#50places2026 Archives - James Clay Stuff

February 16, 2026

Coleton Fishacre #50places2026

I had looked into visiting Coleton Fishacre last year before my membership ran out, but I missed getting there before they closed for the winter.

They reopened on the 14th February, I hadn’t planned to go on the day they reopened for the new season, but the weather forecast was saying it was going to be sunny and dry, and after weeks of rain, it was too much of an opportunity to miss.

I left early and arrived just before the property opened. I walked to the house and waited a short while before the front door was unlocked and in I went.

Coleton Fishacre

1920s country retreat of the D’Oyly Carte family. Arts and Crafts exterior, Art Deco interiors, servants quarters, sea views.

Current saving -£28.50
One adult £17.00
Parking £3.60
Total saving £20.60
Cumulative saving £88.10
Membership cost £96
Net cumulative saving -£7.90

Virtually all the house is open to view which was nice. I explored the upper floor first and there were some amazing views of the grounds and the sea in the distance. Unfortunately most of the original furniture was sold or disposed of, however the house has been dressed to resemble how it looked when it was built in the 1920s. There was a Country Life magazine feature on the house, so they have some reference photographs they can use. The National Trust also had some replica furniture built to match the items in the photography.

After exploring the first floor, it was down to the ground floor with the main living spaces as well as the ancillary areas such as the kitchen and pantry.

It was a beautiful house and I really appreciated been able to explore virtually all the rooms in the house.

I then stopped for a cold drink in the cafe before heading into the woods for a walk. There is a viewpoint overlooking the sea which was lovely.

Overall a lovely visit to a lovely house.

February 15, 2026

Behind Closed Doors Stourhead #50places2026

I had visited Stourhead nearly ten years ago back in May 2016. I honestly did not realise that it had been so long. I had a National Trust membership in 2023, but never got back to Stourhead that year. Last year I had planned to do a Behind Closed Doors tour, but a work thing meant I had to cancel. The tour is one of the reasons why I wanted to renew my membership for 2026.

Having arrived at the property, I was pleased to see EV chargers, so I put the Funky Cat on charge. I was less pleased to see that there had been a cable theft from the rapid chargers.

I went to reception and then headed to the house.

Stourhead

One of the first grand Palladian-style villas to be built in England, with a carriage entrance leading to the piano nobile, or main floor. World-famous landscape garden with a lake set among lawns and classical temples, surrounded by trees and with sweeping views.

Current saving -£56
One adult £23.00
Parking £4.50
Total saving £27.50
Cumulative saving £67.50
Membership cost £96
Net cumulative saving -£28.50

The tour was a one hour tour and took in the parts of the house that aren’t normally open to visitors. This included the second floor rooms, which included the nursery, as well as the servants’ bedrooms. We also were taken into the basement kitchens as well.

I found the tour fascinating and really enjoyed going behind the scenes. I had enjoyed a similar tour at Dunster Castle last March. I think I will look into similar tours at other properties.

I had booked in for the tour, however the house’s state rooms weren’t open, so I will be probably heading back there sometime again this year.

After the tour I went to the cafe for a drink and a bite to eat. I had a quiche, but wasn’t that enamoured with it, too many cranberries.

I did however go and explore the gardens.

The repair of the dam, meant that I couldn’t do the full circuit of the lake, however then the rain started to come down, so I headed back to the car park and to head back home.

February 7, 2026

Venice #50newplaces2026

So I did something mad, I did a day trip to Venice.

Actually as day trips go to Venice, I have done a fair few, but this time was the first day trip to Venice from the UK. I have been to Venice before.

My first visit to Venice was way back in 1982 whilst on a Scout Camp to Slovenia in Yugoslavia. I also went there in 1985 when we did another camp to Yugoslavia. That was a three coach drive.

My next visit was when I stayed with a friend in Padua. I think this was the summer of 1995. I visited again a number of times in the late 1990s, usually during February to coincide with carnival. Then I was catching the train from Padua to Venice.

It was 1999 (or possibly 1998) that I did my last trip to Venice. So, it had been at least twenty five years since I was last in Venice and also the last time I had been in Italy.

What I love about Venice is that it is one of those places which every time you turn a corner or cross a bridge you feel immersed into the fabric of the city. There are obviously no cars or roads (yes there are canals), but the streets are narrow and I love the almost random squares that appear out of nowhere.

One of the advantages of going off-season is that the place is a lot less crowded than at the height of carnival or in the heat of the summer. I was very lucky with the weather, it rained the day before, and the day after, on the day I was there I had sun and blue skies. I did a few tourist things, but what I really wanted was just to walk around and explore the city.

I had a fantastic lunch for €17 at a trattoria, sitting outside on the “pavement” watching the world go by.

You know when you’ve had a good day, when you don’t want to leave.

