Contributions from a recent walking group….
Northcourt – May 2018 We met for French songs to rehearse on the upper deck Much to the intrigue of other passengers wondering what the heck! The magnificent Medieval Northcourt our home for five days With its simply stunning grounds and secret ways With skies blue and a bright yellow sun We’d look out each morning with much walking to be done With Jane in front GPS in hand And Chris at the back of the merry band Apologies to Chris for creating so much chatter As the birds deserted us as we natter and natter Lunch spots were chosen with consummate care A view to enjoy, quiet with soft grass and fresh air Cliffs to the left of us, cliffs to the right From the top of the Stenbury Trail it was quite a sight We paid homage to Tennyson at Farringford during the day And that evening in the music room, Michael thought we should all play Google helped to each find a verse – Hooray! Some Betjeman, Causley, Nash, Tennyson and others we all did say Thanks to all for such bon hommie As we met to chat each day for cake and tea And huge thanks must go to Jane for her planning and leading Has she booked for 2019 we are all thinking…..
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Get your creative juices flowing
Creativity needs a special place to be nurtured. Virginia Woolf was a great lover of the ‘room of one’s own’ theory whilst others feel more comfortable in the surroundings of other creatives. Northcourt has legacy of poets and artists who have stayed at the Manor over its 400 years. Probably the most notable was the poet Algernon Swinburne who spent much time at Northcourt where he had a close relationship, some might say bordering on love, with his cousin Mary Gordon (which was not reciprocated) until her marriage when she became Mrs Disney Leith. Swinburne reportedly wrote his epic Greek tragic poem Atlanta in Calydon in the library at Northcourt in 1863/4 when he moved into the house with the Gordon family. The table was said to have been ‘strewn with manuscripts’ as he wrote out the poem and he corresponded with his sister saying that, as Mary practised Handel on the organ he could ‘hardly behave at the delight of some of the choruses’. Unfortunately, Swinburne was an alcoholic and, in 1879 at the age of 42, he was taken into care by his friend, lawyer Theodore Watts, who looked after him for the rest of his life until is death at the age of 72. He is buried at St. Boniface Church, Bonchurch as his family had lived at East Dene for many years Mary’s grandmother, Julia Gordon herself was quite an accomplished artist having been taught by J.M. Turner to paint in watercolours on one of his extended visits to the Island. The Isle of Wight was a fashionably picturesque location in the 1800s and one motive for Turner’s tour seems to have been a commission for views from the engraver John Landseer. Proceeding south from Carisbrooke to the coast, north to Bembridge and then across to the far west of the Island, returning to Newport for the return journey, Turner painted much of the Island including Colwell Bay, Shorwell, Chale and Carisbrooke Castle. The painting as featured here is titled ‘View from the Terrace of a Villa at Niton, Isle of Wight, from Sketches by a Lady’ and was exhibited the Royal Academy in 1826. The ‘Lady’ was Julia Gordon, formerly Bennet, Mary’s grandmother, who was to become a pupil of Turner’s in 1797, and with whom he maintained a friendship until the 1830s. A view from the steps of her villa, it records the new fashion for “Italian” gardens with terraces and urns. The Isle of Wight was a magnet for creatives and still is to this day with writers, artists and performers both living here and visiting. Northcourt’s gardens and the beautiful coastal stretches the Island has, as well as its historic building have attracted painting, writing and photography groups to visit us. We have plenty of space to accommodate groups so why not get together with some like minded creative friends and come and visit us here on the Island. As Karl Marx said about it in 1874, it is, ‘a little paradise’.
Spring at Northcourt
The Beast of the East coupled with Storm Emma meant that spring has been slightly delayed here at Northcourt. The Isle of Wight became the Isle of White for a few days and all of the plants and bulbs that were beginning to show their pretty faces, retreated. But all is not lost and soon you will be able to channel your inner Wordsworth in Northcourt’s gardens amongst our prolific display of daffodils and narcissus; we have thousands of bulbs planted here, some of which have been flowering for many years and over thirty different varieties. The buds are just beginning to open and now that temperatures have risen once again into double figures, the garden will soon be a riot of yellows. The daffodil symbolises rebirth and new beginnings and although their botanic name is narcissus, they are sometimes called jonquils. Also, because of their long association with Lent they are known as the Lent Lily, reinforcing their connection to the winter’s end . There’s also a freshness in the air and that’s because of the earth’s increasing its axis towards the sun. And so, for you all, a little science lesson: the seasons change due to the Earth’s angle of tilt – 23.5 degrees – which is relative to our orbit around the sun. If the Earth didn’t tilt at all, but orbited upright around the sun there would only be minor variations in temperature and therefore no seasonal temperature changes. Simple! So why not book yourself a break on the sunny Isle with its temperate climate, profusion of daffodils and hedgerows full of chirruping, courting birds. There’s nowhere better than Britain in the spring and we are taking bookings for now and beyond into the summer season. We have limited availability during popular and peak times so please book early and we look forward to welcoming you soon.
