Clandon House

Wedding cake plaster,
Lost brushstrokes of history,
All fuel to the flames.

Clandon House in Surrey suffered a catastrophic fire in April this year. before the restoration work gathers momentum, the grounds have been opened for people to visit.  Marquees have been put up in the grounds  housing exhibitions of photographs showing the former glory of the interior and photographs of the fire and it's aftermath. 

Basically all that's left is the shell of the building, with, rather bizarrely, marble niches  and fireplaces intact (if blackened) .    Apparently quite a bit of the rooms furthest from where the fire started have been salvaged, but the rest is a pile of charred rubble in the centre.

It was really interesting to see the building, but rather frustrating not to be able to get very close, although understandable I suppose.

Afterwards we went to visit another National Trust property, Leith Hill Place, which was apparently the childhood home of Ralph Vaughan Williams.  I didn't realise that he was also the grandson of Josiah Wedgewood and Caroline Darwin.  So Charles Darwin was his great uncle, and apparently conducted experiments in the grounds.  The house has only been open to the public a short time and there isn't much there apart from the glorious setting  and the rather interesting graffiti upon graffiti in the cellar (see extras).  It has the feel of a very special place though and I am sure I will be visiting it again...

Extras: 
Classical Graffiti
Approaching Leith Hill House   

Get yourself a cuppa, sit where you can't be disturbed and soak up this sublime music