BELTON HOUSE, Lincolnshire. UK

Part of the water feature at the rear of the house opposite the fountain and orangery.

My latest trip out with my sketchbook was at the weekend when I travelled for just under two hours to reach Belton House, one of the finest 17th century country houses in Britain.

Built between 1685 and 1688 for Sir John Brownlow, the 3rd Baron of Great Humby, Belton stands in thousands of acres of parkland. The 3rd Earl Brownlow restored the house in the 1870s. Through marriage the property passed into the hands of the Cust family. John Cust was created Earl Brownlow and Viscount Alford in 1815.
The 7th Baron Brownlow gave Belton to The National Trust in 1984.

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(1)One of the many stone garden decorations situated at the rear of the house in formal setting close to the fountain and orangery (2)

Queen Adelaide stayed here and has a room named after her, King George III was entertained here and Edward VIII often stayed here before his abdication.
The author Edith Wharton was so taken by Belton House that she had a miniature version of it built in Massachusetts.

Belton has been used as a setting for many television series and dramas including 'Pride and Prejudice', 'Tom Jones', 'The Buccaneers' and 'Bleak House'.

The Chapel - Sketched from the balcony area where a cosy arrangement of upholstered chairs are situated.

The Chinese Room - Bed canopy.

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The Chinese Room is the room in which Edward VIII liked to stay when he visited Belton, sleeping in the mid 19th century bed with its glazed chintz hangings.

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This was the first time using my handbag sketch kit in a National Trust property. I have previously used my A4 Venezia sketchbook but could rarely sketch inside the properties because there is no seating for visitors and the book is too large to balance, hence missing out on sketching all those gorgeous, ornate interiors!

I decided something needed to change on my return from Wimpole Hall last week, so I took two brush pens, a pigment liner and an A6 spiral bound W&N sketchbook into Belton House with me and created the two monochrome sketches above.

My kit worked beautifully, the A6 was easy to hold, even with my sketch bag on my shoulder and the brush pens filled with ink added a little tone instantly, just what I was hoping for.

I created the colour sketches in the gardens directly into my A4 Venezia as usual and on my return home I tore out the interior sketches from the W&N, mounted them on black paper and stuck them into my A4 Venezia. They look great and everything is all together, just as I like it!

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More information on this property:
Heritage Trail

Stately Homes

Photographs of Belton by Lincolnian

PECKOVER HOUSE, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. UK

I spent a sunny Tuesday afternoon at Peckover House, a National Trust property situated on North Brink in Wisbech. On this visit, I decided to make the most of the good weather and sketch around the wonderful gardens.

All of my sketches were created in my A4 Venezia sketchbook with an 'Artline' pen and some are coloured using a St. Petersburg set of watercolour pans.

ICKWORTH HOUSE, Suffolk. UK

"I have now got to my centre of rest...Sweet Ickworth"
- John, 1st Earl of Bristol.

Even as you approach Ickworth house it is easy to understand the Earl's comment and obvious passion for the land laid out by Capability Brown. The 1st Earl of Ickworth adapted a modest farmhouse at Ickworth which was known as Ickworth Lodge and remained the family home until 1829.

The 4th Earl-Bishop had very different ideas and, inspired by the monuments of Rome, he began to build what is now known as Ickworth House. The unique central rotunda and curvy wings reveal Frederick's eccentric personality and would provide, not only a family home within the rotunda, but the wings would become a showcase for his treasures collected on his Continental trips of 30 years. The foundations for today's Ickworth were laid in 1795 and the rotunda was virtually finished when the Earl -Bishop passed away in 1803, sadly he would never see his dream complete.

"The house...The house...The house..."
- Frederick, 4th Earl of Bristol, written on his sick bed in Naples in 1796.


It was the Earl-Bishop's Son, 1st Marquess of Bristol who completed the house with the help of architect John Field, adapting his Father's plans to suit his family requirements. The last major alterations were made to the house in 1909-1911 when the 4th Marquess commissioned A.C. Bloomfield to remodel the entrance hall and staircase. The property passed to the National Trust in 1956.



