Waddeson Manor

It's been a year since a friend from Oxford took me to see Waddeson Manor.


Images of our sunny showery day of fun, adventure and good companionship keep returning through this year's tulip season. Left, I pose before a small portion of the former stable block, now a restaurant.

Below, a corner of the ornate main house is flanked by red tulips and fan palms.

The stunning beauty of this stately home, garden and grounds is only hinted at by these pictures. It was designed and built for Baron Ferdinand Rothschild, who bought the land it stands on -- then a farm -- in 1874.

A Jewish banker, the Baron was born in Paris and grew up in Frankfurt and Vienna. His marriage to his English cousin Evelina ended tragically when she died in childbirth along with their baby. The couple had been married only eighteen months.

In spite of the contemporary prejudice against people of Jewish origin, Rothschild became a Liberal Member of Parliament and was at the center of a group of artistic and political friends. Among the many famous visitors to Waddeson were Queen Victoria and Guy de Maupassant.

Desiring a country house to entertain in and to house his art collection, Rothschild hired a French architect to design Waddeson Manor. Beginning with the Bachelor's wing, the house was built between 1887 and 1883. Another wing consisting of the Morning room and two bedroom suites was added in 1891. Ferdinand de Rothschild filled it with exquisite works of art and began hosting weekend parties. He was also a great gardener.

Ferdinand had no children; after he died, his sister Alice, who had come to live with him following the death of his wife, inherited the home. She preserved her brother's art collection and improved the lovely garden. But Alice too, was childless, and after her death in 1922 the estate went to a grand-nephew in France.

James de Rothschild and his wife Dorothy added a golf course and a stud farm for racehorses during their time at the home. During World War II, the couple retreated to the original Bachelor's wing, and left the rest of the house to accommodate children who were evacuated from London.

This couple also had no descendants, and James decided to leave the home to the National Trust, along with its artwork, 165-acre garden, and a huge bequest that would ensure its maintenance. His wife, Dorothy, chaired the maintenance committee and she oversaw the renovation of various parts of the stately home.

The ground floor was opened to the public in 1959, and over the next 30 years, other parts of the house were gradually added to the tour portion.