West Wycombe Park

Cookham is always a great place to stop over. A leisurely morning with a few house keeping chores before wandering to the village. Chilled out for most of the morning, then lunch. 

The Music Temple on an island in the landscape at West Wycombe Park. A stunning garden item in the tradition of Capability Brown. 

After lunch we headed off to West Wycombe House and Park. We driven passed this old estate many times but never seemed to make it through the gates. So today was the day! 

An estate, like many others, that was a tale of one generation making the money, the next enjoying it and the next loosing it!  Well, something like that. But, here the family still resides after 300 years!

Three views of West Wycombe House. 

The park that the house sits in is vast and also very well laid out. A most enjoyable walk around the property. We visited the house on a guided tour. No photos were permitted because it was still being lived in. It was an interesting assortment of rooms built and decorated in the Italian Palladian style. 

Smaller buildings form part of the parkland at West Wycombe. 

Some interesting bridges connecting various parts of the parklands. 

A spikey bridge - not the best place to perch!

We later drove on to Great Missenden, being sent up a series of very narrow roads by Tom - and not the first time either! Great Missenden was our overnight stop. 

Not an easy road to pass anyone on!