Ickworth had a wonderful feel about it, children played, families laughed and had spread their picnics across the lawn in front of the house. Unrestricting, inviting and decadent. Rich yet homely and bulging with character and interest. I found myself repeating the words 'stunning' and 'beautiful' over and over again, room to room, treasure to treasure.

The Pompeian room was completed in 1879 when the 3rd Marquess employed Penrose & Grace to decorate it. The scheme is based on Roman wall-paintings uncovered in 1777 at the Villa Negroni on the Esquiline Hill in Rome. These had a special connection with the family because the Earl-Bishop had purchased some of the original frescoes while in Italy at the time of their discovery. It's a remarkable room within a remarkable house.

Joan and I stayed at the house, managing to leave just enough time for a coffee in the orangery before closing. The grounds remained open so we ventured towards the church we had seen on the brochure map.

St Mary's church sits just behind Ickworth house, well hidden by one of the large trees that decorate the land. Unfortunately it is now redeemed 'unsafe', the one feature of Ickworth now inaccessible to the public. We took the opportunity to rest a while and sat upon the grass opposite to create what would be our final sketch at Ickworth House.



We made our way back to the car through the tree-lined pathway, squirrels busying around us as Ickworth disappeared behind the foliage. Our drive back was full of conversation and the roads were surprisingly clear for a bank holiday Sunday.

How lucky we are to have seen such wonderful places in the company of such treasured friendship.

CLARICE HOUSE, Suffolk, UK.

Pulling into the driveway that leads to Clarice House after our day sketching was a welcome view for Joan and I. Our tummies rumbling, we grabbed our room keys and bundled straight up to our room, 'The Summerhouse' to unload. We both had our clothes and cosmetics packed into tiny holdalls but it was our large art bags that encouraged us to take the lift rather than climb the stairs!



I have had the priviledge of staying at Clarice House a few times now and located just 22 minutes from Long Melford, I knew it would be just what Joan and I needed after a hard day sketching. We dressed for dinner and, this time, took the elegant staircase down to the restaurant, passing a manikin on the landing wearing a designer wedding dress.



The food, as always, was fantastic. Joan had king scallops followed by halibut and I indulged in wild mushroom soup followed by fillet of beef. We ate between conversation and laughter and toasted our friendship with something decidedly alcoholic. We chose the same desert, pavalova dressed with caramelised pears drizzled with raspberry coulis- Delicious!
Like two addicts, we didn't wait long before venturing back to our room to collect our sketchbooks. It isn't very often you have a designer wedding dress modelled by a tireless subject, so we both made good use of the manikin exhibiting the Terry Fox design on the staircase landing.



More chatting and tidying of our daytime sketches back in our room finished the day at approx. 1.30am and, surprisingly, I was ready to sleep for a change...Must have been the schnapps and lemonade!

On Sunday morning the sun shone brightly, kissing the trees in front of the house and creating some sensational shadows for the squirrels to dance among. After breakfast, we strolled around the grounds before changing to dip in the whirlpool. I am sure Clarice has a time magnet built within it's walls, we had just four hours before leaving on Sunday morning and it felt we had gained a whole other day lost in it's charms.

Before lunch we sketched some more and I managed to capture the entrance from one of the sofas in the reception lounge.



Our lunch was both delicious and relaxed, finishing just in time for us to meet the 1pm opening of Ickworth House just four minutes drive away.

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, Long Melford, Suffolk. UK.

After leaving Melford Hall Joan and I stopped by The Holy Trinity Church in Long Melford on our way to Clarice House where we had booked a room for the night.

Holy Trinity boasts an abundance of gems and with it's numerous windows resembles a Cathedral more than a simple village church. With so much to browse upon protected within it's walls it was difficult to choose something to concentrate my sketches upon. That was until I read the piece on Sir William Clopton's tomb, such a fascinating story, I felt compelled to log it in my venezia sketchbook. (click on the image to read the story in larger print).

