Snowshill Manor
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Snowshill Manor is a National Trust property located in the village of Snowshill, Gloucestershire, England.
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[edit] History
Snowshill Manor was the property of Winchombe Abbey from 821 until 1539 when the Abbey was confiscated by King Henry VIII during the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
Between 1539 and 1919 it had a number of tenants and owners until it was purchased by Charles Paget Wade, an architect, artist-craftsman, collector, poet and heir to the family fortune. He restored the property, living in the small cottage in the garden and using the manor house as a home for his collection of objects. He gave the property and the contents of this collection to the National Trust in 1951.
[edit] The property
There are two aspects of Snowshill Manor: its garden and the manor house, which is now home to Wade's eclectic collection.
[edit] The garden
The garden at Snowshill was laid out by Wade between 1920 and 1923 as a series of outside rooms seen as an extension to the house. Features include terraces and ponds.
[edit] The Manor House
The Manor House is a typical Cotswold house, made from local stone; the main part of the house dates from the 16th century.
Today, the main attraction of the house is perhaps the display of Wade's collection. From 1900 until 1951, when he gave the Manor to the National Trust, Wade amassed an enormous and eclectic collection of objects reflecting his interest in craftsmanship. The objects in the collection include 26 suits of Japanese samurai armour dating from the 17th and 19th centuries; bicycles; toys; musical instruments and more.
On October 5, 2003, the house was closed and its entire contents removed in order to effect a number of repairs. In particular, the electrical wiring needed updating, new fire, security and environmental monitoring systems were installed, and the existing lighting was improved. The house reopened on March 25, 2005.
