MATLOCK TRAVEL SOCIETYBOUGHTON – ‘THE ENGLISH VERSAILLES’

In his writing, A Tour Thro’ the Whole Island of Great Britain, Daniel Defoe wrote ‘We saw Boughton, the noble seat of the Duke of Montague, a house built at the cost and by the fancy of the late Duke, very much after the model of the Palace of Versailles…..

‘The house itself is very large and magnificent, but the situation facing so beautiful a park adds to the glory of it……I saw nothing more beautiful, no not in Italy itself.’

And so the members of Matlock Travel Society found it on a bright, sunny autumn morning on the last excursion of our summer season this year. Built and extended on the footprint of a late 16th century Tudor mansion by Ralph, 1st Duke of Montague and later further extended by his son John, 2nd Duke of Montague, it was a dream to transform this ancestral home in Northamptonshire into a grand seat with the majesty that had so impressed Ralph at Versailles when he was Charles II’s envoy to the court of Louis XIV. The completion of the North Front in 1695, with its twin pavilions and the parade of State Rooms known as the Great Apartment, created for the visit of William III, duly led Boughton to be called ‘the English Versailles’.

We not only enjoyed an in-depth grand tour, led by an excellent guide, from the grand staircase hall to Duke Ralph’s sumptuous private quarters in the Northwest Pavilion, and on through the ceremonial State Rooms lining the North Front, but also experienced the later embellishments of Ralph’s son, John, in terms of layers of Tudor refinements, Baroque grandeur and, again later, 20th century informality. We ended in the Armoury.

In all, it was a wonderful experience. The treasures of paintings, tapestries, furniture, porcelain, carpets, quite a number from Versailles itself by way of gifts from Louis XIV, were extensive and quite magnificent and we were privileged to be able to see them at such close quarters and with such an informative guide.

After lunch, we had the pleasure of strolling through the gardens, historic parkland and waterways, which again are extensive. The walled garden was splendid as was the lake complete with ‘swans-a-swimming’, and, a little further out, the Star Pond, newly restored and recently opened. Lit up by bright blue skies and sunshine, it was a pleasure to end our visit with such glorious scenery.

Following our AGM on 3rd October, our season will close with a Princess River Trent cruise and Christmas lunch on Thursday 4 December.

If you would like us to keep in touch with future plans, please phone Marion on 01246 466925.