'It was grand, untouched and cheap — too tempting to ignore': Isabel Bannerman on her (rather amazing) first house in the country
The gardener and writer Isabel Bannerman went in at the deep end with her first country house: a 300-year-old, Grade I-listed Baroque mansion that was falling to pieces.
Where was your first ‘country’ house?
Set in 12 acres in Chippenham, Wiltshire.
A quick description
A Grade I-listed Baroque mansion built in 1727 with a Bath-stone façade.
How did you find it?
My husband Julian bought it [The Ivy] before he met me in 1981. It was derelict and boarded up. He had a friend living nearby who spotted it, but whose wife refused to let him buy it — so he passed it on.
What made him buy it?
Julian thought it was too tempting to ignore — it was grand, untouched and cheap.
Favourite aspect of the house
It had fabulous interiors, including the most incredible mahogany staircase, where we were jokily blessed during the wedding party that we held before the project to restore the house got under way.
Best memory of it
Apart from coming back from the hospital with my first baby, probably our wedding. We had 150 guests and no facilities. There was no electricity. Everyone dressed in Baroque clothes and had a picnic of bread, pâté and cherries.
Biggest mistake
Housebuilders offered Julian the walled garden for £1 if he would agree to them constructing two or three houses on the edge of the land. He refused and regretted it, as we could have made it into a wonderful garden.
Anything unusual about it
The setting. In the early 18th century, it must have been fun overlooking the A4. By the time Julian bought it, it was marooned on an island between two main roads and we had to build up mounds to disguise them.
Isabel and Julian Bannerman in their present home in Somerset.
Biggest indulgence
Using traditional distempers on the walls and linseed-oil paint for the woodwork. We bought them from Potmolen Paint in Wiltshire.
What happened to it?
We sold it to a judge and bought Hanham Court in Bristol.
Isabel Bannerman is a garden designer, writer and photographer — you can see more of her work Country Life here, or at her website. Her current home in Somerset was featured in Country Life earlier in April — you can read that article here.
The West Wing of The Ivy in Chippenham is presently for sale via Knight Frank — see more details here.
An online course Creating a Romantic English Country Garden with Isabel and Julian Bannerman is available through Create Academy.
This feature originally appeared in the April 15 issue of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.
