| On the banks of The River Plym in Plympton, Plymouth; lies
Saltram House with its garden and parkland. Now owned by the National Trust,it
was home to the Parker family, later Earls of Morley, for generations until
in 1957 it was accepted by the Treasury in payment of death duty and given
to the National Trust. The original Tudor house was purchased in 1712, by
George Parker, Esq from a Mr. Wolstenholme. The house was begun in 1743
by Sir John and Lady Catherine Parker who together began the creation of
the stunning Georgian mansion we see today incorporating parts of the original
Tudor mansion. Their son, another John Parker, was created Baron Boringdon
in 1774 and his son became Viscount Boringdon of North Molton and Earl of
Morley in 1815. It was their son, John, a close friend of Sir Joshua Reynolds,
who, in 1768, commissioned Robert Adam to extend and enhance the property.
The staterooms and the salon are amongst the finest examples of Robert Adam's
work. In the house can be found 10 portraits by Sir Joshua Reynolds, Chippendale
furniture, Wedgewood vases
The deer park dates from the 18th century and there are lovely walks
through the parkland and and along the banks of the Plym. Close to the
house lies more formal gardens created by Lord Morley in the late nineteenth
century. This garden contains many fine specimen trees and shrubs, an
orangery built in 1775, a restored chapel that now serves as an art gallery,
an octagonal folly known as the Gothic Castle along with wildflower areas
and a summer border designed by G.S.Thomas.
Visitors to Saltram might recognise it as Norland Park as Saltram House
was featured in the film adaptation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility
- Saltram was transformed into Norland Park for the adaptation.
|
