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Clevedon Court is a
manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were usually held the lord's manorial courts, communal mea ...
on Court Hill in
Clevedon Clevedon (, ) is a seaside town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, England. It recorded a parish population of 21,281 in the United Kingdom Census 2011, estimated at 21,442 in 2019. It lies ...
, North Somerset, England, dating from the early 14th century. It is owned by the
National Trust The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...
and is designated as a Grade I
listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
. The house was built and added to over many years. The great hall and chapel block are the earliest surviving parts of the structure with the west wing being added around 1570, when the windows and decoration of the rest of the building were changed. Further construction and adaptation was undertaken in the 18th century when it was owned by the
Elton baronets The Elton Baronetcy, of Bristol, is a title in the Baronetage of Great Britain. It was created on 31 October 1717 for Abraham Elton, Mayor of and Member of Parliament for Bristol from 1722 to 1727. The second Baronet was also Mayor of Bristol ...
. The house was acquired by the nation and was given to the National Trust in part-payment for
death duties International tax law distinguishes between an estate tax and an inheritance tax. An inheritance tax is a tax paid by a person who inherits money or property of a person who has died, whereas an estate tax is a levy on the estate (money and prop ...
in 1960. The Elton family is still resident in the house, which is now open to the public. In addition to the main house, the grounds include a selection of walls and outbuildings, some of which date back to the 13th century. The gardens are listed (Grade II*) on the
National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens #REDIRECT Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England #REDIRECT Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England {{R from move ...
{{R from move ...
.


