Friday 15 August 2008

Charleston, an artists home and garden

For as long as I can remember my good friend Darcy has admired the writer Virginia Woolf and one of her favourite artists is Duncan Grant. So when I told her that we were going to Sussex for the first week of our holidays she immediately recommended that we should visit Charleston which was where Duncan Grant lived with Vanessa Bell and was a meeting place for the writers, painters and intellectuals known as the Bloomsbury Group. So this was where we visited on the Sunday.


The garden was so peaceful despite quite a lot of visitors and the weather was really sunny.



There were suprises around every corner:






The house itself is a real gem. I decided to visit on a Sunday as this was one of the days when you can wander round the house without a guided tour (although the really helpful and interesting guides are there on hand to offer information). Unfortunately photos are not allowed inside the house so there are none to show here. I was amazed at the decoration inside as the Bloomsbury group had hand decorated most of the walls and lots of other places as well with beautiful taste.



Of course we had to have tea in the delightful tea room and then there was the shop where of course I had to buy the official guide book of the house to make up for the photos that I could not take inside! There is also a small gallery to the side of the shop where they show modern contemporary painters.

This was a great day out with wonderful memories. Thank you Darcy!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It looks so lovely just as I remember it- I'm very jealous - I'd love to go again one day. I love the way the artists painted on evrything - doors, tables, fireplaces, coal boxes. I'm really glad you enjoyed it.

Denise | Chez Danisse said...

It looks wonderful! I'd love to visit one day.