Protecting, conserving and enhancing Lydiard House and Park

The Friends of Lydiard Park are an independent charity supporting and promoting interest, engagement and research into this important Palladian House, its beautiful grounds, the ancient church of St. Mary and the lives of people who have lived, worked and played here across the centuries.

News

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Vernon St.John, Lord of the Butterflies

Vernon Henry St.John was the last lord to live at Lydiard Park. Join us as we attempt to draw together the story of this retiring and reflective man, whose life and quiet achievements have so often been eclipsed by the scandal of his birth.

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Vernon St.John, Lord of the Butterflies

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Events

Countrymen: An illustrated talk and celebration in words and song of Richard Jefferies and Vernon St.John

Date: 16th October 2024

Time: 7:00 pm (Doors Open at 6:30 pm)

Venue: Lydiard House

An illustrated talk and celebration in words and song of acclaimed nature writer Richard Jefferies and Vernon St.John, Lydiard’s last Lord and lifelong naturalist.

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Tales of Lydiard

Step into the story of Lydiard House and Park and explore the interesting, quirky and sometimes scandalous tales from its fascinating past and ongoing history.

Lydiard Ladies and Their Loyal Dogs
Published on: 25th September 2024
Dogs are a familiar sight in portraits and there are a couple featured in the collection at Lydiard Park. In one of Lady...
Lord of the Butterflies
Published on: 29th July 2024
In 1940 following the death of his mother, Vernon St.John 6th Viscount Bolingbroke had little option but to leave the...
From Lydiard to Mapledurham and the Tower of London | A tale of two families
Published on: 27th June 2024
In the peaceful countryside, facing each other across the River Thames, once lay two estates. On the north bank in...

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The Lydiard Archives

Visit the Lydiard Archives, our unique on-line collection of objects, portraits, records, manuscripts, photographs, memories, and ephemera related to Lydiard Park.

Anne Barr Collection

A fascinating collection of St.John family memorabilia, generously donated to The Friends of Lydiard Park by Anne Barr in 2023, a former friend of Vernon Henry St.John, 6th Viscount Bolingbroke. Read more

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Explore Lydiard

Discover this beautiful mansion and parkland through all the seasons. Enjoy our year-round Nature Watch, and fun family indoor and outdoor trails, and explore its historic features, landscape, and architecture.

Fungi in the Lydiard Woodlands

This is the time of year when fungi rules the Lydiard Woods. The word “fungi” is a group of organisms that include yeast...

September Fruits and Flowers

As we celebrate the fruits of autumn in Lydiard's walled garden, a recent browse through Lady Johanna's 17th-Century recipe...

Lydiard Park's Cygnets on the Lake

We are delighted to say that as of the middle of July, our Lydiard cygnets are growing rapidly, and are spending a lot of...

Family Discovery Trails

Family Discovery Trails Put on your family detective hats and follow our three cartoon trails to explore Lydiard Park,...

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Do you have a story/photo of Lydiard?

We’d love to hear your memories of Lydiard. The house, park, and church have all featured in the lives of many local people, from early farming families to the residents of the 1950’s Lydiard Park Estate, and those who have grown up with the park as their playground and backdrop to memorable events. Do you have a story or photograph you’d like to share?

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Meet a Friend

Last month Per-Axel Warensjo stepped down as a Trustee of the Friends of Lydiard Park and we’d like to take this opportunity to thank him for his years of support, particularly when Lydiard was threatened by outsourcing to the private sector. The good news is that he will remain a member of the Friends so we will see him at future events.

Lydiard Park and the St.John Family

Lydiard House and Park are all that remain of a once great estate which belonged to the St,John family, Viscounts Bolingbroke, for over 500 years. You can see their portraits, from Elizabethan times onwards, in the elegant State Rooms of Lydiard House and monuments to them adorn the adjacent Church of St. Mary’s.

The St. John’s story is inseparable from the great events of British history, affected by their kinship to the Tudor monarchy and played out in their tragic involvement in the bloody Civil War. Political fame in the 18th century was followed by years of financial decline triggered by the 2nd Vsct. Bolingbroke’s penchant for gambling and lavish expenditure. As the St. John’s fortunes declined Lydiard House fell into increasing neglect, eventually leading to its sale to Swindon Corporation in 1943.

The St. John’s departure was by no means the end of the story. Swindon Corporation’s purchase and restoration of Lydiard House and Park, is a remarkable tale of vision and determination, shared and remembered by many thousands of people to this day.

Abundant further resources and information about Lydiard Park, the St.John family and their history can be found at The Lydiard Archives, the digital resource library created by The Friends of Lydiard Park. Members of the Friends of Lydiard Park also enjoy unlimited access to the online St.John Family Tree, with over five thousand people and fifteen hundred places related to the St.John Family dating back to the 8th Century.

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Membership & Support

Being a member of The Friends of Lydiard Park is a fab way of being informed of everything about Lydiard, past, present and future, with ample opportunities to take an active part in its upkeep and history.

Billy Beaumont

By joining the Friends of Lydiard Park you will be part of a large sociable group helping to ensure that this important part of our local and national heritage is more widely recognised, enjoyed and preserved for future generations.

  • Free entry to Lydiard House and walled garden
  • Reduced price entry to programme of talks & events
  • Invitations to social events in May and at Christmas
  • Summer outing to historic house/garden destinations
  • Private members access to St. John & related families database
  • Opportunities to get involved in special projects