Kingston Bagpuize
Kingston Bagpuize House in Oxfordshire is a must for aficionados of 18th century architectural styles. Originally built in the 1660s, and rebuilt in the Georgian period around 1720, it is mainly constructed of handsome red brick and stone with parkland containing a notable collection of trees and shrubs.
The strange-sounding name Bagpuize (pronounced bag-puss) derives from the local village of Kingston and Ralph-de-Bagpuis a knight who settled here after the Norman conquest in 1066. In the 18th century, nobleman John Blandy had the house remodelled with baroque exteriors and rococo interiors, the piece de la resistance being a spectacular sweeping staircase. In the 20th century it became the home of John Buchan, son of the Canadian Governor General and writer of the famous novel The Thirty-Nine Steps.
The parkland and gardens were largely planted in the 20th century and has been developed by the current occupants. The unusual collection of trees includes sierra redwoods. These are also known as Wellingtonias, an ironic name given that some of the taller varieties were cut down during World War two as a safety precaution… the house was on the flight path of the Wellington bombers on their way to the nearby RAF airfield!