent and many of those who lived there at varying stages in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were annuitants, as well as military men, lawyers and merchants.

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'Susannah Course no 15 Montpelier Row Twickenham in Middlesex made on her dwelling on her dwelling house, brick and tile situate as aforesaid not exceeding five hundred and ten pounds'[6]

It goes on to list the other goods and buildings which were insured and these included:
Freehold goods - not exceeding £500
Painted books - not exceeding £20
Wearing apparell - not exceeding £40
Plates and cups  - not exceeding £60
China and glass - not exceeding £20
Stable at the bottom of the garden - £25
Coach House - £25

The fire marks and the associated insurance records provide a wonderful little snapshot into the past. Telling us something about the people, the homes, the value of buildings and goods and that insurance policies could be taken out with such little paperwork!