'Wish you were here' - a postcard from Athelhampton House.

[jackmerlin.livejournal.com]

Yesterday I visited Athelhampton House where the famous dovecote is located. The dovecote looks almost exactly as I'd imagined it from Thuggery Affair, except for being less high than I'd expected. Perhaps it would seem higher if I had to climb it! When we arrived there was a small flock of white doves sitting on the roof, and I could pretend Jukie and Patrick were lurking somewhere. Apart from the photos I took, ('Why are you taking so may pictures of that?') I also have a white feather which my companions found on the lawn to be a bookmark in my copy of TA.
Set in the lovely Dorset countryside, Athelhampton is a beautiful Tudor house which has been added to over the years and is still lived in. Coincidentally, the current owner's name is Patrick and his father was an MP! The gardens are beautiful and there is a nice but expensive restaurant/tea shop. It's well worth a visit if you are ever in the area.
In the gift shop stacks of copies of 'The Chimneys of Greene Knowe' are for sale because the house has been used as a location for a version of that story, scripted by Julian Fellowes, but given another name. I couldn't help thinking that it would be nice to see stacks of Thuggery Affair on sale there too, but didn't suggest it - I think I would have got a bit of a blank stare!

Comments

[sue marsden (from livejournal.com)]

I came across this house when I was doing a google images search for houses which may look a bit like Mariot Chase. I couldn't find any which absolutely fitted my picture of the house plus the few descriptions we have, mut several almost did. I've been meaning to post the most likely ones on the AF FAcebook group. I did the same with pictures of Trennels- and the Coughing Bear dress Mirand gave Nicola

[jackmerlin.livejournal.com]

There's an Antonia Forest facebook group?

[sue marsden (from livejournal.com)]

yes- if you are on Facebook follow this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/387201654644254/ or searc for Antonia Forest and her books. AS everyone here seems to use a pseudonym (why?) I can't tell who from here is already a member