Grand designs

If you want to escape the 21st century for a while, you cannot do better than visit Chastleton House, near Moreton-in-Marsh, where time really does seem to have stood still. Built in the early 17th century by Walter Jones, a wealthy wool merchant, the house was owned by the same family for 400 years.

As their fortunes diminished, the family adopted a ‘make do and mend’ philosophy, which meant that many of its contents were passed down from one generation to another, forming what is now a fascinating collection of rare objects and furnishings.

When the National Trust acquired Chastleton House in 1991, it pioneered a new approach to conservation — preserving the house ‘as found’, rather than restoring it to the magnificent mansion of Walter Jones’s day.

So you can still see the soot-blackened kitchen ceiling, which has not been cleaned since 1612, and the 1960s wallpaper peeling from the walls in the library.

Other must-see items include the rare surviving examples of 17th-century wall hangings, and the Jacobean topiary.

To help preserve Chastleton’s interior from further deterioration, visitor numbers are restricted, and admission is by timed ticket. There is no gift shop or tea room, but there are plenty of places to eat in Moreton-in-Marsh, just under five miles away. Free Explorer packs for children are available.

Greys Court, a beautiful Tudor country mansion near Henley-on-Thames, has been preserved as a family home, and visitors can enjoy its intimate, cosy atmosphere.

Recently reopened after a two-year conservation programme, Greys Court is particularly notable for its beautiful courtyard, walled gardens featuring old-fashioned roses and wisteria, and an ornamental vegetable garden.

Don’t miss the rare Tudor donkey wheel, which was still in use during the 20th century, and the medieval Great Tower, the only surviving part of a castle that once stood on this site. Climb the tower for stunning views of the Chilterns countryside.

Former owners of Greys Court include Sir Francis Knollys, treasurer to Elizabeth I, and Sir Felix Brunner and his wife Lady Elizabeth Brunner, granddaughter of Sir Henry Irving.

In 1969, the Brunner family donated the house to the National Trust, but continued to live there until the death of Lady Brunner in 2003.

For art-lovers, Buscot Park, near Faringdon, a must. This late-18th century mansion is the family home of Lord Faringdon, who continues to live there and administer the property on behalf of the National Trust.

On display is the extensive Faringdon Collection, which includes paintings by Rembrandt, Reynolds, Rubens, van Dyck and Murillo, as well as Pre-Raphaelite artists such as Burne-Jones and Rossetti.

Buscot Park is also noted for its magnificent grounds, featuring an exquisite Italianate water garden — one of the finest in England — as well as avenue walks and a beautifully-scented Four Seasons walled garden.

Don’t miss the unspoilt villages of Buscot and Coleshill nearby, both also in the care of the National Trust, and both featuring a village shop and tea room. These villages are ideal bases for exploring the surrounding Oxfordshire countryside, and there are a number of circular walks taking in views of rolling farmland, sleepy villages and ancient remains.

One not-to-be missed spot is Buscot Weir, a pretty little lock with willow trees arching gracefully over the water.

Just over the border in Buckinghamshire, you will discover the fairytale palace that is Waddesdon Manor. Built 130 years ago, this house was created to delight and surprise the small circle of Baron Ferdinand Rothchild’s friends.

More than 300,000 visitors a year now come to Waddesdon to appreciate the exceptional art collections, discover the diverse moods of the gardens, taste wine, or attend a study day.

The house is famous for its fabulous aviary and displays of bedding plants. The theme for this summer’s carpet bedding is ‘buttons’, inspired by the display of buttons in the house. Waddesdon’s gardeners have recreated some of the button designs in the carpet bed on the parterre. The raised beds are planted out with several varieties of begonias in pink shades and the aviary is looking good with a colour theme of gold and blue. This year it is planted with rudbeckia, marigold and heliotrope. The rose garden is full of heady scents.

A trial bed, beyond the rose garden, is planted with a scheme that may be used in bedding schemes in the future.

Waddesdon’s three dimensional birds, the Pheasant and Pekin Robin, near the aviary are looking immaculate and splendid planted in Antennaria aprica, Sedum, Alternanthera, Helichrysum, Sempervivum, Ajuga, and Festuca.

No such coiffured planting around the Iron Age fort at the summit of Badbury Hill It is reputed to be the site of King Arthur’s victory over the Anglo-Saxons at the Battle of Mons Badonicus in the fifth or sixth century.

It offers stunning views of the Vale of White Horse and the Thames Valley, and is mostly covered in woodland, which in spring is carpeted with bluebells.

At the southern end of Coleshill village is a restored water-powered corn mill, which dates from the early 18th century and was in operation until 1920. There are now regular open days, when you can see the flour being milled.

Don’t leave the Faringdon area without visiting Great Coxwell Barn, a huge 14th-century barn much admired by William Morris, who described it as “unapproachable in its dignity”. It was used to store food for the Cisterian monks who owned the Royal Manor of Faringdon, gifted to them by King John in 1203. Even when the abbey moved to Beaulieu in Hampshire, the barn remained in their ownership. It has been in the care of the National Trust since 1956.

Close by is the famous White Horse Hill at Uffington, great for exploring the Ridgeway by foot or by bike, and rich in prehistoric treasures. The flat-topped mound of Dragon’s Hill is believed to be the spot where St George killed the dragon, and that the dragon’s blood poisoned the soil, making it impossible for grass to grow.

The Iron Age hill fort of Uffington Castle is the highest point in Oxfordshire, and you can see remains of the original west entrance and walk among its massive rampart ditches. A short walk along the Ridgeway brings you to the English Heritage-owned Wayland’s Smithy, a Neolithic long barrow believed to have been home to the Saxon god Wayland.

VISITOR DETAILS

Chastleton House, Chastleton, near Moreton-in-Marsh GL56 0SU
01494 755560 (Infoline)
Open Wednesday-Saturday, 1pm-5pm (March 24-September 25) and 1–4pm (September 29-October 30)
Admission: Adult £7.85, children £3.65, family £19.30
Guided private tours on Wednesdays at 10am.

Greys Court, Rotherfield Greys, Henley-on-Thames RG9 4PG
01494 755564 (Infoline)
Open Wednesday-Sunday, April 1-September 26, house 2pm-5pm, garden 11am-5pm
Admission (house and garden): Adult £7.10, children £4.65, family £18.85; (garden only) Adult £5.20, children £2.75, family £13.15
Admission by timed ticket

Buscot Park, Faringdon SN7 8BU
0845 345 3387 (Infoline)
Open April 1-September 26 (house, grounds and tea room), April 6-September 28 (grounds only)
Admission (house and grounds): Adult £8, children £4; (grounds only) Adult £5, children £2.50.

Buscot and Coleshill Estates, Coleshill Estate Office, Coleshill SN6 7PT
01793 762209
Open all year
Coleshill Mill open second Sunday of every month, April to October, 2pm-5pm
Admission: Adult £2.20, children £1.10

Great Coxwell Barn, Great Coxwell, Faringdon SN7 7LZ
01793 762209 (Coleshill Estate Office)
Open all year, dawn to dusk.
Admission: Adult £1.

White Horse Hill, on the Ridgeway between Wantage
Open all year.
National Trust Information Trailer open April 3 - September 26, 10am-4pm.
Unmanned during the week.

For more information about National Trust properties and events, visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk