Sunday, June 15, 2008

Copse Hill, Lower Slaughter, Gloucestershire

Tuesday 27th May

Had an early lunch, home grown pheasant (Lucy’s favourite) and then we took mother to Bourton to have her blood pressure taken. On the way back we stopped off at Copse Hill to take some photographs of this magnificent house. Built in 1872 (over 11 years) from the proceeds of building railways in England, the Continent and in Canada, it’s is truly an amazing building. Thomas Brassey was almost as prolific a builder of railways as Isambard Kingdom Brunel, but somehow history has not honoured him in the same way. When I was little, we had permission to drive through the estate as it was a short cut to our house. On barmy summer evenings my dad would saddle up Cinders (our pony) to the tiny trap we owned and we’d travel along the leafy drive in such style. At that age, I couldn’t appreciate just what a privilege it was, but I knew it was something special – even if we did have to get out and walk up the very steep bits! How I used to pester to hold the reins, after all, at eight, I was practically an expert!

No comments: