Buscot Park, an eighteenth-century Palladian mansion in Oxfordshire, is the family home of Lord Faringdon, who looks after the property on behalf of the National Trust.  The family collection of pictures, furniture, ceramics and objets d'art – the Faringdon Collection – is displayed throughout the house.  It is an eclectic mix of styles and periods that reflects the tastes of three generations, from Alexander Henderson, First Baron Faringdon, who purchased Buscot Park in 1889, to the present Lord Faringdon, who continues to add to the collection.  There are some important examples of English and continental furniture from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, in particular the Regency ‘Egyptomania’ couch, armchairs and clock designed by Thomas Hope for his home in Duchess Street, London. Other highlights include a pair of mahogany side-tables designed by Robert Adam for Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, an early eighteenth-century state bed bought from Normanton Park in Rutland, and a pair of Ince and Mayhew commodes commissioned by the Fifth Duke of Marlborough.  Some of the more unusual items are two eighteenth-century Gothick mahogany doors salvaged from Pomfret Castle in London, and a marquetry cabinet inset with a musical game patented by Ann Young in 1801, one of only five known examples.  After touring the house there will be an opportunity to explore the gardens, featuring an Italianate watergarden designed by Harold Peto.  The visit will be led by Dr Amy Lim, Curator of the Faringdon Collection and FHS Events Committee member.

COST: £35 (To include Tea/Coffee)

LIMIT: 20

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: Friday, 8 March 2024

Suite of Thomas Hope furniture, c. 1802, supplied to Hope for the Egyptian Room at Duchess Street, to Hope's own designs