Welsh hilltop fortress, with tastes of India, Italy and France
Powis Castle, near Welshpool, started life as a serious defensive fortress. In it's time besieged by both the Welsh and the English - it had a turbulent past, as did most Marcher castles. But over the last 400 years, it has been transformed into a grand stately home, the residence for 400 years of the Earls of Powis.
Have you ever been to a stately home and immediately thought ' I could slip off my shoes, curl up on the sofa and live here'? Well, Powis Castle is one of the few historic houses I've been to, where I fell in love with it immediately. It's almost impossibly grand, but somehow still manages to feel like a home, a place you'd really like to live in.
The original building here started in around 1200. At that time the castle's primary function was as a fortress, but for the Welsh Princes, not the English. In 1587 a descendant of the princes sold the castle to the Herbert family. They've retained ownership ever since. During the Civil War, the Herberts were Royalists, so when Parliamentary forces captured the castle, the Herberts didn't regain control until after Charles II restoration in 1661.
Although the Castle is now cared for by The National Trust, it is still the residence of the current Earl of Powis - lucky him!
During the Herbert ownership, the castle has been transformed and remodelled. Inside it has a strong feeling of a Jacobean masterpiece. The State rooms are magnificent, unforgettable. The State Bedroom still has a balustrade between the bed and the rest of the room, a la Versailles. It's majestic, as indeed it is probably meant to be.
The Elizabethan Long Gallery was built around 1587 and is a highlight of the Castle. Take your time as you go round, there are magnificent paintings, including celebrated Sir Joshua Reynolds, tapestries, sculptures and a stunning collection of furniture.
The building is quirky to say the least. I adore the corridors where the wooden floors have warped - you almost feel seasick as you walk along them!
If you can drag yourself out of the castle, don't miss the Clive Museum with it's collection of articles from India and the Raj, and then off to explore the terraced gardens.
These were probably started in the 1680's and reached their height at the beginning of the eighteenth century, being heavily influenced by both Italian and French gardening styles. The clipped yews are especially impressive as they flow over the terraces.
If you've any energy left after all that, go for a walk through the wooded park around the castle. There are ancient trees here to admire. Wouldn't it be wonderful if they could tell about all the things they've seen over the years.
