Faringdon House, Grade I listed country house in Great Faringdon, England.
Faringdon House is a Georgian manor in Great Faringdon, England, sitting just north of the parish church with views over the Thames valley. The estate includes an orangery, a swimming pool, and a small ornamental lake crossed by a bridge.
The current building was erected between 1770 and 1785 for Sir Henry James Pye, after a fire destroyed an earlier Elizabethan mansion on the same site. That reconstruction gave the house its Georgian character, which it has kept ever since.
Lord Berners, who lived here from 1918 until his death, was known for placing handwritten signs with witty messages throughout the rooms. Visitors can still sense his playful character in the way the house and garden are arranged.
It is worth checking access conditions before visiting, as entry to the estate can vary depending on the time of year. Comfortable walking shoes are a good idea for exploring the grounds and the area around the lake.
Lord Berners used to dye the pigeons in his garden in different colors, which gave visitors an unexpected sight. He also regularly invited a horse named Moti to join him for tea, making the estate one of the more unusual in England at the time.
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