The Clopton chantry exhibited the Lily Crucifix window said to date from 1350 and two poems by John Lydgate, a well known Bury monk, scroll around the top of the chantry walls entitled 'Vine of Life'. The Lady chapel is adjoined to the church and unique in that it is only accessible from the outside entrance.

Artwork by Iain McKillop hang on the walls at the end of each pew, his studies for the altar piece paintings that now decorate Gloucester Cathedral. His work was probably my most exciting find of the day, his figures portrayed such emotion I could hardly wait to get home and research him on the internet. It was during this search that I came across his website and the totally amazing cathedral paintings in his collection, what an unexpected honour I had experienced in viewing his work first hand.

Visiting Holy Trinity had been the only part of our weekend we hadn't planned in advance and I am so grateful for our time there - What a memorable experience!

MELFORD HALL, Suffolk, UK

Sir William Cordell acquired Melford after the Dissolution of the Monasteries and entertained Queen Elizabeth 1 there in 1578, a stained glass window now marks her visit.
Since 1786 Melford Hall has been the home of the Hyde Parkers, a distinguished naval family who fought hard and died for their country. Naval art decorate the walls and spoils of battles fill the house. In 1942 fire struck Melford but recovery was quick and a repaired Melford was transferred to the National Trust in 1960.



In the guide book I purchased during my visit, Sir Richard Hyde Parker speaks of growing up at Melford, with memories dating back as far as 1942, watching the house burning as a child of five years. He speaks so warmly of Melford and one feels a true 'family' atmosphere within his words. I am sorry to say I did not feel this warmth at Melford on my visit, instead the house, despite it's treasures and memories, felt empty and cold. Doorways were roped off forbidding access to the very few rooms on show making it difficult to see anything among the crowds that had all piled in together as the large Tudor doors were opened at 1.30pm. Such a large house with such a wonderful history, I was disappointed to find that the Beatrix Potter room was so small but to be able to look upon many original watercolour works and notebooks in her hand more than supplemented the size of the room.



Beatrix Potter was a cousin of Ethel, Lady Hyde Parker, the Grandmother of the present Baronet. Lady Ulla Hyde Parker refers to her as 'Cousin Beattie' and remembers her drawing some of the Jeremy Fisher illustrations at Melford. Potter's work is so fine I would find it hard to believe she worked with any other size of brush than a 000, such amazing detail and character, perfection gained from a timeless study of nature.

I felt Melford needed more than it could offer, it watched as visitors filled it and still longed for a family to feed it's walls with love.

PECKOVER HOUSE, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. UK

Peckover House is perfectly positioned in the centre of North Brink and is the finest property in Wisbech.

It was built in 1722 and bought by Jonathan Peckover at the end of the 18th century. The Peckover’s, a Quaker banking family, presented the building to the National Trust in 1948. The outside of the house gives little idea of the elaborate and elegant interior of fine panelled rooms, Georgian fireplaces with carved over-mantels and ornate plaster decorations.

At the back of the house is a beautiful walled garden with interesting and rare trees, delightful summer houses and fruiting orange trees, thought to be 300 years old. Unfortunately, the cold weather made sketching in the garden most impractical during this visit.

The Library is an oval shaped room boasting an area of 52x21 feet and curved walls at each end.


Joan and I sketched our way through the house using the little time we had at Peckover wisely. Using my 9x12" Venezia sketchbook, I decided to build a collection of patterns and textures that caught my eye, much like a small library to remind me of all the beautiful things I just didn't have the time to create large sketches of but that unmistakably shouted "Peckover House" to me.

Peckover is probably the closest National Trust house to me and I frequently shop in the Wisbech area which made the idea of becoming a National Trust member all the more appealing. As a member I can access all NT premises, parks and gardens free of charge and the thought of being able to 'pop' into Peckover next time I am in Town, to view it through the upcoming seasons and all at no cost was enough to tempt me to join!