History

Much of the present house was built in the early 14th century by Sir John de Clevedon (d. 1336). There is speculation that it may lie on the site of a
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
building, based on excavations to the south of the house in 1961/62. The house incorporates remnants of a 13th-century building which lie at an angle to the rest of the house. It was situated nearly two miles inland from the parish
church of St Andrew St. Andrew's Church, Church of St Andrew, or variants thereof, may refer to: Albania * St. Andrew's Church, Himarë Australia Australian Capital Territory * St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Canberra, founded by John Walker (Presbyterian minis ...
, which stands on the coast. After the
Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...
of 1066, the manor of Clevedon was granted by the King to Matthew de Mortagne, who in turn granted it to his sub-tenant, Hildebert. It is thought that Sir John was a descendant of either Matthew or Hildebert. Perhaps because of the distance to the parish church, the manor house included a chapel dedicated, in the 1320s, to
Saint Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...
. The house has undergone considerable change since it was built, almost every century seeing structural alterations, but it still retains many features of a
mediaeval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and t ...
manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were usually held the lord's manorial courts, communal mea ...
. Sir John de Clevedon's, daughter,
Katherine Katherine (), also spelled Catherine and Catherina, other variations, is a feminine given name. The name and its variants are popular in countries where large Christian populations exist, because of its associations with one of the earliest Ch ...
, founded England's first free school. The de Clevedon family line ended in 1376, and the manor eventually passed, by marriage, to the
Northamptonshire Northamptonshire ( ; abbreviated Northants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...
family of Wake, who were
Lords of the Manor Lord of the manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England and Norman England, referred to the landholder of a historical rural estate. The titles date to the English Feudalism, feudal (specifically English feudal barony, baronial) system. The ...
until 1630. John Wake made major additions to the house in the late 16th century, including a new west wing. The manor was sold by Sir John Wake to Sir John Digby in 1630. Digby's estates were confiscated during the
English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...
, but were recovered after the Restoration by his heir. In 1709 the house was bought by Abraham Elton, a merchant from
Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
. The Eltons were a prominent Bristol family, and Abraham 1st was Sheriff of Bristol in 1702, a member of the
Society of Merchant Venturers The Society of Merchant Venturers is a charitable organisation in the English city of Bristol. The society can be traced back to a 13th-century guild which went on to fund the 15th-century voyage of John Cabot to Canada. In 1552, it gained a mono ...
becoming Master in 1708, Mayor of Bristol in 1710, and
High Sheriff of Gloucestershire This is a list of Sheriffs and High Sheriffs of Gloucestershire, who should not be confused with the Sheriffs of the City of Gloucester. The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown (in England and Wales the office previously kn ...
in 1716. He became a member of
parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
for the five years preceding his death in 1728. He was created a
baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...
in 1717 as the first of the
Elton baronets The Elton Baronetcy, of Bristol, is a title in the Baronetage of Great Britain. It was created on 31 October 1717 for Abraham Elton, Mayor of and Member of Parliament for Bristol from 1722 to 1727. The second Baronet was also Mayor of Bristol ...
. The family wealth originally came from copper and brass (including mining in the
Mendip Hills The Mendip Hills (commonly called the Mendips) is a range of limestone hills to the south of Bristol and Bath, Somerset, Bath in Somerset, England. Running from Weston-super-Mare and the Bristol Channel in the west to the River Frome, Somerset ...
) and other commerce, and property. His descendants, not only at Clevedon, also profited from the
slave trade Slave trade may refer to: * History of slavery - overview of slavery It may also refer to slave trades in specific countries, areas: * Al-Andalus slave trade * Atlantic slave trade ** Brazilian slave trade ** Bristol slave trade ** Danish sl ...
. Sir Abraham Elton was succeeded by four further Sir Abraham Eltons.
Sir Abraham Elton, 2nd Baronet Sir Abraham Elton, 2nd Baronet (Baptism, baptised 30 June 1679 – 20 October 1742) of Bristol and Clevedon Court, Somerset, was a British merchant, slave trader and Whigs (British political party), Whig politician, who sat in the British House ...
, and his son Sir Abraham Elton, 3rd Baronet, were also Sheriff and Mayor of Bristol in their time, and the second Baronet was also MP for
Taunton Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England. It is a market town and has a Minster (church), minster church. Its population in 2011 was 64,621. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century priory, monastic foundation, owned by the ...
1722–1727, succeeding to his father's seat of Bristol in 1727 until his own death in 1742, despite being nearly ruined in the South Seas Bubble crisis. The third Baronet died bankrupt, and the estate (which had been
entailed In English common law, fee tail or entail is a form of trust law, trust, established by deed or settlement, that restricts the sale or inheritance of an estate (law), estate in real property and prevents that property from being sold, devised by ...
to protect it from his creditors) passed in 1761 to his brother, Sir Abraham Isaac Elton, 4th Baronet. He made substantial changes to the house and grounds in the then fashionable
Gothic revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...
style, and was succeeded in 1790 by his son, Sir Abraham Elton, 5th Baronet. He was ordained as a young man, and was a curate in
West Bromwich West Bromwich ( ), commonly known as West Brom, is a market town in the borough of Sandwell, in the county of the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is northwes ...
before inheriting the title. He was a supporter of
Hannah More Hannah More (2 February 1745 – 7 September 1833) was an English religious writer, philanthropist, poet, and playwright in the circle of Johnson, Reynolds and Garrick, who wrote on moral and religious subjects. Born in Bristol, she taught at ...
, and a fervent opponent of
Methodism Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
, at one time inducing the vicar of
