National Trust's Cliveden

Date:March 19, 2018 11:31 am

A majestic vision set high above the Thames as it winds its way to the capital, Cliveden is a proud celebration of status and splendour. Encircled by astonishing views of the river beneath and land beyond, endless narratives of passion, pleasure and politics lie embedded within its grounds. Forbidden loves bookend its scandalous history, with two affairs three centuries apart threatening both reputation and honour. Secret meetings of international importance have played out behind Cliveden’s locked doors and the first female MP to take her seat called this estate her home. Here the status quo is challenged and history is made. From Fleming’s planting innovation to women’s first major step on the political pathway – at Cliveden, trends are not only followed, but created.
Six powerful families have embellished and enhanced and the vestiges of them all still echo distinctly like whispers in the Sounding Chamber deep beneath the house. Layers of legacies have woven a rich tapestry into the designed landscape adorned with gilded iron and world-renowned statuary. It is a place in which to entertain, and to be entertained: everything is perfectly designed for pleasure. From the ordered lines of the remarkable Parterre to the tranquil charm of the secluded Round Garden, the hidden glades of the woodlands and the gentle serenity of the river – each has a purpose. Everything is deliberate. Nature and structure exist in harmony: bats adopting Fernery walls, Red Kites gliding above the Terrace. Cliveden is not just the glitterati, the famous owners or the shocking headlines. A thousand lives are its beating heart, each inexorably intertwined with the estate’s illustrious history. A proposal in the Water Garden, a bowed head in the War Cemetery, a child laughing in the Maze – to our community, Cliveden has become theirs, a constant of family and an ever-fixed mark throughout the years.
A place to breathe. A place once lauded as ‘exquisite enchantment’ a place ‘where the charms of Art with Nature join’ – upheld as poetical, stupendous, magical, blissful and perfect. Cliveden’s beauty has countless times awoken the hearts and minds of those who retreated here, those who pen tale of its grandeur, putting ink to paper and consigning it to legend. Cliveden may have changed hands throughout the centuries and its reputation may have been threatened, but its spirit has never waned. Today – as ever – Cliveden remains the very epitome of elegance, quality and class and a haven for honoured guests welcomed warmly through Feather’s Gate.
Phone Number 01628 605069
Group Point of Contact

Phil Howell

Group Rates

£10 per non-NT adult, free for NT members

Region England - South East
United Kingdom
England
3,562
National Trust - Cliveden, Cliveden Rd, Taplow, Maidenhead, UK
      

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