Spencer House from Green Park

Soon after you enter Green Park from Picadilly, you'll see a magnificent white shining building　on your left hand side. It is Spencer House!
The house was built for the First Earl Spencer, an ancestor of Princess Diana, in 1756 to 1766. It's the only eighteenth-century town house in London to exist intact.
"Facing to Green Park means that it's in the centre of London. Moreover, the house has some relation to the late Princess Diana." When I found Spencer House in a leaflet which I had obtained at the British Tourist Authority in Japan, I wanted to visit.
Although I had traveled to England many times, I'd never visited Spencer House. It was because I didn't know about it. It's open to the public only on Sundays. Moreover, it isn't open during January and August. In other words, it isn't open so often. Actually, Mr and Mrs Meves, our host family, didn't know where it was. Therefore, it may be a secret and thus a great spot for visiting!

One Sunday in October, tsukasa, my friend, and I got off the train at Green Park station. It was a very fine day! We entered Green Park and saw a map at the entrance of the park, but we couldn't find Spencer House on it.
"Maybe, we can't enter Spencer House from Green Park."
Therefore, we left the park for Picadilly and turned right. Soon after, we found the gate which seemed to belong to Spencer House, but it wasn't. Maybe, we'd passed Spencer House withough knowing it. We went back and turned left at a different road. Spencer House was there(right)!
When we opened the door and looked inside, more than ten people were requesting a guided tour of the house. We barely joined the 11:30 tour.
The tour started from the Libraly. It takes about one hour. During the tour, the guide explained each room in detail to us, for example, about the walls, ceiling, and some pieces of furniture. The rooms include the Morning Room which was used as a waiting room for visitors who came to see Lord Spencer, the Ante Room which used to be a private dining room, the Dining Room, the Palm Room which is decolated with light green walls and golden columns, the Music Room, Lady Spencer's Room, the largest Great Room and the golden shining Painted Room the latter of which was designed and painted by 'Athenian' Stuart.
When I climbed up the stairs of the Staircase Hall and looked up the ceiling, I saw a beautiful chandelier lit up all around us. The guide said that it used to be a lantern in Venice.
A long time ago, after diner, men gathered in the Palm Room and women relaxed in Lady Spencer's room. I almost thought I had traveled back in time to those distant days because everything was really beautiful and fascinating!

After the tour, the guide told us the short cut to Green Park. As she told us, we entered a small lane and walked a few steps. Soon, we saw some green trees in the distance. Then, finally, Green Park appeared. We could see many green trees, their leaves shining brilliantly under the English sun.

(2003.12.9)

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Trip to England

I really love London!