Trelissick’s colourful history stretches as far back as 1750 but it’s most distinguished owner was Leonard Cunliffe, a former director of the bank of England.
Cunliffe fell in love with this Cornish house as he sailed past it on his yacht Laranda in the early 1900s. In 1937 he passed the house down to his stepdaughter Ida and her husband Ronald Copeland. Ronald was the chairman of the Spode-Copeland firm of bone china manufacturers in Staffordshire and hence part of the potteries aristocracy. They lived at Trelissick throughout their careers donating the house and gardens to the National Trust in 1955
Trelissick has no less than four summer-houses. One in the area called Carcaddon* has two beautiful stained-glass windows.
The magnolia, “Rustic Rubera” window is for Ida Copeland and highlights her time as an MP for Stoke from 1931 to 1935 and contains an excerpt from her maiden speech to Parliament on the introduction of import duties on inferior ceramics being imported from abroad, taking away work from highly skilled people and threatening their livelihood.
The rhododendron, “Taurus” window celebrates Ronald Copeland’s passion for rhododendrons and retells a story told by Harold Holdway, chief designer at the Copeland factory in Stoke. Mr Copeland took his prized rhododendrons from Trelissick and had Harold Holdway create designs from them for a Botanical series.
*The Cornish prefix ‘Car’ or ‘Caer’ denotes a fortified place. It contains mass plantings of daffodils followed by camellias, magnolias (including magnolia Trelissick), rhododendrons, viburnum and many other shrubs. Deutzia gives an early summer show, and lace-cap hydrangeas offer colour well into autumn.
Walking around Ludlow before Easter you can’t help noticing all the sheep and fluffy chicks and eggs adorning the window displays in the town.
The bookshop, sweetshop and even the coffee shop have a spring feeling
Milk churn
Hen
Rabbit
Coffe shop
Chicks and flowers
The florist is a bit steamed up…
Rabbits on the rampage
Hares in hiding
Ranunculas
Birds and eggs
Spring colours
Emporos always puts on a good display, no matter what the theme. It’s actually a GOOD thing that my grandchildren live so far away or I’d spend a fortune in this shop. I mean, can you resist that velvet rabbit?
Lambs a leaping…
A velvet rabbit
Chicks a cheaping…
Hares a hopping…
And spring flowers in tubs add colour to the charm of the town
Situated on a plateau above the gorge of the River Severn, this fine stone house has mullioned and transomed windows, a stunning interior with carved oak staircase and decorated plaster ceilings and oak panelling. National Trust
Benthall Hall – front view
Tall Chimneys
Pentagonal Bay Windows
Front
Decorative Carvings
It is always a good idea to look up at windows, you never know what you might see. Like the carved figure heads and hands.
The side view – from the beautiful terraced garden
Manly is named after the Aboriginal people first encountered on the shores of Port Jackson in 1788. Due to its remoteness from Sydney it was not developed by Europeans until the mid-nineteenth century when a ferry service was introduced. Over the subsequent years Manly has undergone countless changes in its environment. Fortunately there are many fascinating buildings and parks that have been retained and the Heritage trails have been created to take visitors from the harbour beaches into the centre to appreciate Manly’s history.
I started on this trail from the East Esplanade on a very hot day in November. Under a large Moreton Bay fig tree is an interesting plaque that informs you about the first inhabitants of the Manly area who were the Aborigines known as the Kayimai. They lived as hunter-gatherers, roaming according to the seasonal availability of food and trading with other clans. They moved around, making shelter as needed from branches and fronds or using the many sandstone caves in the area.
Manly Cove Launch Club
Sailing and Rowing Club
Aboriginal Art
Following the path around the corner you find the Manly Cove Launch Club, established in 1937. Next to it stands the heritage-listed Manly Rowing and Sailing Club Boatshed. Established in 1875, this was one of the earliest waterside clubs in NSW. Carry on up the steps and right on East Esplanade to the corner of Stuart Street. Walk up Stuart Street to the junction with Addison Road, the second road to your right.
Addison Road Architecture
The road has been planted with an avenue of Norfolk Island Pines and mixed with Port Jackson Fig trees (smaller than the Moreton Bay fig) and was first planted in 1882. It provided the most welcoming shade on this hot day as I wandered down the road peering over fences to look at the homes.