I'm sure you will see much more of Peckover in my sketchbooks throughout the year!

CLARICE HOUSE, Suffolk. UK

On the 10th March my Mum and I headed towards Horringer in Suffolk for a weekend stay at Clarice House residential spa. This was our 3rd visit to Clarice, an early Mothers Day celebration for us both.

Clarice House sits comfortably at the end of a tree lined drive, snug amongst the foliage that frames it. The staff offer an informal, friendly yet professional welcome and are warm and attentive. The restaurant caters for all needs and serves aromatic, taste explosions served in 3 courses for both lunch and dinner, each dish is a work of art and everything is cooked fresh on the premises, including the delicious bread rolls. The rooms are varied, luxurious and comfortable, offering modern needs in a historic atmosphere.
I love everything about Clarice and on this visit I planned to capture some of it's character in my new Venezia 9x12" sketchbook. The sketchbook arrived just in time and I plan to use it solely for my sketches of historical houses, halls and castles and there will be many through the summer as these beautiful pieces of history are a passion of mine, and instinctive love that grips you from youth, stops you in your tracks and makes you feel you belong and never want to leave. A longing for times and skills lost to the 20th century.

I had a huge problem trying to find any history on the house, all of my searches brought up past price lists for the spa treatments or residential spa, eventually I gave up and hoped I would be able to discover more on my stay. It was Saturday night while I was sketching the fireplace in the main reception that I overheard a gentleman talking to a couple beside me. Clarice House history poured from his tongue and, hard as I tried, I couldn't write it all down quickly enough so I excused myself and asked if he might jot some dates down for me. Bill Goreham did much more than that, he printed out an A4 from the computer, a piece he had worked on that explained the house history in full. I was thrilled and remain very grateful. (Thank you Bill!)

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House History:

Clarice house, otherwise known as Horringer Court, was originally called The Red House and was thought to be one the Bury monks farms or rest houses. In the 18th century it was used as an overflow for servants of the guests of the Earl of Bristol when they visited Ickworth House. In 1830 it was owned by Mr William Steggles and the brick, chalk and lime works started and by 1837 gravel was already being dug. The 1841 census states that agricultural worker Robert Pearson, his wife and six children lived in the house, taken over by Rev. Robert Stote-Fox in 1869 who planted the grounds with flowers and trees, the quarries now abandoned. In 1892 Rev. Stote-Fox died and his widow rented the property to local J P Edward Hawkins and in 1898 he purchased it. Edward Hawkins made huge changes, gutting the property and rebuilding it almost from scratch in Elizabethan style as well as renaming it "Horringer Court". His and his wife's initials can still be seen in the stained window in the lobby and stairs landing. The building we see today is his conception and it came at high cost, sending him into financial difficulty and his marriage in jeopardy.

In 1904 Mr James Jump owned the house passing the honour to Mr Blagge by 1912. In 1916 it was purchased by the honourable Captain Malcolm Bowes-Lyon, Uncle to the Queen Mother, who reportedly used the grounds to exercise his horses and men. After the war it was sold to fellow officer Captain James Grace who died in 1928 leaving the house empty for two years before Mrs Buxton, relative of the Gurney and Barclays bank family, purchased the property.

In 1947 it passed to local businessman Rowland Todd and in 1950 the chalk caves were found to have the largest and most important roost of rare Brandts bats in eastern England by 1974 they were blocked up with bars to prevent disturbance and became an SSS1. In the mid 60's Todd died his artistic wife following him in 1970, her paintings can still be seen hanging around Clarice House. Their Son John Todd lived in the house alone until finally selling. The house became a home for mentally handicapped adults then as a residential nursing home, during this time some of the house was demolished because of deteriation.

In 2000 Mr Stewart King purchased the property and after extensive renovation, refurbishment and building work he has turned it into the leisure complex we see and admire today.

All of my sketches were created using Staedtler pigment liner, sepia pitt pen, watercolour pencils and Verithin coloured pencils.