Kew Palace

Yet again Swindon in the Past Lane has been a little neglected in recent weeks as I begin work on my next book.

The Ladies of Lydiard is due for publication by Hobnob Press in Spring 2020 and I am busy re-visiting and exploring anew the intriguing St John women who once called Lydiard House their home. For some it was base-camp, for others a holiday retreat and for several a place of sanctuary from a troubled marriage.  These are the stories of women of status and influence who protected their estates through the vicissitudes of Civil War until in the 20^th century when, with the family coffers empty, Lydiard House was reluctantly sold and (fortunately for us) came into public ownership.

At the moment all my reading is Lydiard centric and even during family outings my research radar is fully up and operational. However, with sizzling temperatures and two under five-years-old grandchildren in tow, any attempts at serious (or even sensible) research at Kew Gardens this August Bank Holiday weekend was challenging.

Yet again, my sideways, all-things-Lydiard-focused, research seems to return me to the turbulent 17^th century.

Kew Palace began life as a fashionable mansion house built in 1631 for London merchant Samuel Fortrey, the grandson of a Flemish refugee. 

Commonly referred to as the Dutch House, Samuel noted in his will dated the last day of February 1641 - ‘I do acknowledge that one house at Kew doth belong and appertayne only to my sayd sonne Samuel ffortery with the ground and all the Outhouses belonging thereunto.’

Over the years the building has been adapted to royal residency, but an extensive ten-year restoration in the 1990s has seen older features revealed. Oak panelling and the fragment of a painted female figure in the King’s Breakfast Room date back to the first owner of the property.

Make sure you visit Kew Gardens in time to see the stunning Dale Chihuly glass sculptures on display until October 27, and look out for the pink bananas in the Princess of Wales Conservatory, but try to pick a cooler day than we did!