Earlier this month, I visited Moor Park Mansion in Rickmansworth for one of their "open days" that thy host during the summer months where members of the public can join and visit the mansion and a few of the rooms open to the public with historical significance. The mansion house is set in 300 acres of grounds. It was constructed in the early 1700s and became a golf course in 1923, owned by the council and then purchased by the golf course who have an agreement to open the mansion to the public.
Moor Park is located in northwest London near Rickmansworth. It is about a fifteen-minute walk from Moor Park underground station on the Metropolitan line. After arriving, I walked through the housing estate up through a lane that leads to the golf course through wooded land.
The mansion soon came into view, and there are tennis courts as well as the golf club. Moor Park Mansion grounds have even more history and was used in the 1500s and known as "Manor of the More", but the house there became a ruin by the 17th century. It was rebuilt in the late-1600s inside a deer park and just southwest from the former house.
"The More" was owned by Cardinal Wolsey in the time of Henry VIII, and the French visited it in the mid-1500s to settle a treaty with England, and the house was considered more beautiful than Henrey VIII's at Hampton Court. Catherine of Aragon moved into the house here after her marriage to Henry VIII was annuled, and the king visited here to go hunting.
Tea, coffee, and biscuits were available when I entered to wait for the tour.
We waited in one room that has some photographs. We were shown a presentation that mentioned the history of the house and grounds. We first looked at the Great Hall, which is impressive and reminded me of Queen's House, which I visited in the spring.
The dome was inspired by St. Peter's in Rome, but it is a painting. The paintings are inspired by Greek classics.
We then headed into the hallway, where we were told about the paintings and the meaning of the paintings here, which was meant to be the origin of the four seasons.
Then we headed upstairs to admire the Great Hall from the upper level but paused to look at the paintings in the hallway.
More photographs of the Great Hall are below.
Off of the Great Hall on the first floor is another important room. This room was used in World War II. The British Airbourne Corps was based here in 1944 and 1945, and the room was where planning of "Operation Market Garden" for the Battle of Arnhem was conducted. A model with sand was placed in the room with various leaders planning the attack.
The room has lovely views over the golf course. The parkland was landscaped in the 1700s by "Capability" Brown.
We then went into th ground floor and the room on the end of the building that is used for events. The ceiling decoration was amazing and created with skill.
Afterwards, we went into the room just off of the Great Hall and directly back, which faces the back of the building and parkland. This is also a beautiful room with paintings depicting the seasons.
There are beautiful paintings on the walls and ceiling.
We then went outside and examined the building. The hound was the symbol of the family who owned the house.
In the grounds is a statue "Father Thames", made in the late 1700s. It was discovered in the grounds and had possibly been broken during the time that the house was used during World War II.
We also saw the stables for the house.
We then headed around the side of the building where a few of the fuzzless apricot trees are planted, and these apricots are named "Moorpark" after the location. The owner of Moor Park at that time was Adminral Anson, and he planted apricot seeds around different places where the ships sailed so that if the crew stopped there again, they could eat from the fruit. The seeds came from Asia. There was also one of the first commercial strawberry plants grown at Moor Park.
After the tour, I went to the bar and bought a drink to have inside the beautiful room off of the Great Hall.
I then had a quick look at my own pace around the gardens.
The day was lovely, and it was one of those very warm days that we had earlier this month. I would recommend a visit to the mansion to see the artwork and learn about the history of the grounds.
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