Uncover the secrets of Snowshill Manor with the National Trust

Snowshill Manor in the Cotswolds of Gloucestershire was the unusual home of the eccentric Charles Paget Wade. It’s a house that’s part stage set, part home for his vast collection and full of trick doors and secret passages. Step inside this unconventional manor with conservation volunteer and volunteer guide Maurice Heritage and uncover some of its secrets and fascinating curiosities.

Born in 1883 Wade was an architect, poet, artist, craftsman, carpenter, blacksmith and avid collector. He started his collection at the age of seven and by the time he was 36 it had grown so large and varied that he bought Snowhill Manor as a place to house it in.

Wade spent three years restoring the near-derelict manor house back to its original condition – but also added some unique features that spoke to his playful, quirky nature. Alongside renovating the rooms, Wade created secret passageways and hidden doors within the house to surprise, delight, and play tricks on his guests.

However, Wade never intended to live in Snowshill Manor, but instead moved into in a small cottage in the courtyard. This too is full of unusual features, including a stone spiral staircase, a door serving as an artist’s pallet and a model village in the grounds. There is also an extensive workshop where Wade maintained his collection and created curiosities of his own. One of these is a musical moving doorbell which can still be seen in the house’s collection today.

Many of the objects at Snowshill Manor have a story to tell. Find out more about these, plus many more from the collections in our care in our new book: 100 Curiosities and Inventions from the Collections of the National Trust. https://shop.nationaltrust.org.uk/nat...

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