Overview

'I tend to regard Renishaw as the mistress of my old age, beautiful, charming, moody and unpredictable.' -- Sir Reresby Sitwell. Renishaw Hall in Derbyshire has been the seat of the Sitwell family since 1625. Its remarkable story is only matched by that of the family who have dwelled there, and with whose fortunes it has risen and fallen, only to rise again. Modern Renishaw's real creator was the under-estimated Sir George Sitwell, a pioneer of the Baroque revival and a gardener of genius, but caricatured as a buffoon by his son Osbert. Better known are his children, the Trio - Osbert, Edith and Sacheverell - who were the Bloomsbury Group's rivals in the 1920s and leading literary figures in the 1950s and 60s. In telling the tale of the Sitwells through the centuries, Desmond Seward also takes us on a tour through English history, to the house's restoration at the end of the twentieth century, and the return to its former glory as a jewel of British heritage, winning the coveted Historic Houses' Association Award for Garden of the Year in 2015.

Full Product Details

9781783961832

Table of Contents

Reviews

He resurrects generations of forgotten Sitwells ... rescuing them from the mists of time and telling us just enough about them to make us long to know more -John Carey, Sunday Times; A balanced and beautifully written book ... an unexpected thing: original and full of new information, as well as a delightful read. -John Martin Robinson, Country Life

He resurrects generations of forgotten Sitwells ... rescuing them from the mists of time and telling us just enough about them to make us long to know more -John Carey, Sunday Times; A balanced and beautifully written book ... an unexpected thing: original and full of new information, as well as a delightful read. -John Martin Robinson, Country Life; Seward has told the roller-coaster, sometimes funny and sometimes poignant family history tale very well. ... The most famous Sitwells may be no more, and the present family may have much to live up to (or alternatively, perhaps, live down) - but, after reading this entertaining account, we can hope that long may they continue to do so -John Van der Kiste, thebookbag.co.uk

He resurrects generations of forgotten Sitwells ... rescuing them from the mists of time and telling us just enough about them to make us long to know more -John Carey, Sunday Times

Author Information

Better known as a historian of the Middle Ages, born in Paris and educated at Ampleforth and Cambridge, Desmond Seward is the author of many books, including The Monks of War: The Military Religious Orders, The Hundred Years War, The Wars of the Roses, Eleanor of Aquitaineand and The Last White Rose: the Spectre at the Tudor Court 1485-1547. He has been visiting Renishaw for forty years.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available