Wild for Wilton

Recently I asked (persuaded) my parents to take me to Wilton House, near Salisbury (www.wiltonhouse.co.uk/). After my week at Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre, I was determined to visit the house due to helping with two enquiries about the house and Pembroke line. These enquires involved looking at the book of peerage and family trees for the Earls and at their sculptural collection. I also had to track down a sculpture of Silenus and the young Dionysus for a researcher in Rome - I eventually discovered it had been sold by Christies in the 1960s for approx. £63. It was extremely fulfilling to trace the sculpture as far as we could after coming across several dead-ends on the way. It is a beautiful house and estate belonging to the Earls of Pembroke, and has done for the last Four Hundred years! The Earls received the estate when King Henry VIII gifted it to William Herbert and has been passed down to the sons of the Herbert line ever since.

There is a fantastic art and sculptural collection at the house, including examples of Bruegel, Raphael and many Van Dykes. The rooms were exquisitely decorated with painted ceilings and walls (and very fancy light switches). Throughout the house, myths from the ancients are clear through the many copies and originals of sculpture in the cloisters and incredible ceilings portraying some of your favourite stories (the legend of Perseus taking pride of place in the Double Cube). Walking through the house feels like stepping back in time to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, making your way through the rooms to meet the King whilst he is hosted by the Earls of Pembroke. I was struck by the vibrant and elaborate furniture and decorations used throughout the house and the wide variety of designs with Chippendale featuring prominently throughout.

The grounds were also stunning with the Japanese garden providing an oasis of tranquility. The TV/Film fan inside me also got excited seeing the settings for Outlander (Palladian Bridge) as well as Blackadder, The Crown, Lara Croft and many more. We were also lucky enough to see their classic car collection and an exhibition of Cecil Beaton's work at Wilton and with the family.

Wilton House provides for all generations and presents the many centuries of history effectively, whilst still maintaining an atmosphere of a family home. Do visit if you are in the area and WSHC for more information on the Pembroke history in the archives (ref. 2057).