Here are some excellent examples of different styles and periods of architecture. There are Italianate, Victorian Villa, Federation, Interwar Spanish Mission, Old English, Californian Bungalow, Post-war International, Late Twentieth Century, and Post-modern architectural styles! I’m not expert enough to be able to identify them, but I do know that there are several very interesting features that I admire.
Could this be an example of Post-war International?
Federation Style, maybe?
At the end of Addison is a path onto Manly Point ‘Peace Park’, an area now a Little Penguin Critical Habitat. A plaque close by reads:
“World peace begins in the hearts and minds of each individual – may we each seek harmony and peace in our daily lives. “
A couple of metal benches provide a resting place with a view over to the Quarantine Station and across the bay to Middle and South Head and where I sat and watched the Manly ferries pass by. Even if you are not interested in architecture it is still worth walking to the end of this road for the views.
Retracing my steps I passed this imposing white building which was dressed for Christmas with beautifully designer wreaths and ribbons.
The grey and white decoration on this house (California Bungalow?) is perfectly framed by this wonderful gum tree with its peeling grey bark revealing a chalk-white trunk. Even the white lilies match. And just look at that fretwork above the windows!
And this one has interesting gables and windows. Lots of straight lines going on here.
I’d love to see inside some of these houses.
Returning to Stuart Street I turned right, then right again into Craig Avenue for Little Manly Beach. Here I walked along the beach to the Kiosk where I could get a much-needed drink, and decide where I went from here. My intention was to continue to Little Manly Point and follow the trail around Spring Cove to Collins Beach and possibly visit the Old Quarantine Station, but given the soaring temperature and the fact that storm clouds were fast appearing on the horizon, I decided to cut across Marshall Street (this area of Manly reminds me of San Francisco with all the steep hills).
Observe the chimney pots on this house on Marshall Street and the lovely 3D bargeboard on the gable end. Not to mention that wonderfully scrolled wrought-iron balcony and the arched windows.
I cut through the grounds of St Patrick’s (the International College of Management, Sydney is now located in the former St Patrick’s Seminary)and down several sets of steps which brought me out onto College Street.
The ICMS building – formerly St Patrick’s Seminary
From there it was an easy stroll down Bower Lane to Marine Parade near the swimming pool and Mambo Coffee shop and make my way back to the esplanade. Just before the storm broke!
Mambo
This blue house (below right) overlooking Cabbage Tree Bay and in spitting distance of Shelly Beach is my dream house. Location, location, location!!
Marine ParadeA better view
I noticed some very interesting windows along this route:
Leaded windows with stained glass
Exquisite leaded windows
Stained Glass
More leaded windows
When walking an historical trail like this one it is important to pay attention to the details you see along the way. That might be a picket-fence post, a barge-board, a colourful tile, an interestingly shaped window, or some stained glass or gable ends.
Picket Fence
Decorative Gable end
Interesting shape
Gorgeous tiled stairs
Lovely balcony
Window design
Balcony
Federation Style?
Scrolled Bargeboard
…and maybe there are some Australians (or architects) out there who can help me to identify the different styles.
The Wintergarden is found in Auckland, New Zealand and was built in commemoration of the Auckland Industrial Agricultural and Mining Exhibition of 1913-14
It was designed in the early 1900s in the style of the famous English partnership of Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jeckyll – my favourite designers of the English County Garden style.
The building was opened on the 12 October 1921 for the benefit and pleasure of the public.
The two barrel-shaped Victorian glasshouses face out onto an open courtyard with a pond and mosaic fountain. Marble statues were added in the 1920s and 1930s and pergolas around the courtyard are covered in showy climbers.
One glasshouse is full of exotic flowers: gingers, orchids, palms, Heliconia and other rare plants. The other is for temperate climate plants such as the gorgeous blue delphiniums in the photos.
As usual my attention was drawn not only to the flora, but also the architecture of these buildings and in particular, the windows. Although the glasshouses need a little attention (well so would you after 100 years) the curved ends and decorative leaded windows are still beautiful.
The complex is completed by New Zealand ferns growing in a sunken scoria quarry to the rear.