The Arts Society Kington Langley visit Owlpen Manor

TASKL Visit to Owlpen Manor Thursday 2nd May 2024

We were extremely fortunate to have had a magical visit to a ‘Sleeping Beauty’ of a manor house deep in a Cotswold valley. Over 1,000 years old, this romantic Tudor house with Arts and Crafts furniture and apparently, its own ghosts, sits in its own tiered gardens surrounded by woods and yews from the 17th century.

We were given a tour by Lord Mander and his son and we heard the history of the house dating from 1450 and careful repairs in the 1920s which saved the house from ruin as it had been left untouched for years. The house is in three stages – a Great Hall of 1523, Jacobean Solar wing from 1616 and an early Georgian Parlour and doorcase remodelled in 1719.

The house was admired by the poet A C Swinburne, William Morris and finally rescued by the architect Norman Jewson in 1926

There are unique painted wall hangings with scenes of Joseph and his brothers from about 1700 as well as family portraits, arts and crafts furniture and we were able to explore further into the house. The bedrooms had glorious four poster beds but we found no ghosts. However, there was a link with the house to one of Kington Langley artists, Robin Tanner. An etcher who visited the Manor and whose work we have highlighted in our first two magazines.

The gardens are beautiful, spread across seven terraces with yew topiary, old roses, cottage garden blooms and box topiary. Lord Mander took us to the top of the terraces so we had an excellent view of the whole little ‘hamlet’ of Owlpen – the Manor House, church, Courthouse, Mill House and stew ponds. The most idyllic of settings.

After our tour of the gardens, house and church we were free to wander and explore and finally end up in the Cyder Barn for a two-course lunch and coffee.

We would like to thank Lord Mander and his family for their hospitality and we left this sleepy valley with regret.