Blagdon Blagdon is a village and civil parish in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Somerset, within the unitary authority of North Somerset, in England. It is located in the Mendip Hills, a recognised Area of Outstanding Natural ...
to dismiss his curate, causing a national scandal. His second wife, Mary, made further alterations to the house in the early 19th century, and also made many improvements to the town, including a school. One of the town's modern primary schools is named after her. The line of Abrahams came to an end in 1842 when Sir
Charles Abraham Elton Sir Charles Abraham Elton, 6th Baronet (31 October 1778 – 1 June 1853) was an English officer in the British Army and an author. Life Charles was eldest of three sons of the Rev Sir Abraham Elton, 5th of the Elton baronets, by Elizabeth, daug ...
, 6th Baronet, succeeded his father. Sir Charles was a writer, and contributed to several periodicals including ''
The Gentleman's Magazine ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' was a monthly magazine founded in London, England, by Edward Cave in January 1731. It ran uninterrupted for almost 200 years, until 1907, ceasing publication altogether in 1922. It was the first to use the term ''m ...
''. Sir Charles' sister Julia was married to the historian
Henry Hallam Henry Hallam (9 July 1777 – 21 January 1859) was an English historian. Educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, he practised as a barrister on the Oxford circuit for some years before turning to history. His major works were ''View of th ...
, and his nephew
Arthur Hallam Arthur Henry Hallam (1 February 1811 – 15 September 1833) was an English poet, best known as the subject of a major work, '' In Memoriam'', by his close friend and fellow poet Alfred Tennyson. Hallam has been described as the ''jeune homme fa ...
is buried in the Elton family vault at St Andrew's church. Arthur Hallam is the subject of Alfred Tennyson's poem '' In Memoriam A.H.H.''. Tennyson visited Clevedon Court in 1850, the year in which the poem was published, and also in which he was created Poet Laureate.
William Makepeace Thackeray William Makepeace Thackeray ( ; 18 July 1811 – 24 December 1863) was an English novelist and illustrator. He is known for his Satire, satirical works, particularly his 1847–1848 novel ''Vanity Fair (novel), Vanity Fair'', a panoramic portra ...
was a visitor to the court during Sir Charles's time and it was the inspiration for the house ''Castlewood'' which featured in his novel '' The History of Henry Esmond'' although, contrary to common belief, it is improbable that he wrote any of it at Clevedon Court.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge Samuel Taylor Coleridge ( ; 21 October 177225 July 1834) was an English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian who was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets with his friend William Wordsworth ...
lived in Clevedon briefly during this period and may have visited the Court.
Sir Arthur Elton, 7th Baronet Sir Arthur Hallam Elton, 7th Baronet Deputy Lieutenant, DL (19 April 1818 – 14 October 1883) was a writer and Liberal party (UK), Liberal party politician in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. He was the son of Sir Charles Abraha ...
, inherited the house and title in 1853 and, like his father, was a writer. He resigned as MP for
Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...
in 1859 and spent the rest of his life improving the town, setting up a lending library and allotments, and building and funding the
cottage hospital A cottage hospital is a mostly obsolete type of small hospital, most commonly found in the United Kingdom. The original concept was a small rural building having several beds.The Cottage Hospitals 1859–1990, Dr. Meyrick Emrys-Roberts, Tern Publ ...
(still in existence). All Saints' Church, near the Court, was built in 1860 on the orders of Sir Arthur, and he also made additions to the fabric of the Court itself. The West Wing of the house was largely destroyed by a fire in 1882. It was rebuilt, with C. E. Davis as the architect. During these building works, the chapel was rediscovered, the East window having been filled and altar broken off (perhaps during the English
Protestant Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the papacy and ...
), and the room having been known until then as the "Lady's Bower".
Sir Edmund Elton, 8th Baronet Sir Edmund Harry Elton, 8th Baronet (3 May 1846 – 17 July 1920) was an English inventor and studio potter noted for his production of Elton Ware at the Clevedon Elton Sunflower Pottery. He was the son of the painter Edmund William Elton and L ...
, nephew and son-in-law of Sir Arthur, inherited the estate and title in 1883. He was an enthusiastic voluntary fireman, and inventor of one of the first forked bicycle brakes, as well as a device to prevent ladies' skirts from becoming entangled in bicycle wheels. He was also a well-known potter, setting up his "Sunflower Pottery" in the Court grounds with the help of a local boy called George Masters. "
Elton ware Elton may refer to: Places England * Elton, Cambridgeshire (formerly Huntingdonshire), a village ** Elton Hall, a baronial hall * Elton, Cheshire, a village and civil parish * Elton, County Durham, a village and civil parish in the Borough of ...
" became popular, especially in America where it was marketed by Tiffany & Co. Elton and Masters' work typically has a variety of rich colours,
bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...
decoration of flowers in a style similar to
Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...
, and in the later works metallic glazes are often used. Sir Edmund's son Sir Ambrose succeeded him in 1920. His son Sir Arthur was one of the pioneers of documentary film making in the years prior to, during and after the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, working with
John Grierson John Grierson (26 April 1898 – 19 February 1972) was a Scottish documentary maker, often considered the father of British and Canadian documentary film. In 1926, Grierson coined the term "documentary" in a review of Robert J. Flaherty's '' ...
. He inherited the title on his father's death in 1951. The house was acquired by the Nation, and was given to the National Trust, in part-payment of
death duties International tax law distinguishes between an estate tax and an inheritance tax. An inheritance tax is a tax paid by a person who inherits money or property of a person who has died, whereas an estate tax is a levy on the estate (money and prop ...
, in 1960. The West Wing was immediately demolished, being considered to have no architectural or historical significance, to reduce running costs and to return the house to its supposed mediaeval ground plan. Sir Arthur died in 1973 and was succeeded by his son Sir Charles. The Elton family is still resident in the house, which is now open to the public.


