Packwood's Spirit of Place

Good morning readers and firstly I need to Thank Everyone and give you big hugs and slices of metaphorical cake for being so excited and interested in this little blog so early in its inception. People have been so kind in sharing their favourite memories of Packwood and I can see it has captured many hearts before mine (such a charmer!) It’s also been lovely to speak to other Volunteers via the @VolunteerJessie twitter. The sense of community within the National Trust across all the various roles is something that makes it such a special company to be involved with; you really get the sense of everyone pursuing the same goal in their own way.

So I know I said I’d be back to share my story about becoming a volunteer and I promise I’ll get to that but I wanted to share with you first Packwood’s ‘Spirit of Place’. When someone else has got the words ‘just, so right’ in their description it seems criminal not to use them. It also goes some way to explaining what drew me to Packwood in the first place. I feel my story and its story share a lot of the same principles. Besides you will hear plenty of my own unique take on describing this ethereal place.

Packwood has a quality that makes it seem locked in time. This makes it atmospheric and dreamy. From that first thrilling glimpse of the dark, silent multitude of he Yew Garden, Packwood has a quality that draws you in and holds you – in a sort of suspended animation.

Packwood offers small-scale escapism, and a window into the mind of a wealthy perfectionist and idealist who remodelled the house with an eye for glamour, quality and perhaps surprisingly – conservation. Packwood is endearing and yet a little unreal –with its film-like combination of sepia (the faded browns and greens of the interior), and juxtaposition of formal (Yew garden, highly polished furniture) and informal (love-in-a-mist tumbling over clipped lawn, cascades of fragrant climbers, a sprung floor for dancing).

But Packwood is not locked in time. Owned and developed over the centuries by aspirational people – gentleman farmers, Black Country industrialists – akin to other properties in the area. It has a spirit of renewal and regeneration, brought about with great care and attention to detail. This can be seen in the creative and visionary approach to looking after the gardens today, as well as the remodelling of the house by Baron Ash in the 1930’s. All of this is done with the aim of providing comfort and delight for guests.

When a 1930s visitor wrote about Packwood, she noted its ability to influence mood and resonate with aspirations and values. Today people who work, volunteer and visit Packwood also speak mainly of its sense of calm and change of pace. In other words, Packwood remains ‘a house to dream of and a garden to dream in’.