Visit to Chevening

By Meriel Connor

The visit to Chevening in April was a great success. We were welcomed by Colonel Richard Brook, Administrator at the house for twelve years. He ushered us into the gracious space of the sitting room, we were served delicious coffee and cakes and given a fascinating introductory talk on the house and regaled with amusing stories. We learnt that we were privileged to be among only three or four groups of visitors allowed access each year, as the house is well used by the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, and the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, who share the use of the house – together with official guests who are, from time to time, entertained there. The Colonel was cheerfully assisted by Wayne Parsonage who, with his wife, is in charge of the care of the house and extremely knowledgeable in his own right.

The estate was originally the family seat of the earls of Stanhope, bequeathed to the Nation, together with an endowment, by the 7th and last Earl Stanhope. Entitlement to use of the house is governed by the Chevening Estate Act which determines who may live there and how it is to be administered. The estate is run by a Board of Trustees under the direction of the Lord Privy Seal, who is the principal trustee and chair ex officio. He is assisted by members appointed by the government together with locally co-opted trustees – noted for their expertise in land-management, farming, forestry etc. Colonel Brook talked about the history and architecture of the house (built in c.1620 on the site of an Elizabethan manor), the management of the estate and the part played by its three farms.

We learnt about the restoration of the house. One odd feature of the work was the removal of the mathematical tiles which had been affixed to the bricks on the front of the building. The iron pins holding the tiles had rusted with dire consequence for the bricks underneath, necessitating the reconstruction of the brick wall! The decoration and paintings in the house were of a high standard - the portraits mostly having connections with the Stanhopes and Pitts. One of the most impressive features of the house was the magnificent cantilevered staircase built of Spanish oak and deal, and the views from the windows were magnificent. The Victorian basement was of great interest: the laundry with its lead pipes and wooden sinks; the drying room with its huge airers suspended from the ceiling; the antique drying racks in a heated wooden cupboard; and even a bomb that fell through the roof and failed to explode in the cellar – thus saving the house! Indeed the basement echoed with the ghosts of the past.

This visit to Chevening was truly memorable. Arranged by Joy Saynor on behalf of KAS, it was her last in her role as Excursions Organizer. We thank Joy for arranging this visit, and for the many others organized by her over the years.