Barrington Court

Barrington Court is a stunning property in Ilminster, Somerset. It was originally a Tudor manor house that was partially derelict, until the 1920s when it was leased and restored by Colonel Arthur Lyle. Construction of the original Tudor house started around 1538 and was completed in the late 1550s, with a vernacular stable court being added around 1675. The estate comprises of buildings that are both Grade I and Grade II listed. By 1745 the house had been owned by several families and began to fall into disrepair.

Architect Alfred Hoare Powell (1865-1960) repaired the house and in 1907,  and it was the first house acquired by the National Trust. The house was renovated in the 1920s by Lyle of Tate & Lyle (the sugar company) while it was leased to Lyle by the National Trust. Lyle was a collector of architectural salvage like wood panelling, fireplaces and staircases which can be seen in the refurbishments he made to the house. The house has no furniture – although there have been some reproduction pieces on display – but it is open to the public to visit.

Barrington Court has also been featured on TV. In 2014 the BBC’s TV series Wolf Hall (a Tudor-era historical show) was filmed on the site. Also, in 2015, the house was used as the venue for the BBC’s TV show, Antiques Roadshow.

 

Strode House

The stables were built in 1674 by William Strode III. However, around 1920, the stables were converted into a separate house. Architect J. E. Forbes drew up the plans for the conversion and the building was also given a new west front. The stables were converted into a two-storey brick building with Hamstone dressings and a hipped tile roof. Along with an array of beautiful coloured flowers that surround the converted stables, there is also a fountain complete with fish immediately in front of the building. 

There are also various outbuildings, gateways and walls on the estate. The gardens have changed over the years with the various owners over the years. Currently, alongside all of the beautiful flowers there is a vegetable garden. There are fruit trees, vegetable plots and soft fruits. The produce from the kitchen garden is used in the property’s restaurant located in Strode House. With the current Covid-19 situation the restaurant is sadly closed, but when I’ve visited previously and the restaurant was open it was lovely.

Visiting Barrington Court

Bookings are now mandatory for visiting both the house and gardens. There is a one-way system in place throughout the gardens and house with designated ins and outs. The only problem with this is it means you have to walk through the gardens to get to the house and then walk around the house to get back to the car park – it’s a fairly long walk for those who struggle with long distances and uneven surfaces (mainly around the gardens). However, despite having time-slots for your arrival, you can stay for as long as you like!

Sadly the restaurant is closed due to the current pandemic, but the visitors centre is serving tea, coffee and ice-creams etc. with social distancing measures put in place. There are no picnic tables so make sure you bring chairs or a blanket if you intend on having a picnic or just fancy sitting and admiring the views. There are unisex toilet facilities open operating on a one-in-one-out system with social distancing measures also in place.

National Trust members can book for free, but non-members will need to pay when booking – definitely worth the money in my opinion! Check the National Trust’s website for more information.