ThamesMOG visit to Nuffield Place
Description
We are planning a group visit for ThamesMOG members. It would be a mid-week visit.
The NT website for Nuffield Place is now open to book your tour. So please book today to secure your place.
The house is open for guided experiences in the mornings - we recommend all visitors book in advance to guarantee a place. Book online using this link Nuffield Tickets
Nuffield Place reveals the surprisingly down-to-earth lives of William Morris, later Lord Nuffield and founder of the Morris Motor Company, and his wife, Elizabeth.
Their home and personal possessions are just as they left them, the decor and furnishings intact. From the comfortable sitting room with a small black and white TV, to Lord Nuffield's humble bedroom with a secret built-in workshop, this intimate home exudes the tastes and interests of its illustrious owner.
At the height of Lord Nuffield's career, he was reputedly earning £2,000 a day. However, he was never extravagant with his money. Questioned about his riches, he replied: ‘Well, you can only wear one suit at a time.’ Naturally frugal, Lord Nuffield gave away much of his vast fortune. In total he donated £30 million to good causes, the equivalent of £700 million in today's money.
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Description
Set high in the Chilterns, Nuffield Place, near Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire is the only surviving home with its contents intact of William Morris, Lord Nuffield.
Left almost exactly as it was when Lord Nuffield died, the house and its contents are a revealing and intimate glimpse into the character, interests and life of one of the world’s greatest entrepreneurs and benefactors, yet a man who remains relatively unknown today.
The house is also a rare survival of a complete, upper-middle class home of the 1930s. It retains the majority of the furniture and contents acquired by Lord and Lady Nuffield when they took up residence, as well as having several rooms still decorated in the 1930's style.
Many of Lord and Lady Nuffield’s personal belongings are still where they left them, offering an intimate glimpse into their world. Robes worn to official functions, personal letters and books, and framed cartoons and photographs can be seen throughout the house.
Much of the original decoration and many of the furnishings also remain making it a rare example of a complete 1930s country home.
Lord Nuffield’s love of mechanical things can be seen behind cupboard doors in his bedroom which hid a miniature workshop with lathe and tools. It was here that he would relieve nights of insomnia by doing delicate metal work.