Architecture

The site faces south, with its back to Court Hill, and the road may have passed east–west within of the front door. The great hall, screens passage, porches and chapel blocks have all survived from the early 14th century and the square headed chapel windows contain reticulated
tracery Tracery is an architectural device by which windows (or screens, panels, and vaults) are divided into sections of various proportions by stone ''bars'' or ''ribs'' of moulding. Most commonly, it refers to the stonework elements that support th ...
of the decorated period. These buildings were probably complete by 1322 although the parapets of the porches and chapel may have been remodelled at a later date. The 14th-century building embodied older structures including a small four-storey tower that dates, perhaps, to the mid to late 13th century, and the building that became the 14th-century kitchen (now the museum) was probably the earlier hall. Alterations during the
late mediaeval The late Middle Ages or late medieval period was the period of European history lasting from 1300 to 1500 AD. The late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Europe, the Renaiss ...
period were limited to the addition of a two-storey latrine tower at the rear of the house and some rearrangement of the rooms around it. In about 1570 a substantial west wing was added, adjoining and parallel to the solar wing. Apparently typical of its period, it would have transformed the living arrangements of the Wake family who built it. Presumably at the same time, the front of the solar block and east wing were "Elizabethanised" with new windows, and the
gable end A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...
of the kitchen block at the eastern end was decorated with
finial A finial () or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature. In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a dome, spire, tower, roo ...
s. There is little evidence of the building work that must have been done in the early 1700s following a period of near-disuse and it may have been restricted to repairs. Substantial alterations in the 1760s and 1770s included the replacement and repitching of the great hall roof, the new gothic south window of the great hall complete with the
ogee An ogee ( ) is an object, element, or curve—often seen in architecture and building trades—that has a serpentine- or extended S-shape (Sigmoid curve, sigmoid). Ogees consist of a "double curve", the combination of two semicircle, semicircula ...
parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an upward extension of a wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/brea ...
above it and the provision of a ceiling within the hall. At the same time, the west wing façade was remodelled in "Chinese Gothic" style. Sir Arthur Elton (7th Bt) began updating the house before 1850 (and the lodge at the gate dates from 1851) but it was in 1860s that he made major changes. The west wing was extended and remodelled, this time with an
Elizabethan The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The Roman symbol of Britannia (a female per ...
style façade. Less obvious alterations to the east end (where the servants lived and worked) probably also date to this period. The fire of 1882 destroyed much of the western end of the house. In the rebuilding that followed, an even larger west end was constructed but Sir Arthur took pains to ensure that its Elizabethan south front was conserved and retained. Postcards of Clevedon reveal that the last change to the great hall window was made in about 1912, when it was given a square head again, in Elizabethan style. In the late 1950s, when the
National Trust The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...
agreed to take on the house, the Victorian west wing (but not its Elizabethan south front) were demolished as were a plethora of minor 18th- and 19th-century buildings at the rear. The new west front was given a stonework façade and incorporated the Elizabethan south front.


Outbuildings

In the grounds, the only certain survivor from the medieval period is the small crenellated drum tower. Its original purpose is unknown. It adjoins a substantial wall that may also have origins in the 13th century. The other garden walls have unknown dates of origin but mostly pre-date around 1730, when the stables were built. All of the other buildings, including the lodge at the South entrance (1851) are Georgian or
Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...
. The medieval appearance of the eastern barn resulting from incorporation of stone from the former medieval barn that stood in front of the house. An early picture of the court shows a building known as Wake's Tower on Court Hill. It is included in Saxton's map of 1570 but was demolished before 1738. Towers such as this were popular Elizabethan features and were lookouts or
summer house A summer house or summerhouse is a building or shelter used for relaxation in warm weather. This would often take the form of a small, roofed building on the grounds of a larger one, but could also be built in a garden or park, often designed t ...
s. A summerhouse was built on the site but this too was in ruins by the early 19th century.


