Saltram (National Trust Guidebooks)

by Alastair Laing (Author), Ceri Johnson (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  1998

  $3.24

  Saltram's magnificent Georgian house and 500-acre estate on the edge of Plymouth harks back to the 18th century. With its opulent and elegant Neo-classical Adam interiors and landscaped parkland it offers a respite from urban living. This souvenir guide tells the stories of how generations of the Parker family made and lost their fortunes. In their heyday, the Parkers lavished their money on the very finest interior designers, craftsmen and artists. The Parkers had keenly fashionable tastes and as a result Saltram is a microcosm of the very best of late 18th-century fine and decorative arts. There are paintings by Sir Peter Paul Rubens, Angelica Kauffman and Sir Joshua Reynolds, copies of Old Master paintings, furniture from Thomas Chippendale, the most exquisite chinoiserie, oriental ceramics and wallpaper, and the latest products from Josiah Wedgwood. Outside the house is a garden that was just as artfully designed as the interiors, complete with 18th-century Neo-classical Orangery. The Parkers acquired exotic plants as they collected exceptional art and furniture, and a marriage into the family that owned what is now Westonbirt Arboretum bolstered the collection. Floorplans and colour-coded miniplans guide the reader around the interiors and a bird's-eye view shows the mansion in its estate setting. Contemporary photos highlight some of Saltram's finer features and old family photos convey some of its special character as a family home and working estate. Cultural historian Sian Evans previously worked for the National Trust, the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Design Museum. She is author of guidebooks to Castle Drogo, Osterley Park and Polesden Lacey amongst others and her books include Ghosts: Mysterious Tales from the National Trust, The Manor Reborn, Pattern Design and Life Below Stairs, all published by the National Trust.