Packwood
Encyclopedia
Packwood House timber-framed Tudor
manor house near Lapworth
, Warwickshire
. Owned by the National Trust
since 1941, the house is a Grade I listed building. It has a wealth of tapestries and fine furniture, and is known for the garden of yews.
industrialist Alfred Ash. It was inherited by Graham Baron Ash in 1925, who spent the following two decades creating a house of Tudor character. He purchased an extensive collection of 16th and 17th century furniture, some obtained from nearby Baddesley Clinton
. The great barn of the farm was converted into a Tudor-style hall with sprung floor
for dancing, and was connected to the main house by the addition of a Long Gallery in 1931.
In 1941, Ash donated the house and gardens to the National Trust
.
'. Twelve great yews are known as the 'Apostles' and the four big specimens in the middle are 'The Evangelist
s'. A tight spiral path lined with box hedges climbs a hummock named 'The Mount'. The single yew that crowns the summit is known as 'The Master'. The smaller yew trees are called 'The Multitude' and were planted in the 19th century to replace an orchard.
The Yew Garden is entered by raised steps and a wrought iron gate. The garden path follows an avenue of trees, which leads up a spiral hill where a wooden seat is placed beneath a yew tree. This vantage point provides views of the house and the Yew Garden.
Some of the yews at Packwood are taller than 50 feet (15.2 m). The soil on the estate has a high level of clay, which is detrimental to the trees during wet periods. As a result, parts of the garden are often closed to the public while restoration work is undertaken The house and gardens are open to the public from February until the end of October, being closed for the winter months.
Tudor style architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
manor house near Lapworth
Lapworth
Lapworth is a village and civil parish situated in the east of the county of Warwickshire, England. It lies close to the border with the West Midlands and in the 2001 census had a population of 2,100....
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
. Owned by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
since 1941, the house is a Grade I listed building. It has a wealth of tapestries and fine furniture, and is known for the garden of yews.
History
The house began as a modest timber-framed farmhouse constructed for John Fetherston between 1556 and 1560. The last member of the Fetherstone family died in 1876. In 1904, and the house was purchased by BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
industrialist Alfred Ash. It was inherited by Graham Baron Ash in 1925, who spent the following two decades creating a house of Tudor character. He purchased an extensive collection of 16th and 17th century furniture, some obtained from nearby Baddesley Clinton
Baddesley Clinton
The moated manor house of Baddesley Clinton , located just north of the historic town of Warwick in the English county of Warwickshire, was probably established sometime in the 13th century. When large areas of the Forest of Arden were cleared and eventually converted to farmland this large...
. The great barn of the farm was converted into a Tudor-style hall with sprung floor
Sprung floor
A sprung floor is a floor that absorbs shocks, giving it a softer feel. Such floors are considered the best available for dance and indoor sports and physical education....
for dancing, and was connected to the main house by the addition of a Long Gallery in 1931.
In 1941, Ash donated the house and gardens to the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
.
Gardens
The famous Yew Garden containing over 100 trees was laid out in the mid 17th century by John Fetherston, the lawyer. The clipped yews are supposed to represent 'The Sermon on the MountSermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount is a collection of sayings and teachings of Jesus, which emphasizes his moral teaching found in the Gospel of Matthew...
'. Twelve great yews are known as the 'Apostles' and the four big specimens in the middle are 'The Evangelist
Four Evangelists
In Christian tradition the Four Evangelists are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the authors attributed with the creation of the four Gospel accounts in the New Testament that bear the following titles:*Gospel according to Matthew*Gospel according to Mark...
s'. A tight spiral path lined with box hedges climbs a hummock named 'The Mount'. The single yew that crowns the summit is known as 'The Master'. The smaller yew trees are called 'The Multitude' and were planted in the 19th century to replace an orchard.
The Yew Garden is entered by raised steps and a wrought iron gate. The garden path follows an avenue of trees, which leads up a spiral hill where a wooden seat is placed beneath a yew tree. This vantage point provides views of the house and the Yew Garden.
Some of the yews at Packwood are taller than 50 feet (15.2 m). The soil on the estate has a high level of clay, which is detrimental to the trees during wet periods. As a result, parts of the garden are often closed to the public while restoration work is undertaken The house and gardens are open to the public from February until the end of October, being closed for the winter months.