5Apr2009: Day 314: Syon House

Today is General Conference for church which is broadcast from Salt Lake City, but here, it’s shown late so it gave us an opportunity to go see something else today. Syon house is along the River Thames and is only open on Sundays and one other day during the week so I was anxious to go today. It’s just outside of London so we were able to drive. The house has been used in different films such as “The Avengers,” and “Gosford Park.”

It is owned and lived in by the Duke of Northumberland and has been in his family for over 400 years. It started out as an abbey that was built from 1426-1431. In 1539, while King Henry VIII was in power, he was getting rid of abbey’s and so this became more of a property. In fact, his fifth wife, Catherine Howard was confined at Syon and was given two rooms “furnished moderately” until she was executed in 1542. In 1547 the present house was constructed.

Even more gruesome was when King Henry VIII died in 1547, his coffin was placed in the abbey (before the house was built,) and a certain prophecy was fulfilled. A Franciscan friar named William Peto had said, ‘that God’s judgments were ready to fall upon his head…and that the dogs would lick his blood as they had done Ahab’s.’ This came true as a dog was found licking up certain remains which had seeped through the coffin from the bloated corpse inside. People felt this was what he deserved as he desecrated the abbeys.

Well, onto the house itself. We were unable to take any pictures inside but I was able to download pictures from their website. The first picture, above, is a staircase (obviously). The next is of the Long Gallery. What was interesting about this room was at one end of the room, the bottom 3 shelves of a bookshelf was actually just a picture of books as it was a door. Then each end of the room also had another small room off of it. One of the rooms had a small birdcage (with a fake bird). Makenna was enamored with this. She kept going back to see the birdcage over and over. The last picture is the Princess Victoria bedroom, which was used by her in 1832.

The grounds had many different things to it but we strolled along the gardens after going to the conservatory. Makenna enjoyed this area since one part had a water fountain with fish in it. She eagerly gave her chips and some crackers to the fish. As we walked around the gardens, which ran along the Thames, we found some ducks (not your normal looking ducks,) to which Makenna again gave her crackers to also.

The day would’ve been splended if Makenna was in the mood to listen. She started at home and continued pretty much all through the day of trying to get her own way. But alas, she’s just exerting her two year old will. At one point in the house, I put her in the hallway in a time out. Oh, I almost forgot something that happened yesterday and today. The staff at the houses felt that my little “boy” might get hurt so I needed to keep a close eye on “him.” I corrected both attendants telling them that it was a girl but the one yesterday kept using the pronoun he or him. Oh well. I thought now that she has more hair that it would be more discernable but I guess not yet. You would think that the pink boots she wore yesterday would’ve at least given it away. Had to throw this last picture in - too cute not to.