Highclere Housetour

Hooked on Houses is having a house tour today and I thought I would participate. Rather than show my small little apartment, I thought I'd show something a bit more grand. Highclere was featured in the September issue of World of Interiors in 1988.This grand estate is owned by the Earls Carnarvon and has morphed from an 18th century Jacobethan lodge to include something of each of its quirky owners. Capability Brown laid out the park surrounding it that you see above.The Entry hall, seen above, is rather unassuming considering the size of the pile. Below, the present Earl (in 1988) stands with a portrait of his grandfather, a noted Egyptologist. Interestingly enough, the portrait was done by GW Carter, who was the brother of the Earl's gay partner, Howard.From the entry hall you enter into the grand 3 story saloon. Love that skylight and all the massive gothicness!Off the saloon is the drawing room seen belowThe smoking room lies nearby, seen below. In a hallway between the Drawing and smoking rooms - a little hidden cupboard was found which had ancient egyptian relics. The cupboard seen below. How did it get to be forgotten?Below is one of the dining rooms, refered to as the 'stuart' dining room. I love the way the table is set! What a great place for a dinner party, surrounded by your ancestors!The beautiful library is seen below. In the foreground are a desk and chair owned by Napolean from his time at St Helena.Here is a closeup view of the gilded doorways of the Library.To end with, this is an interesting portrait (one of a pair) of one of the original owners of Highclere. I love the unusual frame!