Sezincote

I’d never heard of this treasure, hiding in the Cotswolds, not far from Moreton in the Marsh. We had one of our super NADFAS trips, with our brilliant coach driver and lovely company - and the weather to match.

Sezincote is a private home with a long pedigree. It was mentioned in The Domesday Book but the existing Indian style architecture dates back to just before the construction of the Brighton Pavilion. In fact, it was following a visit here that the Prince Regent changed his mind about the plan for a fashionable Chinese structure and insisted on the Indian influence.

The inside is Palladian and doesn’t follow the Indian exterior. It was lovingly restored for 20 years, completed by the sixties, and is now a family home, open occasionally to the public.

The gardens are super, and we were blessed with sunlight to bring out the amazing shades of the trees.

It’s not National Trust, and you’d have to have a coffee in the neighbouring village, but it’s a terrific place to see and enjoy.