Country houses

I'm a fan of country houses, both the architecture and the scale.

Just a few junctions up the M1 from us is Temple Newsam, now belonging to Leeds City Council.

It doesn't feel very lived in (unlike Chatsworth or Osterley) because it isn't at present and was a hospital for a period so much of the treasures were lost. However, the conservationists painstakingly preserve and recover this amazing big U-shaped house.

This is a view from the current south wing entrance to the north wing, only the centre floor of which is accessible (but is an enormous picture gallery nearly the full length of the house).

This is the south wing from the ornamental garden, which surprisingly is offset from the symmetry of the building, despite being Capability Brown. (Having said that, the grounds are extensive and roll over the countryside without the nearby motorway being obviously intrusive).

The west wing boasts a cupola, although the bell was in the lobby of the main staircase last year.

Photography was only by prior arrangement, but I did sneak a shot of the secondary stone staircase as I rather liked the geometry.

I also liked this weathercock on the very substantial stable block.

Down on the farm, this building held a surprise:-

It was the former Dovecote and was full of Perches!

The grounds are used extensively for events and one had just finished. There must have been a lot of people there...

(Daddy, are all of those toilets full of Poo?)