Staying at Hartwell House, Aylesbury, Bucks

Despite those threatening skies, can you think of anywhere else you'd rather spend a week in May? Below, photos of the grounds. Please click on each for full images.

   Above, some of the local livestock across the ha-ha. The calves were most inquisitive.
    Below, left, equestrian statue of Frederick, Prince of Wales (1707-51), son of George II and father of George III; the artist of the bronze of 1751 was John Cheere.  Right, St. Mary's Church of 1753-5, Henry Keene, architect, in early Gothic Revival style.

Above left and right, our spacious room overlooking the lawns.
   Mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, the property's  present house grew out of an early 17th C. building constructed for the Hampden family, prominent in Buckinghamshire political circles, designed in Jacobean style. Various Hampden heirs held Hartwell until the death of Sir Alexander Hampden in 1618. Having no children, the estate went to his sister, Eleanor, Lady Lee, and her husband Sir Thomas Lee of nearby Moreton. The house history booklet tells us this couple produced 24 children.
      Below, our room and our desk. What could I write here?    

Above, The Great Hall, now a sitting room for hotel guests, stands almost exactly as designed by architect James Gibbs in 1739-40. The mantelpiece was probably carved by Italian stucco artists Giuseppe Artari and Giovanni Bagutti. 

Above, more views of the Great Hall; left, the ceiling medallion designed by Gibbs portrays Genius Rewriting History among the ruins of Antiquity. 
    Several generations of the Lee family lived mostly at their family seat at Moreton, raised to the baronetage. It was Sir William Lee, 4th baronet (1726-99), who completed the refurbishment of Hartwell begun by his father, including extensive gardens and outbuildings.
   Below, left, the Morning Room, where we were served tea, right. Yum.

Above, left, the ceiling medallion in the Morning Room and right, another view of the comfortable furnishings.
    Below, views of the Library. The portrait over the fireplace of Lady Elizabeth Harcourt, Lady Lee (1737-1811), is by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1823-1792). She and her husband Sir William Lee (see above) are largely responsible for the 18th C. decor of the reception rooms. Gilt brass wirework protects the volumes in library bookcases. Middle row, right, the television provided for us to watch the coronation from London.

Above, left, King Charles III; right, the view from above of Westminster Abbey during the ceremony. Below, the Drawing Room, another sumptuous yet comfortable reception room for hotel guests. The many books and magazines available almost made us yearn for a rainy day.

Above left, King George III (1738-1820) by Gainsborough Dupont (1754-1797, after Thomas Gainsborough (artist's uncle). At the right, a bust of French King Louis XVIII (1755-1824), who lived in exile at Hartwell House during Napoleon's reign in France. After Napoleon abdicated following his loss in the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815, Louis XVIII returned to rule his native land until his death.
    Below, the amazing staircase, left, with portraits reproduced below of the French King and his wife, and right, the chandelier crowning the staircase.

Above left, portrait of Louis Stanislas-Xavier, comte de Provence, later Louis XVIII, King of France (1755-1824) by artist Joseph Boze (1746-1826); right, Marie-Josephine Louise de Savoie, comtesse de Provence (1753-1810), also by Boze, 1786.
     Below, additional photos of the staircase.

     Above left, carved statues on the Hartwell Hour grand staircase, which included, right, Winston Churchill (1874-1965).
    Below, views of the stables and  Spa pool, delightful!

     Above, the dining room, designed to resemble the work of architect Sir John Soane (1753-1837) after Hartwell House became a hotel.
     Below, a house on a nearby lane, recently re-thatched with decorative hares on the roof.

Above, left, the Egyptian Well and Spring about which there are several explanations of its name and origin on the web, but nothing I could find about the odd structure which looks neither ancient, holy, nor mystical. But one of the stories, oft repeated, says the name "Hartwell" comes from the deer which were seen to drink from the spring. However, on the right is the Bugle Horn, a nearby pub at which the food is delicious and the ambience exactly what one desires in a country establishment.
    You can stay at Hartwell House and dine at the Bugle Horn on Number One London's Town and Country House Tour, May 29-June 3, 2024. Website at
http://numberonelondontours.com