Rodmarton Manor
This is a supreme example of a house
and all its furniture built according to Arts and Crafts ideals where
everything was done by hand with local stone, local timber and by local
craftsmen.
In 1909 Ernest Barnsley and the
Cotswold group of Craftsmen, who were responsible for the revival of many
crafts in the Cotswolds that were in danger of dying out, built and furnished
the house for Claud and Margaret Biddulph. The house took over 20 years to
complete and many people were involved in the building, woodworking,
metalworking, needle working, painting and gardening involved, which is all
done to a very high standard.
The garden was also designed by
Ernest Barnsley and was started by Margaret Biddulph’s head gardener William
Scrubey, as the house was being built.
It was designed to contain a series of outdoor rooms each with its own
character. The walls of these rooms are constructed of holly, box, beech and
yew.
Originally the garden consisted of borders, lawns, topiary, two kitchen gardens
and three tennis courts all of which can nearly all be still seen.
Opening Times 2009
The garden will be open for
snowdrops on 1st, 8th, 12th and 15th February from 1.30pm.
The house and garden will be open in 2009 on Easter Monday 13th April: 2 - 5pm,
then Wednesdays, Saturdays and Bank Holidays, beginning of May to end of
September: 2 - 5pm (not guided tours).
The house is also open for guided tours for group bookings for 15 or more
people at other times (any time of year) by prior appointment.