Facing squarely to the east, Sezincote is like a fabulous dream. Though it inspired the Prince Regent in 1807 to build the highly decorated Brighton Pavilion, Sezincote is rather restrained and Cotswoldian in comparison, its design an idea of Hindu and Islam as seen through the eyes of the Raj. The interior, by the way, is Greek Revival.
Photographs by Kendra Wilson.
This place should be celebrated and it has been, in verse. Sir John Betjeman, a Bright Young Thing and regular visitor from Oxford in the 1920s, wrote of its onion domes and “amber stone,” concluding “‘Home of the Oaks,’ exotic Sezincote.”
Sezincote, pronounced “Seezinc’t” was thought, during Betjeman’s time, to be a derivation of the French word for oak (chêne) and cot, which is a common term in these parts meaning dwelling or shelter (it is more likely that it derives from a Saxon word, alluding to gravel beds). Nevertheless, trees are an integral part of the effect of Sezincote; they hold their own against the visual competition of the house. Grand old cedars of Lebanon dominate direct the eye across the landscape; being more than 200 years old, they have been joined by younger specimens.
The section of garden spanned by the bridge is called the Thornery and is made up of streams, waterfalls, and ponds. The planting was overseen by one of the great plantsmen of the 20th century, Graham Stuart Thomas. He collaborated with Lady Kleinwort and her daughter until the 1980s, in between consulting work at Hidcote, ten miles away.
The original design of the garden, carried out in part by the early 19th century garden designer Humphry Repton, was determinedly non-Indian until the mid-20th century. During the Victorian Raj era, some ill-feeling developed towards “nabobs” (those employed by the East India Company, as the original owners were) and their displays of conspicuous wealth. Despite the minarets and peacock tail arches, there was an impetus to stick to the classical where possible.
The house was billeted by the army during the Second World War and was sold in a sorry state in 1944. The new owners, Sir Cyril and Lady Kleinwort, remade the South Garden (Above) as a Persian Paradise Garden. This style, in which crossing canals symbolize the meeting of humanity and God, is famously seen at the Taj Mahal in India, a leftover from the Mughal dynasty. British fastigiate yews were chosen over the more traditional cypress because of their hardiness.
For more estate colors, see: The Moody Palette of the English Country Estate. Buckingham Palace has also had this stone treatment, according to our friend Patrick Baty.
Sezincote is literally across the street from Batsford (separated by miles of private drive). Why not visit both? See A Gothic Garden Visit, Courtesy of the Mitfords.
Looking for more modern Indian influences on British style? See Geometric Fabrics from London, By Way of India.
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