Northcourt Open Gardens
Northcourt gardens are open over the weekend of the 18 June. On Saturday 18 June the gardens will be open as part of the Shorwell Midsummer Fair which is open from 13:30 until 17:00. http://www.shorwellmidsummerfair.org/ On Sunday 19 June the gardens will be open from 14:00 until 17:00 on behalf of the Julia Margaret Cameron Trust with teas being served. http://www.dimbola.co.uk/ Quay Crafts will be exhibiting in conjunction with the garden openings and showcasing their latest contemporary artworks. http://quaycrafts.com/
Superfast broadand
BT Openreach (with help from the government) has gratefully rolled-out superfast fibre broadband to our rural spot on the Isle of Wight! We jumped at the opportunity and now provide high speed broadband with wifi hubs located in both wings, offering unlimited downloads at ~20MB speeds. Browse the internet for information and tips about your holiday, check up on emails, stream films from Netflix, use Sky Go…. or if you are choosing to escape, make sure you’re device is switched off!
Northcourt open gardens
Northcourt – our celebration of 400 years. This year we celebrate the 400th year of building Northcourt. At least the date 1615 is on the porch. A Jacobean house of this size would have taken up to 10 years to build, cutting materials on site, and it is probable the design evolved as fashions changed, and as progress was made. In all probability the house was never completed as intended or in Sir John Leigh’s lifetime,( he having started the house already in his 70’s). One supposes that another gable to the South may have been intended to match that at the North, to give typical symmetry, and to reflect on the Elizabethan E style. The site must have been chosen because of the fresh spring water sprouting within the grounds , forming the river “tweed” as it was known, as well as the shelter afforded by the downs rising to the south-west. 400 years later the location is even more desirable with shelter belts reaching maturity. Sir John knew the site well, having married into the Dingley family of Wolverton manor, and having also lived at Westcourt for a time. He certainly knew how to build having been responsible for refortifying the Island against Spanish and French invasion. But would he have expected it tol400 years ? He would certainly have hoped it would last a few generations of Leighs, although sadly the last John Leigh only had daughters and the house was sold to Richard Bull in around 1795, whose daughter was responsible for landscaping the gardens into recent fashion for the picturesque, with late rococo influences. 400 years may seem a long time but in reality is only maybe 10-12 generations of occupants, and three different family owners, and I cannot believe that I have known it for over an eighth of that time. I fell in love with the setting of the place as a teenager and it changed the course of my life. I had somehow to keep it in the family, and finally 5 years ago managed to put the house and inner gardens back together as one unit. This has enabled us to commence a new restoration programme for the garden, and in particular the walled garden, and after 4 years of planning, this very day we have commenced erection of a replacement Victorian vinery. So what is in store for the next 400 years ? Much of our effort has been to make Northcourt more sustainable , rather than being a burden on future generations, by introducing tourism income that now pays the upkeep, and by investing in renewable energy through a wood pellet boiler. These measures will also help to keep the fabric drier, helping to avoid some of the past problems of beetle and wet and dry rot. The garden remains labour intensive, but concentration on large plants, shrubs and trees, and a naturalistic style of planting have made the garden more manageable, and we hope that new machinery and methods of the future will make it even less labour intensive . But as for the new greenhouse, instead of being wood with a life of just 30 years, modern materials using coated aluminium are possible, gives a life of over 100 years But as for the garden walls ! year by year the burden of these become even greater, and technology here has not moved on to help us . Fire, hurricanes,war or even terrorism, threaten the place, but the biggest threat to our line of ownership is likely to be capital taxation, or family disputes. The nearest threat was when incendiary bombs were dropped on the house in around 1942, but thankfully the Dorset and Wilts regiment knew what to do and quickly threw the bombs off the roof in time and saved the house ( and themselves). Lets hope however the natural beauty of the setting will continue to make it a most desirable place to live and ensure its care whatever threats occur. For our centenary celebrations, we are replanting the double borders in the kitchen garden, having removed old and diseased box., but we want all to join us for our celebration, so we are arranging regular Wednesday afternoon openings, with special talks/tours and proceeds going to charity. So keep your diaries free! Wednesday May 13th .15.00hrs A history of the place Wednesday May 27th. 15.00hrs Focusing on the 18th century picturesque garden Wednesday June 10th. 15.00 hrs Focusing on the walled kitchen garden Wednesday June 24th.15.00 hrs Focusing on plants of the 21st century. Wednesday July 8th 15.00 hrs Looking at the present and the future. Wednesdays May 20,June 3rd,June 17th, July 1st also open 14.30-16.30, without any talk guaranteed, or bookings required. For bookings john@northcourt.info / 740415. £4.50 pp, or £10 for repeat visits on any of these dates. Proceeds to charity including the DEC Nepal Earthquake appeal http://www.dec.org.uk/appeals/nepal-earthquake-appeal
We move into the Gardeners Cottage
We have moved into the ‘Gardeners Cottage’ located within the walled garden. We can now keep a better eye on things and help our guests with any queries or provide information during their stay.
Winter improvement works
During a busy winter with lots of lovely bookings we managed to fit in some improvement works in Northcourt House on the top floor. We have created a new bedroom with ensuite bathroom, and a family sitting room/kitchen. So Northcourt House now has 9 bedrooms, with 8 bathrooms. We have called the new bedroom ‘Turner’ after Joseph Mallord William Turner who was a frequent visitor to the Island and reputedly visited the house and gave Mary Gordon painting lessons. The room is decorated with a luxury Cole and Son wallpaper ‘Royal Garden’, part of their Historic Royal Palaces collection, identifying monarchs William and Mary’s love of gardens and all things exotic. Fit for a king. Fit for our guests…!
Discounted ferry tickets
We are able to offer discounted trade ferry tickets to all of our guests which are likely to provide considerable savings – make sure you book through us! And for those skeptics out there, ferries to the Isle of Wight are not the most expensive in the world…
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Come rain or shine
Come rain or shine, there is plenty for you to do both at Northcourt and on the Island. If this rain decides it is never going to leave us, you may want to curl up on the sofa in front of the open fire, or enjoy a pint of local ale in the village pub or for the more adventurous, go for a brisk walk up on the Downs. There are also plenty of sheltered attractions on the Island to explore including the Garlic Farm, Dinosaur Isle, Fort Victoria, Brading Roman Villa, Osbourne House, and Dimbola Lodge. At some point (hopefully in the near future!) the sun should return to the Isle of Wight, which boasts to have one of the best sunshine records in England.
James, Katherine and Felicity arrive
James and Katherine arrive on the Island to take over the self-catering and events business at Northcourt from James’ parents John and Christine. Hopefully John and Christine will now find some time to enjoy their ‘retirement’ having developed the successful business which has kept them so busy for over 30 years. Having grown up on the Island, James longed to share the same childhood experiences with his growing young family, and enjoy a better quality of life, having spent the last 8 years commuting on a train from Shrewsbury to Birmingham.
Work on the house
The winter close-down period is an important time as it allows us to carry out essential maintenance and general improvements to the properties without interfering with our guests. We have had carpenters fitting new shutters and window seats in Northcourt House kitchen, and an army of plumbers extending the heating and hot water system and decommissioning electric hot water tanks. We have also been up on the roof putting back loose tiles which became dislodged following the storms. Our team of cleaners have also been carrying out a thorough spring clean of all the rooms in the house in preparation for our first guests arrival.