Something for the Weekend: Waddesdon Manor
Waddesdon Manor is a former Rothschild home located in Buckinghamshire. I've visited a lot of National Trust properties this year, but this has to be the most opulent of them all. It's so large I couldn't fit the entire building in one photograph, and it takes 15 minutes to walk from the car park to the property (they run a shuttle service for those less inclined to hike across the fields). It was designed by a French architect in the style of a french chateau and used as a weekend home. The family are still involved in the upkeep of the property and the charitable works associated with the estate (including the aviary which has a role in the conservation of endangered tropical birds). Inside the house is filled with all kinds of curiosities - including the Elephant Automatron I've included in this post. (It's also currently playing host to several art exhibitions/installations - my favourite of which were the paintings by Francesco Guardi, an artist who cap...