Interior

The central and largest room in the house is the
great hall A great hall is the main room of a royal palace, castle or a large manor house or hall house in the Middle Ages. It continued to be built in the country houses of the 16th and early 17th centuries, although by then the family used the great cha ...
which was the original dining room and the accompanying screens passage which gave access to the hall from the service rooms. The staircase to the north of the hall was added in the 18th century. The state room on the western side of the first floor was damaged by fire in 1882; the oak panelling around the fireplace was brought from the Eltons' former house in
Queen Square, Bristol Queen Square is a Georgian square in the centre of Bristol, England. Following the 1831 riot, Queen Square declined through the latter part of the 19th century, was threatened with a main line railway station, but then bisected by a dual carr ...
. The chapel on the first floor has a rectangular window with reticulated tracery, which dominates the front of the house. The stained glass in the window was added after the 1882 fire. The justice room has had a variety of uses but takes its name from its function as the
manorial court The manorial courts were the lowest courts of law in England during the feudal period. They had a civil jurisdiction limited both in subject matter and geography. They dealt with matters over which the lord of the manor had jurisdiction, primar ...
until the 18th century. The house contains many family portraits and other pictures as well as collections of Eltonware and Nailsea Glass and prints of bridges and railways.


Gardens

The gardens of Clevedon Court are listed (Grade II*) on the
National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens #REDIRECT Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England #REDIRECT Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England {{R from move ...
{{R from move ...
. Nestling at the foot of Court Hill, on a sheltered south-facing site largely protected from the winds which blow off the
Bristol Channel The Bristol Channel (, literal translation: "Severn Sea") is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales (from Pembrokeshire to the Vale of Glamorgan) and South West England (from Devon to North Somerset). It extends ...
, the front lawns of Clevedon Court run gently down to the perimeter wall. The bulk of the house conceals the dramatic architectural quality of the garden behind, carved out of the hillside in a series of terraces, which rise steeply back to merge with the woodland above. They are surrounded by what
Gertrude Jekyll Gertrude Jekyll ( ; 29 November 1843 – 8 December 1932) was a British Horticulture, horticulturist, garden designer, craftswoman, photographer, writer and artist. She created over 400 gardens in the United Kingdom, Europe and the United Sta ...
described as "One of the noblest ranges of terrace walls in England." Although a
court roll A manorial roll or court roll is the roll or record kept of the activities of a manorial court, in particular containing entries relating to the rents and holdings, deaths, alienations, and successions of the customary tenants or copyholders. Th ...
of 1389 mentions two gardens, there is no record of where these were sited, nor is there any record of when the terraces were constructed. The basic layout as known today was certainly in place by about 1730, as can be seen in a portrait of the house from that period. Later in the 18th century, the space behind the great
pilaster In architecture, a pilaster is both a load-bearing section of thickened wall or column integrated into a wall, and a purely decorative element in classical architecture which gives the appearance of a supporting column and articulates an ext ...
ed wall was infilled to make the top terrace, which has wide views across the valley to the
Mendip Hills The Mendip Hills (commonly called the Mendips) is a range of limestone hills to the south of Bristol and Bath, Somerset, Bath in Somerset, England. Running from Weston-super-Mare and the Bristol Channel in the west to the River Frome, Somerset ...
beyond. The Octagon, a garden pavilion, was built about the same time, as was the more rustic summer house which faces it down the long grassy walk of the Pretty Terrace. Further modifications involved facing the lower retaining wall with rosy pink bricks, which were also used to build a double flight of steps below the Octagon. The garden is still largely in its 18th-century form, though small ponds and fountains were added in the 19th century and the once open hillside behind is now thickly wooded. A single rose arbour remained from the
Edwardian In the United Kingdom, the Edwardian era was a period in the early 20th century that spanned the reign of King Edward VII from 1901 to 1910. It is commonly extended to the start of the First World War in 1914, during the early reign of King Ge ...
garden but was on the verge of collapse when it was replaced with a new one in 2009, marking 300 years of the Elton family's presence at Clevedon Court. Very little is known about the mid-18th century planting, although there remains, in front of the house, a gnarled
