The Friends of Lydiard Park are an independent charity supporting and promoting interest, engagement and research into this important Palladian House, its beautiful grounds, the ancient church of St. Mary and the lives of people who have lived, worked and played here across the centuries.
Date: 20th November 2024
Time: 12:00 - 2:00 pm
Venue: Lydiard Park Hotel and Conference Centre
Author Talk, Lunch and Book Signing: Join Elizabeth St.John, bestselling author of The Lydiard Chronicles and The Godmother’s Secret, as she presents her critically acclaimed new historical fiction novel, The King’s Intelligencer. Travel back with Elizabeth to 17th-century Lydiard Park, meet the family intelligencers, and join the discovery of the missing Princes in the Tower.
Step into the story of Lydiard House and Park and explore the interesting, quirky and sometimes scandalous tales from its fascinating past and ongoing history.
Visit the Lydiard Archives, our unique on-line collection of objects, portraits, records, manuscripts, photographs, memories, and ephemera related to Lydiard Park.
A fascinating collection of St.John family memorabilia, generously donated to The Friends of Lydiard Park by Anne Barr in 2023, a former friend of Vernon Henry St.John, 6th Viscount Bolingbroke. Read more
Discover this beautiful mansion and parkland through all the seasons. Enjoy our year-round Nature Watch, and fun family indoor and outdoor trails, and explore its historic features, landscape, and architecture.
Winter may be coming and we may need to dig out our warm coats for a walk in the park, but there is still plenty to see and...
This is the time of year when fungi rules the Lydiard Woods. The word “fungi” is a group of organisms that include yeast...
We are delighted to say that as of the middle of July, our Lydiard cygnets are growing rapidly, and are spending a lot of...
Family Discovery Trails Put on your family detective hats and follow our three cartoon trails to explore Lydiard Park,...
We’d love to hear your memories of Lydiard. The house, park, and church have all featured in the lives of many local people, from early farming families to the residents of the 1950’s Lydiard Park Estate, and those who have grown up with the park as their playground and backdrop to memorable events. Do you have a story or photograph you’d like to share?
Submit a story/photo
Colin Davies and his wife Marion have been members of the Friends since 2005 after Colin’s work at the BMW group in Swindon brought him an unexpected new interest at Lydiard Park
Lydiard House and Park are all that remain of a once great estate which belonged to the St,John family, Viscounts Bolingbroke, for over 500 years. You can see their portraits, from Elizabethan times onwards, in the elegant State Rooms of Lydiard House and monuments to them adorn the adjacent Church of St. Mary’s.
The St. John’s story is inseparable from the great events of British history, affected by their kinship to the Tudor monarchy and played out in their tragic involvement in the bloody Civil War. Political fame in the 18th century was followed by years of financial decline triggered by the 2nd Vsct. Bolingbroke’s penchant for gambling and lavish expenditure. As the St. John’s fortunes declined Lydiard House fell into increasing neglect, eventually leading to its sale to Swindon Corporation in 1943.
The St. John’s departure was by no means the end of the story. Swindon Corporation’s purchase and restoration of Lydiard House and Park, is a remarkable tale of vision and determination, shared and remembered by many thousands of people to this day.
Abundant further resources and information about Lydiard Park, the St.John family and their history can be found at The Lydiard Archives, the digital resource library created by The Friends of Lydiard Park. Members of the Friends of Lydiard Park also enjoy unlimited access to the online St.John Family Tree, with over five thousand people and fifteen hundred places related to the St.John Family dating back to the 8th Century.
Join Us
The evening ends with a beautiful rendition of the famous carol, In the Bleak Midwinter
Being a member of The Friends of Lydiard Park is a fab way of being informed of everything about Lydiard, past, present and future, with ample opportunities to take an active part in its upkeep and history.
By joining the Friends of Lydiard Park you will be part of a large sociable group helping to ensure that this important part of our local and national heritage is more widely recognised, enjoyed and preserved for future generations.
