Page 24 - link magazine

Celebrating over 60 years of Lydiard House open to the public

Telling its story of public ownership through ten historic objects

In 1943, during World War II Swindon Corporation took the pioneering In 1955 the House was opened to the public by Lord Lansdown. Since
decision to purchase Lydiard House and Park, rescuing it from ruin and then much of the original furnishings and virtually all of the St. John
almost certain demolition. family portraits have been traced and returned to the House.
Led by the visionary town clerk David Over the decades Lydiard House has benefited from substantial grant
Murray John, left, the corporation set out to funding from national organisations such as the Art Fund and the National
create a first rate heritage and recreational Heritage Memorial Fund as well as bequests, money from the Friends of
amenity for the war fatigued people of Lydiard Park and private donations.
Swindon. The empty property, below, which This has enabled Swindon Council to purchase and conserve numerous
had been the private domain of the St. John beautiful and fascinating Lydiard exhibits. Today the heritage status of the
family for over 500 years, became a public museum is recognised throughout Britain.
asset. Thanks to Murray John’s efforts Lydiard Virtually all of the museum objects are on permanent display and 99 per
House was one of the first stately homes in cent are owned by the Borough of Swindon on behalf of its citizens.
Great Britain to receive government funding
for restoration – the majority of the work
being undertaken by local craftsmen.

Highlights in the Lydiard collection
1. Portrait of Barbara Villiers, Countess
of Castlemain by Sir Peter Lely, mid-17th
Century. Said to be one of the most beautiful
women of her day, Barbara was King Charles
II’s favourite mistress, once called ‘the curse
of the nation’ for her power and influence. It
is part of a large collection of St. John family
SALE portraits which hang in Lydiard House and 1
was purchased for Swindon by the Victoria
and Albert Museum and the National Heritage
Memorial Fund.
2. The Grandison Book. This
stunning manuscript volume
was compiled in the early 17th
STARTING Century by Sir Richard St. George
Clarenceaux King of Arms. It
SATURDAY 2nd JANUARY, 9am contains genealogical records of the
St. John family, vividly painted with 2
HALF PRICE ON MANY ITEMS heraldic symbols and illustrations. 3. The Socchi Desk is a very rare
mechanical desk with an intricate
China, crystal, sliding mechanism. Made in the
early 19th Century by Giovanni
jewellery, clocks, watches Socchi, it is one of only four known
to exist in the world and the only
and much more one in Britain. This unique item
is part of a group of important
furnishings bequeathed to Lydiard
House by the Ernest Cook Trust in
DEACON & SON (SWINDON) LTD 1955 and restored to working order
Established 1848 with their support in 2001.
4. The State Bed was refurbished
11 - 15 Wood Street, Old Town, Swindon with gorgeous embroidered silk
Tel: 01793 527530 / 522072 draperies in 2006 thanks to a
www.deacons-jewellers.com 3 private donation. The Kennet
branch of the National Association
24 swindonlink.com n January 2016