BY JEN PERKS

Knightshayes was stunning in the spring sunshine on Sunday! Lots of spring bulbs which were absolutely beautiful, particularly the snow drops! First we decided to have a wander around the grounds and find one of the geocaches located on site. Tom, our son, enjoys a challenge and geocaching is an activity that gets us all out into the fresh air but with a purpose. This particular cache was located in a lovely spot, but we can’t say where or that would be giving it away! If you haven’t tried geocaching its a great family activity and you can visit   www.geocaching.com  for more information.

Following some fresh air we visited the house originally designed by William Burges for the Heathcoat Amory family. The house was absolutely amazing and full of very rich decoration and treasures! The butterfly trail was great for us, because it ‘slowed’ down the children and meant that as a family we could learn more about the history of the house. For me, the most interesting room was the Burges Bedroom which was redecorated in 2002 following the original Burges scheme by the National Trust. I think it
was probably partly due to the volunteer guide who was so enthusiastic and explained the design and furniture in such an interesting way. The story behind Knightshayes is fascinating and it’s definitely worth asking the guides lots of questions!
The children they enjoyed the animals throughout the house in various paintings, carvings and ornaments. Probably the piece the children were most interested in though, was the table in the drawing room with a central hole, which was originally designed to have a grape vine growing through it, so people could sit and pick and eat grapes! They thought this was a fantastic idea!
Thanks for a great day – we are members of the National Trust, but this was our first visit to Knightshayes and we will definitely return!

 Click here to find out more about Knightshayes Court.