Northcourt: A memorable location
Aristotle said that ‘memory is the scribe of the soul’ and we all look to our family and friends as those to make our best memories with. January is the time when we start to think about what the year ahead holds and how we can best spend it with those we love. Where will we go on holiday? What are the important events that mean that the whole family will need to be got together? And can we bring the dog? For many of us, there’s a big birthday, an anniversary of note, a wedding or just an excuse for a great family party on the horizon. Then there are our friends; get togethers to celebrate Christmas and New Year or to mark special occasions and see those we might not have seen for a while. It’s easy to organise drinks and food but where do you fit such a large party in one place, a place that will be exclusive, private and above all stunningly beautiful with extensive gardens and the opportunity to stay in a real piece of history? The answer, why not hire part of your own estate. Here at Northcourt we can fit in all of your friends, relatives and dogs. With both the interlinking north and west wings of the manor house available to rent along with bedrooms in the east wing, we can accommodate forty plus people so you have the perfect and unique place for that special occasion or party. Equally, the two self-contained wings are ideal for smaller groups of up to 10 or 20. The property has been refurbished with your comfort in mind and can be used flexibly for both summer and winter parties. With extensive outdoor seating and a dining room which can seat up to fifty people, log burners and even a piano, Northcourt House is ideal for a party when the weather is less than ideal. You can take bracing walks to The Crown Inn which is at the bottom of the garden or further afield or make full use of the catering sized kitchen to entertain. Then there’s Little Northcourt which can itself accommodate sixteen people in beautifully decorated accommodation. If your party or celebration is in the summer, there is a private walled garden and the shared paddock for barbeques, games, fun and frolics. Because we lead such busy lives, we are all guilty of not seeing as much of our family and friends as we perhaps should. So make 2018 the year that you organise that party and come to Northcourt for the opportunity to make that get together one that everyone will remember for many years to come.
Ongoing estate improvements
This year we reinstated the estate railings along the drive, which would have been removed as part of the war effort. It was only fitting that we asked local Island blacksmiths, W. Stay & Sons, who were founded over 200 years ago, to forge and install the new railings and gate to the paddock. The original railings can be seen in the photo above of 1905. Here are the team installing the new railings. I am sure you will agree that it is a vast improvement from the agricultural post and stock fencing, which it has replaced, and gives the house a real uplift!
Shorwell Midsummer Fair
Shorwell Midsummer Fair returns on Saturday June 23 for the 57th consecutive year. The traditional village fair is held in the grounds of Northcourt and has changed little since 1961. It is totally uncommercialised and the many attractions and stalls are run by local people and organisations. Additionally there is a tea tent and arena events including a falconry display, a dog demonstration and a band /folk group. The gardens will be open to the public. The money raised goes to support local charities, community groups and organisations. Further details can be found here https://www.shorwellmidsummerfair.org/
Winter special offer with 20% further reductions
We are offering a winter special offer with 20% further reductions for remaining dates during January and February. Enjoy the Isle of the Wight at its quietest and if the weather allows, enjoy some fabulous wintry walks onto the Downs, accessible directly from the house; or if the weather does not allow, enjoy the warmth of the house, sitting in front of an open fire or wood burning stove, or head down to the Crown Inn located in the village. Little Northcourt (the west wing) with 7 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms is now £960 for the week; £760 for the weekend; or £480 midweek. Northcourt House (the north wing) with 9 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms is now £1,120 for the week; £920 for the weekend; or £560 midweek. See availability here: https://www.northcourthouse.co.uk/stay-with-us/northcourt-house
Availability update
Unfortunately we have no availability during the summer school holidays 2017 with 2018 booking up fast. We have some mid-week availability during June and September. With weekends not available until October.
We are a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence winner!
We are a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence winner as a result of the many wonderful TripAdvisor reviews. As well as the reviews here we also receive personal written thanks, some of which are included below: “Thanks again for a wonderful weekend, a resounding success all round, weather notwithstanding. A beautiful house in beautiful location, and must compliment you on the fabulous gardens.” “I am writing to thank you for my birthday weekend at Northcourt. It was a fantastic time and was everything I hoped the celebration to be. I know without exception my friends thoroughly enjoyed themselves and felt very treated to be in such a beautiful home and garden – one who only came for Saturday night, had been staying at Quarr Abbey on retreat and thought he had come to heaven! I thought you should know everyone was extremely complimentary about the quality of the duvet and bed linen – in fact several have asked me to find where you get them from as they want to replicate at home! The welcome pack & flowers were also a really nice touch with the cakes and coffee especially both being delicious & all the info about walks etc was really useful. Well done on running such a great place to visit – we will almost certainly be back!” “I just wanted to write and say thank you for the wonderful weekend we spent at Northcourt House. It was even more lovely than we expected. Everyone had a ball. We are already hoping for a return visit but judging by the 2016 bookings we are going to have a job to get in in the holidays!” “We have just had the most wonderful weekend at Northcourt Manor in honour of xxx’s birthday, and we just had to thank you. Everything was perfect. The kitchen was stocked beautifully; it is not often that there are enough cups, cutlery, bowls etc and all in such great shape. The house was warm and cosy (super heating system), the bedroom was bright and airy and as far as the bed and linen are concerned, we felt as though we were sleeping in a cloud. We so enjoyed your gardens as well and the many nooks and crannies in it. Thank you so much for all the work you must have to put in to maintain it as well as you do but let me reassure you that it certainly did not go unnoticed this past weekend.” “We all enjoyed our get-together at Little Northcourt and appreciated many aspects of the property, not least the lovely gardens, the wildlife and the peace and quiet. Some of our party had not previously visited the island and were delighted with it. There was even talk of a return visit! We all enjoyed the catered food brought in by Debbie from St Helens, so thank you for this information and for making the ferry bookings.”