This was a beautiful cool day with lots of sunshine, blue skies, and billowing white clouds, and we spent it in Richmond. The first stop was Agecroft Hall, an Elizabethan-era house from Lancashire in England, transplanted to a commanding site above the James River in the mid 1920s as focal point for a housing development called Windsor Farms. Today Windsor Farms is an uber-beautiful neighborhood and Agecroft Hall and its next-door neighbor Virginia House (also transplanted from England, but sadly, only open by appointment) are interesting features of the area. We felt transported back to England, which seemed quite appropriate on the day of a royal wedding.
Agecroft Hall
Foxgloves trigger memories of England
The peonies are in full bloom
The sunken garden is reminiscent of Hampton Court
House and garden
The kitchen garden
The house overlooks the James River
Rear view of Agecroft Hall
Virginia House is next door to Agecroft Hall
This is typical of the really beautifully-designed
houses in the Windsor Farms neighborhood
After a quick picnic lunch, we drove to the Virginia State Capitol, designed by Thomas Jefferson in 1785 while he was Ambassador to France. The inspiration for the design was the Maison Carree, a Roman temple in Nimes, France. It really is very impressive. We also popped into St. Paul's Episcopal Church for a look at the stained glass windows.
Jefferson's State House
The dome of the capitol
George Washington in the capitol rotunda
Saint Paul's Church
Our final stop was the Branch House on Monument Avenue. It is a wonderful 1916 Beaux-Arts-era house in the English-Renaissance style designed by John Russell Pope, architect of the National Gallery in Washington D.C. It is now a gallery and museum, but one still gets the feeling of what the house was like.
The Branch House
The great hall with its minstrels gallery
Linenfold panels
The great hall as it looked in the early 20th century
when the Branch family lived there
Branch House rear garden
The front door
This evening we went for dinner at Girasole in The Plains, a small village north of here. Robert Duvall, who lives somewhere nearby, sat across from us. It was a very nice finish to a very nice day.
Girasole
Perfect weather. Perfect day!
That's all for now.
OXO
D.
Agecroft Hall
Foxgloves trigger memories of England
The peonies are in full bloom
The sunken garden is reminiscent of Hampton Court
House and garden
The kitchen garden
The house overlooks the James River
Rear view of Agecroft Hall
Virginia House is next door to Agecroft Hall
This is typical of the really beautifully-designed
Jefferson's State House
The dome of the capitol
George Washington in the capitol rotunda
Saint Paul's Church
The Branch House
The great hall with its minstrels gallery
Linenfold panels
The great hall as it looked in the early 20th century
Branch House rear garden
The front door
Girasole
6 comments:
You're trying to make me jealous aren't you... why would you do this to me? I thought you all loved me!
Topped off by a viewing of the royal wedding. And katy we did it all FOR you BECAUSE we love you.
I'm green. A very deep green. The houses are beautiful, I need to go. And girasole??? With robert duvall?? Amazing. I'm star struck for you.
What beautiful sites. You've really packed it in!
Sounds charming in every way. I read the Robert Duvall part 3 times. It was put so casually I thought I must have misunderstood. So cool-
Who knew this was all so close to where I often visit! I too am feeling a shade of green!
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