Tyntesfield
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Tyntesfield is a Victorian Gothic Revival estate near Wraxall in the Vale of Nailsea, just seven miles from Bristol. It was acquired by the National Trust in June 2002 after a massive fundraising campaign to prevent it being sold to private interests and ensure it be opened to the public. It was opened to visitors for the first time just 10 weeks after the acquisition and as more rooms are restored they are added to the tour.
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History
William Gibbs purchased Tyntes Place, the original Regency-Gothic house that stood on the site, in 1843. In 1863 he began the full-blown rebuilding to creat the Gothic Revival extravaganza that now stands. It cost £70,000 to build. Notable elements of the house include glass by Powell and Wooldridge, mosaics by Salviati, and ironwork by Hart, Son, Peard and Co.
The original architect was John Norton. In the 1880s further alterations were made by architect Henry Woodyer. The chapel was designed by Arthur William Blomfield in the 1870s.
The appeal by the National Trust collected £8.2m from the public in just 100 days and included the receipt of the largest single grant ever by the National Heritage Memorial Fund (at £17.4m).
The Gibbs Family
William Gibbs was the son of Antony Gibbs. Antony, rather than bow to tradition and follow his father into medicine, instead went into business and international trade. The firm he founded was taken over by William and William's brother, George. They saw that the firm continued to thrive, including by making guano (a fertilizer made from birds' droppings) one the firm's chief products. It turned out to be a success and the firm made considerable profits, enabling William to finance the construction of Tyntesfield.
William was married to Matilda Blanche Crawley-Boevey. They had seven children and eighteen grandchildren. The family was religious, and William and his wife were supporters of the Oxford Movement.
William's grandson George served as a soldier, MP for West Bristol in 1928, Treasurer of the Household and was elevated to the peerage as Lord Wraxall, ensuring peer status for his son, who died unmarried in 2001. George's son, George "Richard" Gibbs, is survived by Sir Eustace Gibbs, a diplomat, who is now the third Lord Wraxall.
The Estate
The estate comprises the House, the Kitchen Garden, and the Park.
House
- The house is built of Bath stone, and is highly picturesque, bristling with turrets and possessing an elaborate roof. The house, which includes the servants' wing and the chapel, was made a Grade II* listed building in 1973 and has since been upgraded to Grade I. Principal rooms include the library, drawing room, billiard room, dining room and chapel.
Kitchen Garden
- The kitchen garden includes glasshouses and frames, a large classical orangery and quarters for the gardeners.
The Park
- The wooded park leads down a tree-lined drive to balustraded terraces, and paths lead to the rose garden, summer houses, the aviary and a lake.
External Links
National Trust's Tyntesfield Page (http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/places/tyntesfield/)
Tyntesfieldestate.com (http://www.tyntesfieldestate.com)