 Stratfield Saye House
A deliciously warm-coloured and well-proportioned house, surrounded by
gardens and pleasure grounds, is the tranquil setting for learning more
about the incredible life of one of Britain's greatest heroes. Largely
built in the first half of the 17th century by Sir William
Pitt, Stratfield Saye was the house chosen by Arthur Wellesley, the
Duke of Wellington, following his victory at Waterloo in 1815, to be
his home. His original intention was to demolish the Carolean house
and build a grand mansion to be renamed 'Waterloo Palace', but financial
limitations prevented these plans being carried through. Various suggestions
for the design of the new mansion can be seen inside the house.
When he had come to terms
with the reality of living at Stratfield Saye, the Duke extended the house
and installed the comforts of central heating and en-suite facilities
in several rooms, a rare convenience in those days. For a man who had
achieved so much for his country, the Duke seemed very contented with
his modest home and lifestyle, and developed a fondness for Stratfield Saye
that his acquaintances and business colleagues never understood.
It is a very homely place,
which continues to be occupied by the great Duke's descendants, and
has retained much of the atmosphere created by the first Duke during
the 19th century. Personal items, such as spectacles and
slippers that once belonged to him, are scattered casually around the
house, reminding the visitor that he was an ordinary family man as well
as a renowned military man, and later a respected politician. Although
not grand, in the sense of a stately home, Stratfield Saye encompasses
a restrained elegance, typical of the Georgian era, but with a few surprises.
One of the rooms that could be loosely categorised as a little eccentric
in terms of the Duke's usual taste, is the print room, where the walls
are completely covered in an assortment of prints.
Apparently, the Duke really
liked the effect produced in the gallery room next door, which was decorated
by the previous owner, and decided to create his own design based on a
similar idea. With an overwhelming presence of military memorabilia recalling
the more significant periods of Wellington's life, the mood is lightened
momentarily when the guide recalls some of the trifling issues that arose
at Stratfield Saye. An amusing but ridiculously true story concerns the ballustraded
gallery in the entrance hall where the servants had to crawl along on
their hands and knees, so as not to be seen by the family or their guests.
This bizarre practice was eventually stopped by Lady Charles, because
she did not like to be confronted by the bottoms of her servants.
Housed in a complex of old
barns, is a permanent exhibition about the Duke of Wellington, with one
room entirely devoted to his funeral. Here the massive, decorated funeral
carriage stands as a symbol of his celebrated status in British history.
Always closely associated with the Duke at the Battle of Waterloo was
his stallion, Copenhagen, who was buried with military honours in the
grounds, and his gravestone can be found under a huge oak tree. |
