Waddesdon Manor: A treasure of the National Trust (Holly Kunst, Cyprus, ITP 2024)

Written by Holly Kunst, Research Centre Manager, CVAR (Cyprus, ITP 2024)

When I saw that I would be blogging on our visit to Waddesdon Manor, home of Baron Ferdinand de Rothchild (1839–1898) I thought, piece of cake! Talk about the architecture, the wow-factor interiors, all that history, etc. etc. Done! What I hadn’t anticipated was that there would be so much that can be said about this place, that I could write several blogs and then some. To keep it short I’ll spare you any prolonged descriptions of its obvious splendour (you’ll just have to come see that for yourself) and instead try to focus on the things that impressed me the most.

First, you have to book an entry time and while this may seem like an inconvenience, it means that you can move comfortably through the house without feeling crowded or rushed and the relative calm and quiet adds to the ambiance and atmosphere of the place. Second, there is a mix of historic and modern pieces, all of which are spectacular in their uniqueness and quality and give the sense of the ongoing family legacy of the house.

If you’re just not that into history though, don’t worry. This house and its grounds have been used in no less than 32 films and television series giving you plenty to geek-out over, including a few of my own favourites, Midsomer Murders and one of the James Bond movies. Or maybe pop over to the Aviary where you can Tell It To The Birds, an interactive installation by Jenny Kendler (b. 1980) which allows you to speak into a microphone and have your words translated into bird song for the many exotic birds housed there.

On a practical note (this is an ITP trip after all), I found the signage very good, both in the house and on the grounds. The maps provided are clear and the info pamphlet doesn’t overload you with tedious detail, but rather highlights a few key pieces giving you something to focus on in each space so that your brain doesn’t short circuit from sensory overload (very likely otherwise). There’s a dedicated part of the garden (The Silent Space) where people are encouraged to sit and take a quiet moment to enjoy the tranquillity. While tempting, my colleagues and I had more important things to attend to: Wine! (This house belongs to the Rothchild’s after all). Paired with a wonderful lunch at the Manor Restaurant located in the old kitchens of the house, there are wines available at every price point so you can feel fancy without using up your ITP weekly living allowance.

So, fun things aside, although it is only the second week of our programme, I can already see the changes in the way I think about monuments and museums, what I consider important about design, layout, logistics, and printed information, from signage to pamphlets. It’s not just about how good your collection is or how beautiful the location (although it helps), there’s so much more that needs to be taken into consideration. Hopefully tomorrow I can enjoy the day off without analysing how visitor friendly the grocery store is. I’ll leave the thinking to my colleague Bariş Harmankaya, Archaeologist and Culture and Tourism Expert for Istanbul Archaeology Museums as he prepares for his blog on our second day off.