Swindon in the Past Lane

When it comes to family tombs, St Mary’s, Lydiard Park has the daddy of them all. The St John alabaster, black limestone and clunch ‘bedstead’ tomb, a monument to Anne Leighton, first wife of Sir John St John 1 st Bart was commissioned by Sir John some thirteen years before his death. In style and quality the tomb has been compared to work by Nicholas Stone, a leading 17 th century sculptor. It was made in London and transported to Lydiard Tregoze in sections where it was reassembled in St Mary’s Church. During a recent visit to Croome Court I discovered a Coventry family tomb with similarities and a family connection to the St John one. In 1751 George William 6 th Earl of Coventry, inherited Croome Court and one of the first things he did was demolish the medieval church which he considered to be too close to the house for his grand design. He did, however, strip the church of much of its interior masonry and timbers which were reused in the new build on the hill. H...

“Welcome to my office,” said Joe as he led the Friends of Lydiard Park group from the visitor’s centre along a winding pathway which opened up on to a breath-taking view. Croome Court has been a work in progress for more than 260 years as restoration continues today. The 6 th Earl of Coventry’s £400,000 (worth £35 million in today’s money) project began in 1751 with the building of a Palladian mansion and a landscaped parkland and work continued throughout the 18 th  centuries. Croome Court was sold in 1948 following the death of the 10 th Earl at Dunkirk in 1940. The National Trust acquired 670 acres of the Park in 1996 and in 2007 the Croome Heritage Trust bought Croome Court and leased it to the National Trust on a 999 year lease. The house opened to the public on September 26, 2009. The 6 th Earl of Coventry inherited Croome Court in 1751 when he was 28 years old, but he already had a vision for his family home. He engaged Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown (who design...

It might not have felt very Springlike today, with squally showers and a chilly blast, but the forecast for the rest of the week is looking promising and I feel in a buoyant Lydiard House and Park mood. Next week sees the last in the Behind Closed Doors series of events on March 16 at 7 pm when Jane Rutherfoord will talk about ancient wall paintings and her fascinating conservation work at St Mary's Church, Lydiard Tregoze. For more information visit the Friends of Lydiard Park website. Lydiard House, which has been closed since before Christmas, reopens on March 19 with a new exhibition called Lydiard at War. And then yesterday yet more information arrived concerning future events at Lydiard House including the Friends AGM on May 7.  Mike Bowden, Chairman of the Friends, writes: "Given the very serious threat Lydiard House and Park is currently under and the uncertainty of its future remaining in public hands, we will devote our afternoon to this issue, providing you...