The National Trust's Barrington Court is nestled in the Somerset countryside close to Taunton. The Court it actually two houses of very different architecture which went through a huge restoration and refurbishment in the 1920's. The red brick Strode House was originally the stable block built by William Strode 11 to house his wealthy collection of horses and carriages. Some 250 years later, Barrington Court was taken on by Colonel Lyle and his wife ‘Ronnie’ in 1920. The next five years saw a major restoration project at the Tudor mansion. Colonel Lyle had a passion for collecting historic woodwork and fireplaces rescued from lost houses.
With the help of the architect James Edwin Forbes, Lyle put a lot of his collection to good use at Barrington Court. For example, the staircase in the east hall is believed to have been saved from a Scottish castle. Other items he acquired include linenfold panelling, fireplaces and surrounds.
Gertrude Jekyll consulted on the layout and best planting schemes of the beautiful gardens at Barrington.
A bridge leads you over the moat and through a carved and weathered oak door to the beautiful walled garden. The spaces here are arranged as a series of connected individual garden 'rooms', each with its own theme or focus.
The Rose Garden was replanted in the 1990s following Jekyll's original scheme. Renovation of the rose beds took place during 2017 and they are now firmly established, with the fantastic floral displays of Rosa 'Felicia', 'Cornelia' and 'Penelope' (to name but a few) at their height in the summer.
Levitate Architects led the project to remodel the empty Grade II listed model farm buildings to form the main visitor entrance to the estate adjacent to small business units for local organisations. Barrington Pottery and Holland Chairs to name a few. Barrington Pottery was definitely a highlight of our trip to Barrington.
Barrington Pottery is
Paul Jessop & Marion Lewis, with Paul being the main potter. He has been potting since he was 12 years old, he's totally self taught and has always been interested in making domestic pottery. Paul says "I just love to make things that are useful and to see them being used in kitchens is a real treat for me." We were very taken with the pie dishes in particular and are in talks with Paul about a special addition pie dish to complement our very own Brassica Handmade Meals' organic chicken pie which is a 3 star award winning pie from the Guild of Fine Food. Watch this space...
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