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Published: December 11th 2012
What a little gem!!!! What can I say? I feel a little lost for words trying to find the right things to say about Wightwick Manor. How did we end up visiting. Well it sort of came out of the blue. We had been out and about on Saturday and today was going to be a day of doing very little. A visit to the optician and a flu jab appointment booked . Having suffered from swine flu a few years ago I had no intention of suffering again. We had a few wreaths to take to graves at Telford and then planned to have dinner in the Bridge Builder before coming home. After lunch we suddenly had this rather good isea of travelling the 24 miles from Telford to the heart of the Black Country to Wolverhampton to see the Victorian Gothic house Wightwick Manor.
Wightwick is pronounced Wittick rather than Whitewick. It is strange at times to see how oddly we can say place names. Bowser instead of Bolsover in Derbyshire and Chumley instead of Cholmondely in Cheshire.
The house is approached through what was a rather crowded car park. I am not sure if it was
Wightwick Manor
The entrance into the house the weather that had brought the visitors out or the fact that the Antiques Roadshow had held one of their roadshows there. It had been broadcast on the TV the night before and this perhaps encouraged the visitors to the property. . If it was the weather then Jack Frost was certainly about but the sun was shining and it was quite pleasant enough although cold. Gone was the flooding of the week previous where the water had been running off the hills in torrents. It reminded me of Alpine streams full to the brim with the winter snow melt. It ran down the road turning the road into a river. Families were frantically digging out leaves and muld silt from drains in a vain effort to keep the water out of their homes.
We could see the house above the carpark and walked to the visitor centre. We were told that the house had the dreaded guided tour which of course we hate. Having said that it appeared that the tour only included one room where we would be told a little about the house and then we could wander around on our own. To be fair the
tour was quite interesting and just long enough.
The house was built as a Victorian manor house in a tudor style and incorporated everything that is good about the Arts and Crafts Movement. Its owner was the very lucky Theodore Mander. Oh to have had the wealth to plan such a beautiful house. Theodore made us money out of paints and wanted to live near to his factories but also to live near to the country so that his children could grow up outside in the clean air of the suburbs.
His architect was a man called Edward Ould from Liverpool. We had never heard of him but it appears he built the house in two phases and made a good job of it . The first part was built in 1887 and the second extension in 1893. It is fairly clear to see the old part of the house and the newer extension from the outside but they marry together perfectly. The house is brick built . The bricks were Ruabon Reds from the clay brick works near to Wrexham. These very rich red brick were popular during the late 19th and early 20th centuries and many
Wightwick Manor
Window detail by kemp of the houses around the Wrexham are built with them. The chimney stacks were impressive with what looked like rope decorations twirling their way to the tops. All attention was given to the detail.
We entered the house into a large hallway and passage complete with fireplace, a Christmas tree fully decorated, presents and Victorian Christmas cards on the tables. The first room we saw was the morning parlour used by the ladies. The fireplace and overmantle stunning. It was easy to imagine the ladies sitting in the seats in the windows in the morning sun when reading and sewing. Pre- Raphaelite paintings adorned the walls, William De Morgan tiles in the firegrate, a secret staircase to the boudoir were just a few things to mention. Dull green William Morris wallpaper covered the walls and the stained glass was by Kemp. We heard all about the lives of the family and how they went to see a lecture on the House Beautiful and from this decided to build their house in the Arts and Crafts style. How lucky are we that they did?
The next room was a small library with more stained glass and William Morris wallpaper.
And then on to the billiards room the domain of the men. A large expensive thick slated billiard table filled the room. We were entertained by the volunteer who told us stories about the use of the room and the cost of the billiard table .
The shock of the house was the Large parlour which had another beautiful fireplace, oak roof beams and a minstral gallery and yet more Pre- Raphaelite paintings. Persian hand made carpets covered the floor. What a stunning room and so unexpected. Upstairs were bedrooms full of Morris wallpapers and furnishings and some stunning artwork on the cupboards. There were a bevy of Pre-Raphaelite ladies with red hair and scenes from past painted on the furniture.
The final rooms were the kitchens . They were all homely and cosy. Full of Singer sewing machines, old fashioned scales and dolly tubs.
Outside there are stables, shops and workshops. The gardens were formal grass and yew hedging. There was a nuttery, a rose garden and a lovely wooden bridge which traversed the road below the house.
The house was only given to the National Trust in 1937. It was only 50 years old
Wightwick Manor
Details from the windows and normally the Trust would not have taken control of anything so new . But for us luckily they did as they now have the most exquisite house you could ever imagine.
Upon arriving home the ACSI 2013 book had turned up. We thought there were less campsites than last year but on further investigation there are actually 20 more than last year.
Our plans for 2013 are now underway - perhaps Ely, the Queens Estate at Sandringham, the Norfolk Broads and Castle Howard before our first long holiday at the end of April. Plan so far to stay at Guines on the way down. We hope to have a meal and try Soup of my Mother. I am intrigued as to what that might be. We may stay on the way back but the restaurant is closed on Sundays and Mondays . What a shame. From Guines we head for Trier and then on to Slovenia around Lake Bled. Our city trip will be Ljubljana and then on to Trogir in Croatia. This was featured in an episode of Dr Who a few years ago. We hope to see Split, Zadar and end up in Dubrovnik. Our only problem may be crossing the tiny 22 mile stretch of Bosnia that splits Croatias north from its south. Apparently our insurance company will not cover us and we cannot find any that will. Most people rush through the 20minute trip with fingers and toes crossed with no insurance.
On our way back we hope to see the mosaics of Ravenna, the hilltop principality of San Marino and the medieval town of Urbino before heading across Tuscany to the wonderful garden of La Foce. Hopefully a good mix of city/country and history.
September may be Spain but that is only in the early stage of planning and no doubt will change over time. Roll on 2013. Cannot wait to get Suzy from under wraps and get on the road again.
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