I might go again, but I won’t leave it twenty five years this time.

January 26, 2026January 26, 2026

Montacute House #50places2026

After enjoying my National Trust membership in 2023, I decided I would rejoin the Trust for 2025. Having also enjoyed my visits across 2025, I made the decision to renew for 2026. There are quite a few properties that I missed in 2025 which I want to visit.

Montacute House

Montacute is a masterpiece of Elizabethan Renaissance architecture and design. With its towering walls of glass, glow of ham stone and surrounding garden and parkland, it is a place of beauty and wonder.

Current saving -£71
One adult £15.00
Parking – Free
Total saving £15.00
Cumulative saving £40
Membership cost £96
Net cumulative saving -£56

I have been to Montacute House before, but I didn’t visit last year. It’s quite local to me, being just over an hour away by car. I had visited Montacute House before in August 2016 and January 2023.

I didn’t go there last year as part of my membership. The main reason was that the upper floors were closed. The staircases had been closed for safety reasons back in August 2023. They are still closed, but the plans to fix them are now in place.

On both the previous visits the upper floors were open and I was able to walk along the magnificent long gallery on the second floor. This photograph was from my 2023 visit.

I am planning to make a return visit later in the year when the staircases are fixed. After visiting Montacute House I did consider visiting one of the other nearby properties, but they were all closed for the winter. When I do visit them later in the year I might make a quick visit to Montacute House and explore the gardens when they’re dry.

January 15, 2026January 16, 2026

Marlow #50places2026

Marlow is a town on the River Thames in Buckinghamshire, England, 4 miles south of High Wycombe.

I was on my way to London and I needed to charge my car, so rather than stop at the services, I came off the M4 and drove to Marlow planning to eat lunch at the branch of Côte there, which had a special price on their set menu.

Having arrived in Marlow, I drove to the car park. They had a BP Pulse fast charger (read 11 Kw), so after paying for my parking, I put the Funky Cat on charge. It took me a while as though I thought I had a BP Pulse account, I didn’t, so I had to set one up. It was priced at 65p kWh, so more expensive than a Tesla charger, but cheaper than most public chargers.

I then needed to find the Côte restaurant and discovered on Google Maps it was actually next door to the car park. So, not too far to walk. After eating lunch, the car was still charging, so I went for a walk around Marlow. It’s a pretty town, the bridge over the Thames was particularly impressive.

I was pleased to have reached my fifty places in 2025 for my #50places2025 series of blog posts.

This year I am planning to do something similar with a new hashtag, #50newplaces2026 and it will be the same rules. Each time I visit a place I will post a blog post and some photographs. I can’t repeat places, and in an extra twist I can’t use the fifty places I visited in 2025 in the list as well (though I anticipate visiting some of those places again).

January 11, 2026

Frosty Dyrham Park #50places2026

I have been to Dyrham Park before, but I didn’t visit last year. It’s quite local to me, being less than an hour away by car. My last visit was in May 2023, I had also visited back in April 2017.

Dyrham Park

Dyrham Park is a Baroque country house in an ancient deer park near the village of Dyrham in South Gloucestershire, England. The house, with the attached orangery and stable block is a Grade I listed building, while the park is Grade II* listed on the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.

The current house was built for William Blathwayt in stages during the 17th and early 18th centuries on the site of a previous manor house, with the final facade being designed by William Talman. The house is a fine example of Baroque architecture, with its symmetrical facade, pediment, and Ionic columns. The interior is equally impressive, with its ornate plasterwork, paneling, and furniture.

The parkland at Dyrham is also of great interest. It was landscaped in the 18th century in the style of Capability Brown, with sweeping lawns, lakes, and woodlands. The park is home to a variety of wildlife, including deer, rabbits, and pheasants.

Current saving -£96
One adult £21.00
Parking £4.00
Total saving £25.00
Cumulative saving £25
Membership cost £96
Net cumulative saving -£71

It was a rather frosty day, but the sun was shining. I left it a little time so that it would be less icy and so less slippery.

When I got to Dyrham Park, it was obvious that quite a few other people had the same idea that I had, the car park was heaving and there were lots of people around.

I walked around the house, something I hadn’t really noticed (or remembered) was how Dutch the house was. Speaking to one of the volunteers it was apparent that in the late 1600s and early 1700s grand houses in England were often influenced by Dutch furnishings and decorations. This was often lost in the 1800s when houses were refurbished or redecorated. This didn’t happen with Dyrham Park.

There are two grand staircases in the house, both of which are rather impressive.

After exploring the house, I went to the café with the intention of having soup and a scone. Not only was it rather busy, but they didn’t have soup on the menu. I explored the gardens and visited the church next to the house. The parklands were closed due to the weather, so I walked back to the car park using the paths.

This year I have planned to visit fifty (different) places.

January 3, 2026