Charleston
One of life’s greatest pleasures is exploring someone else’s home, and dreaming of living there yourself – if you liked it, of course. Do the owners share your tastes? Have nicer knick-knacks? Have they worked wonders with their lawn? Are there skeletons in the cupboard?
Twice a year, in autumn and spring, Charleston in South Carolina, USA, opens the doors of many of its architecturally finest and most fabulously decorated private houses and gardens to allow visitors a jolly good nose round. These beautiful abodes provide brilliant inspiration and also come with many a riveting tale from days past, from duels and murder, to pirate’s treasure and even a sex-change operation.
English colonists founded Charleston – or Charles Town – in 1680 on land granted to them by King Charles II. Local preservation organisations have worked hard to save some historic properties and gardens – Colonial and later Georgian, Federal, Classical Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Victorian and Art Discover the colourful past of America’s historic Charleston by visiting its remarkable homes Deco – as well as imposing antebellum plantation mansions.
The 37th Annual Fall Tour Of Homes And Gardens event – a kind of through the keyhole on a grand scale – takes place until 27 October – www.preservationsociety.org – and jolly interesting these tours are, too. A volunteer guide introduces the highlights of individual homes and gardens; inside, other guides share stories about the house’s colourful former inhabitants. Take, for example, 21 King Street, which was built in 1856 by Patrick O’Donnell for his prospective bride, but took so long to construct that the bride-to-be married someone else in the meantime.
Residents of numbers 14 and 15 Legare Street were involved in a gun fight, the protagonists firing shots at each other from upstairs windows, and at 37 Meeting Street there’s pirate’s treasure buried in the garden – allegedly. Number 56 Society Street was once owned by a Dr Joseph Johnson, father of 15 children. It was also the home of Dawn Langley Simmons, who started life as Gordon Langley Hall, and was the subject of much local gossip. Meanwhile, one of the best plantation homes is Magnolia Plantation, founded in 1676. The 30-acre gardens are stunning, and are famous for their azaleas.
Middleton Place claims to have America’s oldest landscaped gardens, which have spectacular views over the Ashley River and woodlands. You can explore the 18th-century plantation by horse-drawn carriage.
Charleston also offers culinary tours, ghost and graveyard walks, haunted pub crawls and boat tours. Meanwhile, the place to stay is Orient-Express Hotels’ Charleston Place in the city’s historic district, which has the elegance of a grand 17th-century mansion with all the comfort of a modern, first-class hotel.
I loved it – and I’d be very happy if this was my home.
Getting there: North America Travel Service offers a four-night trip to Charleston from £1,125 per person, including Delta Air Lines flights from Heathrow to Charleston via Atlanta, and four nights at Charleston Place, travelling in November.
08451-228899, www. charlestonplace.com www.northamericatravelservice.co.uk For more on Charleston, visit www.charlestoncvb.com
Contact Wendy at wendy.gomersall@lady.co.uk
ALL GREEK Food lovers will adore Citta dei Nicliani, a boutique hotel in the southern Peloponnese, Greece – www.cittadeinicliani.gr A&K is offering five nights from £475pp, including flights and car rental.
0845-485 1143, www.abercrombiekent.co.uk
FRIGHT NIGHT 26 October is Halloween night at Seaham Hall near Durham, with a dinner with wine, from £325 for two people including overnight stay and breakfast.
0191-516 1400, www.seaham-hall.co.uk
BUBBLES TOUR Voyages Jules Verne’s six-night Champagne Waterways cruise aboard MS Raymonde, a CroisiEuropeoperated barge, includes tastings of the region’s bubbles. From £1,995pp, it departs 12 June, 10 July and 4 September 2014.
0845-166 7035, www.vjv.com
FOREST WALKS The New Forest Walking Festival is from 26 October to 3 November – www. newforestnpa.gov.uk Stay at B&B Cottage Lodge, Brockenhurst Village, from £120pp for three nights midweek.
01590-622296, www.cottagelodge.co.uk
Twice a year, in autumn and spring, Charleston in South Carolina, USA, opens the doors of many of its architecturally finest and most fabulously decorated private houses and gardens to allow visitors a jolly good nose round. These beautiful abodes provide brilliant inspiration and also come with many a riveting tale from days past, from duels and murder, to pirate’s treasure and even a sex-change operation.
English colonists founded Charleston – or Charles Town – in 1680 on land granted to them by King Charles II. Local preservation organisations have worked hard to save some historic properties and gardens – Colonial and later Georgian, Federal, Classical Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Victorian and Art Discover the colourful past of America’s historic Charleston by visiting its remarkable homes Deco – as well as imposing antebellum plantation mansions.
The 37th Annual Fall Tour Of Homes And Gardens event – a kind of through the keyhole on a grand scale – takes place until 27 October – www.preservationsociety.org – and jolly interesting these tours are, too. A volunteer guide introduces the highlights of individual homes and gardens; inside, other guides share stories about the house’s colourful former inhabitants. Take, for example, 21 King Street, which was built in 1856 by Patrick O’Donnell for his prospective bride, but took so long to construct that the bride-to-be married someone else in the meantime.
Residents of numbers 14 and 15 Legare Street were involved in a gun fight, the protagonists firing shots at each other from upstairs windows, and at 37 Meeting Street there’s pirate’s treasure buried in the garden – allegedly. Number 56 Society Street was once owned by a Dr Joseph Johnson, father of 15 children. It was also the home of Dawn Langley Simmons, who started life as Gordon Langley Hall, and was the subject of much local gossip. Meanwhile, one of the best plantation homes is Magnolia Plantation, founded in 1676. The 30-acre gardens are stunning, and are famous for their azaleas.
Middleton Place claims to have America’s oldest landscaped gardens, which have spectacular views over the Ashley River and woodlands. You can explore the 18th-century plantation by horse-drawn carriage.
Charleston also offers culinary tours, ghost and graveyard walks, haunted pub crawls and boat tours. Meanwhile, the place to stay is Orient-Express Hotels’ Charleston Place in the city’s historic district, which has the elegance of a grand 17th-century mansion with all the comfort of a modern, first-class hotel.
I loved it – and I’d be very happy if this was my home.
Getting there: North America Travel Service offers a four-night trip to Charleston from £1,125 per person, including Delta Air Lines flights from Heathrow to Charleston via Atlanta, and four nights at Charleston Place, travelling in November.
08451-228899, www. charlestonplace.com www.northamericatravelservice.co.uk For more on Charleston, visit www.charlestoncvb.com
Contact Wendy at wendy.gomersall@lady.co.uk
ALL GREEK Food lovers will adore Citta dei Nicliani, a boutique hotel in the southern Peloponnese, Greece – www.cittadeinicliani.gr A&K is offering five nights from £475pp, including flights and car rental.
0845-485 1143, www.abercrombiekent.co.uk
FRIGHT NIGHT 26 October is Halloween night at Seaham Hall near Durham, with a dinner with wine, from £325 for two people including overnight stay and breakfast.
0191-516 1400, www.seaham-hall.co.uk
BUBBLES TOUR Voyages Jules Verne’s six-night Champagne Waterways cruise aboard MS Raymonde, a CroisiEuropeoperated barge, includes tastings of the region’s bubbles. From £1,995pp, it departs 12 June, 10 July and 4 September 2014.
0845-166 7035, www.vjv.com
FOREST WALKS The New Forest Walking Festival is from 26 October to 3 November – www. newforestnpa.gov.uk Stay at B&B Cottage Lodge, Brockenhurst Village, from £120pp for three nights midweek.
01590-622296, www.cottagelodge.co.uk