black mulberry ''Morus nigra'', the black mulberry, is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae that is native to southwestern Asia, where it has been cultivated for so long that its precise natural range is unknown. The black mulberry is known fo ...
tree, which was described as ancient in 1822. However, 19th-century drawings and photographs record increasingly elaborate and fussy bedding schemes, finally swept away in the 1960s. Today there is a more informal style, emphasising the architectural character of the garden with its long straight sweeps of wall; it is also an easier style to maintain. In recent years, native wild plants have been allowed to mingle with rare and exotic specimens and continual thought is being given to contrasting textures and colours of foliage. The lower garden, below the front of the house, now has the air of a small
arboretum An arboretum (: arboreta) is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees and shrubs of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, many modern arbor ...
with a number of fine specimen trees, such as a splendid late-leafing catalpa (an oriental
plane tree ''Platanus'' ( ) is a genus consisting of a small number of tree species native to the Northern Hemisphere. They are the sole living members of the family Platanaceae. All mature members of ''Platanus'' are tall, reaching in height. The type ...
) dominates this part of the garden and the grass at its foot is left uncut during the Spring, allowing
camassia ''Camassia'' is a genus of plants in the asparagus family native to North America. Common names include camas, quamash, Indian hyacinth, camash, and wild hyacinth. It grows in the wild in great numbers in moist meadows. They are perennial pl ...
s and bluebells to make a fine showing. As with many English gardens, this one is at its best in May and June, when the
magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendr ...
s are in bloom and luxurious plants, such as
peonies The peony or paeony () is any flowering plant in the genus ''Paeonia'', the only genus in the family Paeoniaceae. Peonies are native to Asia, Europe, and Western North America. Scientists differ on the number of species that can be distinguishe ...
and
allium ''Allium'' is a large genus of monocotyledonous flowering plants with around 1000 accepted species, making ''Allium'' the largest genus in the family Amaryllidaceae and among the largest plant genera in the world. Many of the species are edible, ...
s, are flowering. An ongoing initiative is being made to put in plants which provide interest throughout the season or are at their best in the late summer. There are now many species and colours of
lavender ''Lavandula'' (common name lavender) is a genus of 47 known species of perennial flowering plants in the sage family, Lamiaceae. It is native plant, native to the Old World, primarily found across the drier, warmer regions of the Mediterranean ...
and plenty of
agapanthus ''Agapanthus'' () is a genus of plants, the only one in the subfamily Agapanthoideae of the family Amaryllidaceae. The family is in the monocot order Asparagales. The name is derived . Some species of ''Agapanthus'' are commonly known as lily o ...
,
crinum ''Crinum'' is a genus of about 180 species of perennial plants that have large showy flowers on leafless stems, and develop from bulbs. They are found in seasonally moist areas, including marshes, swamps, depressions and along the sides of strea ...
,
nerine ''Nerine'' (nerines, Guernsey lily, Jersey lily, spider lily) is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family (biology), family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. They are bulbous perennial plant, perennials, some evergreen, asso ...
s and day lilies, together with such rarities as a
Heptacodium ''Heptacodium miconioides'', the seven-son flower, is a species of flowering plant. It is the sole species in the monotypic genus ''Heptacodium'', of the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae. The common name "seven-son flower" is a direct translatio ...
and an
Arbutus menziesii ''Arbutus menziesii'', or Pacific madrone (commonly madrone or madrona in the United States and arbutus in Canada), is a species of broadleaf evergreen tree in the family Ericaceae. It has waxy foliage, a contorted growth habit, and flaky bark ...
.


See also

*
Grade I listed buildings in North Somerset Grade most commonly refers to: * Grading in education, a measurement of a student's performance by educational assessment (e.g. A, pass, etc.) * A designation for students, classes and curricula indicating the number of the year a student has reach ...
* List of National Trust properties in Somerset


References

{{Reflist


External links


National Trust: Clevedon Court
Houses completed in the 13th century Houses completed in the 14th century National Trust properties in Somerset Grade I listed buildings in North Somerset Tourist attractions in North Somerset Historic house museums in Somerset Buildings and structures in Clevedon Country houses in Somerset Gothic Revival architecture in Somerset Grade I listed houses in Somerset Gardens in Somerset