Buscot Park
Buscot Park is located in the town of Faringdon in Oxfordshire, England. The 18th century neoclassical country house sits on 100 acres, which includes woodlands, lakes, formal gardens, walled gardens, a swinging garden, a water garden, a pond, a pool, an obelisk sundial, and numerous statuary. The mansion was built for Edward Loveden and inherited by his infant nephew Edward Loveden Townsend. The estate continued down the family line until 1859, when Pryse Pryse sold the estate to Robert Tertius Campbell. Campbell was an Australian who made a fortune in the gold trade. Campbell turned Buscot into an industrialized farm, but due to bankruptcy, he sold the estate in 1887. In 1889, Buscot was sold to financier, Alexander Henderson who later became the 1st Lord of Faringdon. Henderson had the house remodeled, built the two balancing pavilions, and had the water garden created. In 1948, Ernest Cook purchased the estate and leased the house and garden back to Lord Faringdon II. Lord Faringdon II was a member of the labor party, and many prominent socialists spent time at Buscot during Lord Faringdon’s weekend parties. Cook bequeathed the estate to the National Trust in 1956 and the contents were transferred to the Trustees of the Faringdon Collection. The present Lord Faringdon lives on the estate and administers the property and house on behalf of the National Trust. The house contains artworks by some of my favorite painters, which were collected by the Faringdon lords. Rembrandt, Reynolds, Rubens, and van Dyck grace the walls of this home, along with terracotta panels, period furniture, gilt-metal chandeliers, bronzes, original plasterwork ceilings, and more. Buscot Park is open to the public but currently closed.
