A Place in the Country
That unique British institution, the country house, experienced a final glorious flowering during the 1930s when labour was cheap and the well-to-do had the time and the means to enjoy their place in the country.
At Stansted Park in West Sussex there were weekend house parties, racing at nearby Goodwood and a private theatre for dramatic entertainments. While beyond the green baize door a butler, two footmen, a housekeeper, a cook and a small army of maids kept the great house running like clockwork. Outside a dozen men or more manicured the gardens and grew nectarines and figs, peaches and melons for the delectation of the ninth Earl and Countess of Bessborough and their guests. Narrated by ANDREW FAULDS
Film editor PETER BARBER
Producer CHRISTOPHER COOK