Please note opening dates for the house and gardens are provisional pending Government plans for exiting the current lockdown.
We tend to concentrate on the Tokes when talking about the history ofGodinton, as this family owned the estate for 400 years. However, Iwould like to shed a little light on George Ashley Dodd,who purchasedthe estate in 1896 and was responsible for carrying out the mostextensive structural alterations for 100 years, employing architectand garden designer … Find out more
Now that we are closed for the season, the house team are starting the winter cleaning and conservation programme. Work has begun in the attics cleaning and re-organising stored items, and this week Angie and Sara gave what we call the “Maids Room” a complete overhaul. This room is part of the tour for school … Find out more
This English marble statuette of “Lilith” by Alfred Drury (1956 to 1944) is a favourite piece in the house but sadly sits in darkness while the house is closed. We hope you are able to enjoy her beauty from this photograph. Mr and Mrs Bruce Ward purchased the statuette directly from Alfred Drury in June … Find out more
We were pleased to welcome the Trust’s clock expert, Duncan Greig, back to the house to continue servicing the clocks. During Duncan’s last visit he dismantled the James McCabe Bracket clock in the Dining Room to allow Eveliina Peltola, the Trust’s furniture restorer, to repair the case of the clock, including stabilising loose veneers and … Find out more
Important information for visitors from Tuesday 15th September I am glad so many of you have been enjoying the gardens in the late summer sunshine, as well as the homemade cakes from our takeaway tearoom. As you may already have heard, the Government has imposed restrictions on the number of people who can gather in a … Find out more
My adventures don’t seem to cease at the moment – last week, Rob and I went up to the hayloft above the Stables to have an explore. The wooden flooring is well over a hundred years old and somewhat rickety, but it houses an array of treasures. Highlights included markings on the wall from 1871, … Find out more
One of the quirks of one particular office is the fact that it houses a large Victorian cast-iron “Belle Portable” range, which was used right up into the 1990s. Ranges were first used around 1780: they made a welcome improvement from cooking on an open fire. Shortly after their inception, boilers were added to some, … Find out more
Hidden away in a locked box at Godinton is a rather impressive Luger pistol. Officially known as a ‘Pistole Parabellum’, these semi-automatic pistols were used extensively by the German army in the first half of the 20th century, and they’re strongly associated with Nazi Germany today. If you look closely in WWII films, many of … Find out more
Following the Government’s announcement on Monday 25th May, I am pleased to confirm that we are planning to re-open the gardens to the public the week commencing 29th June – exact date and times to be finalised. This is on the understanding that there are no further changes to Government guidelines in the meantime. Prior to this … Find out more
Following the recent announcement of the Government’s road map for exiting lockdown, we start to see light at the end of the tunnel and tentatively make plans for re-opening the gardens later in the summer. We cannot confirm exact dates yet, as work needs to be carried out to ensure our visitors can safely follow … Find out more
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