The National Trust is a UK charity founded in 1895. Its mission is to preserve historic buildings, natural landmarks and cultural heritage for the public to enjoy. Its sites include a wide range of places such as historic houses and castles, gardens and parks, as well as coastlines and beaches.
After discovering my love for National Trust sites, I have been a member for several years. There’s something so special about visiting these historic sites around the UK, with some lying just on my doorstep. Over the last few years, I’ve visited more than 20, some of which I have visited more than once. But my favourite lies just around the corner from me.
Cliveden has a long and dramatic history tied to royalty, politicians and major national events.
First built in 1666, it was rebuilt several times, with the current Italianate mansion completed in 1849 by architect Charles Barry.
In the late 19th and 20th centuries, it was owned by the Astor family and became a hub for influential political and social figures.
Clivden is best known for its connection to the Profumo Affair in the early 1960s, a major political scandal.
Given to the National Trust in 1942, the house is now operated as a luxury five-star hotel, while its garden and grounds are open to the public.
Lying on 375 acres of magnificent Grade I listed formal National Trust gardens and woodlands, there is much to explore within the grounds.
From exploring the woodlands to wandering the Water Garden, I have spent many days walking and thinking about who walked on the ground before me.
William Waldorf Astor began creating the water garden features in an area known as Captains Field shortly after purchasing the estate in 1893. He enlarged the pond for skating and created the island by digging a canal around it.
The pond was enlarged again by the 2nd Lord Astor in 1905, and by 1910, the island could be reached by crossing the stepping stones, with a footbridge leading off the island to the bank.
It’s one of my favourite areas of Cliveden to explore, with its hexagonal wooden pagoda and large pond surrounded by shrubbery.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
