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Lydiard House and St Mary’s Church are situated, a few metres apart, in Lydiard Tregoze on the southwestern outskirts of Swindon, about 31 miles from Bath.Our visit will begin with a guided tour of Lydiard House. The house was home to members of the St John family, who were connected to both King Henry IV and King Henry VII, from the 15th century to the 20th.
Among the early owners one was a Secretary of War, Secretary of State and Ambassador to France. Frederick St John (1732-1787) was a rake with a passion for horseracing and porcelain. He married Lady Diana Spencer. The couple became notorious when they divorced.
The Lydiard House we see now is a beautiful Georgian mansion, redeveloped in the 1740s, its fine state rooms containing family portraits, furniture, porcelain, glass, silver and superb plasterwork and fireplaces and an 18th century library.
After the tour we will walk the short distance to St Mary’s Church. This small but quite exceptional church dates from the 12th century and contains outstanding examples of medieval architecture, sculpture, painted glass and metalwork. Waiting to greet us and guide us will be Sue Gray and Ann Hutchinson.
Of particular interest are several monuments relating to the St John family, including the marble tomb of Sir John St John (died 1594), his two wives and eight children, the life-size Golden Cavalier and, opened especially for our visit, the fascinating St John family triptych dating from 1592.
Also close to Lydiard House and the church are an 18th century walled garden, which we can explore at leisure, and the Coach House Tea Rooms, which may provide a fitting conclusion to the visit.
Lydiard House photo courtesy of http://www.visitwiltshire.co.uk/
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Lydiard Park, Jungle Parc, Unit 1, Swindon, SN5 3, United Kingdom
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Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.
