United Kingdom

Quaint, peculiar, funny: the United Kingdom… our "Wahlheimat".

We actually like it here: the weather (and the food) are not quite as bad as the natives (and the French) make you believe.

Full map of all UK pages

Other Things

Thinking of our next destination: Italy and Portugal come to mind, or maybe the time has finally come for a US road trip…

Translate & Share

What's this?
Version française
Deutsche Version

Hinton Ampner

(vero;2020-June-10)

A collection of shots from Hinton Ampner, a stately home with gardens near Alresford

The first house on the grounds of Hinton Ampner was a Tudor mansion built around the 1540s. This was demolished at the end of the 18th century and replaced by a Georgian house which passed into the ownership of the Dutton family in 1820. John Thomas Dutton, 2nd Baron Sherborne, decided in 1865 to redesign the existing Georgian structure, incorporating it into an elaborate Tudor Gothic extension.

His grandson Ralph Dutton (8th and last Lord Sherborne) inherited the house in 1935 and wasted no time in converting what he described as a "building of exceptional hideousness" into something more comfortable and modern in Neo-Georgian style. He also designed the extensive gardens. We enjoyed very much visiting the house which contains many works of art. Hinton Ampner is now a National Trust property.

The view from the house onto the parkland to the south.

The garden was designed by Ralph Dutton (8th Lord Sherborne). It has walks and terraces with hedges, topiary and ornaments. Quote from Dutton: "my interest lies more in shrubs than in flowers, what above all I want from a garden is"tranquility".

Reflection of the drawing room in a rock crystal globe set on an ornate stand made of gilt.

Detail of a cabinet dating from the second half of the 17th century. Material are ebony, gilt metal, marble and lapis lazuli.

The same cabinet, here again material are ebony, gilt metal, marble and lapis lazuli.

Another detail of the same cabinet, here again material are ebony, gilt metal, marble and lapis lazuli.

Detail of a table top. Material are ebony, marble, gilt metal, lapis lazuli and bloodstone.

A fine mosaic on a malachite background.

The National Trust offers some leaflets with walks in and around the estate. One of them led us to the All Saints Church of Hinton Ampner. It is set on a hill, high above a crystal clear pond: the source of the River Itchen.

Graveyard and yew trees at All Saints Church in Hinton Ampner.

Water lily at the source of the river Itchen.

Go back to The Vyne, go on to Netley and Titchfield Abbeys or go up to Hampshire