A summer outing to Renishaw Hall and gardens
On a beautiful summer’s day in August, the WI members enjoyed their annual outing which this year was to Renishaw Hall and gardens. We travelled by small coach, so there was plenty of opportunity to enjoy the journey and catch up on everyone's news.
Renishaw Hall is a country house in the parish of Eckington in Derbyshire. It is a Grade I listed building and has been the home of the Sitwell family for over 350 years. With the journey only taking just over an hour, our first port of call was the restaurant for a morning coffee, sitting in the sunshine. Most of the group then ventured into the gardens, which are in an Italianate style, laid out by Sir George Sitwell. There were magnificent hydrangeas, magnolias and hostas in the shady part of the garden. In front of the house there were wide herbaceous borders filled with delphiniums, phlox and salvias to name but a few, framed by clipped yew hedges.
An informative and sometimes humorous tour was then taken of the Hall. The house was built in 1625 by George Sitwell who, in 1653, was High Sheriff of Derbyshire. The Sitwell fortune was made as colliery owners and ironmasters from the 17th to the 20th centuries. The current owner of Renishaw is Alexandra Sitwell, daughter of the late Sir Reresby and Lady Sitwell.
The Sitwells have always been avid collectors and patrons of the arts and the history of the family is filled with writers and eccentrics. Perhaps the most famed of the Sitwells were the prolific writers Edith, Osbert and Sacheverell. They were the children of Sir George Sitwell and Lady Ida Sitwell in the 19th century. This trio championed the arts, writing poetry, plays and patronising the likes of Picasso, John Piper, Rex Whistler and Dylan Thomas.
The house is filled with fine examples of art and furniture. The Sitwell family still lives in the house which has quite a homely atmosphere. There was a large collection of John Piper paintings in the hall and a collection of blue and white china on the walls in another room. Our guide was able to give an insight into a very interesting family.
Following the tour some members of the group went on to lunch and others took tea and cake in the old stables area. After a final wander into the gardens we boarded the minibus and had a traffic free and relaxed journey back to Yoxall.
Our next meeting is on the 9th September when John Colley will be giving a talk on “16mm, Film Show Experience”. We meet in the Parish Hall at 7.30pm and visitors are very welcome. For further details please contact Penny Bailey through the link at the bottom of this page.
THESE TWO PHOTOS CAME FROM PAULINE. DO YOU HAVE ANY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE INCLUDED?
