Ellen Terry's home - Smallhythe

Smallhythe House is steeped in theatrical history. Once the home of the Victorian Actor Ellen Terry it is now part of the National Trust who naturally take a pride in celebrating the actor's history and performances. The house is old but then so is the area - as far as people living there are concerned - and was once a port on the Stour. Today the house is a museum of the Victorian stage which inside is well worth a visit although having already seen the inside for this day I chose to see the gardens alone and leave the house to another time.

The gardens were designed by the actor in part and today we can enjoy the Rose garden and enjoy the roses that clamber over the building adding color to the 15th century walls. I wandered the gardens enjoying the sudden bright color that although not overwhelming seemed to be abundant offering little surprises as I walked around the cut lanes through the nuttery and peeped at the house through gaps in the hedges.


I mentioned that the house is a museum but to imagine it as a deadly dull train of exhibits would be wrong; the place is alive with the presence of Ellen Terry as if living there she claimed it for her own and made a mark on it that will not be eradicated. And as if to emphasise that life there is the barn which is being thatched but still open and in use as a theatre. It is there that memories of great actors are embedded in the story of the house where greats have stood on the stage and played their parts and where many others have contributed to its running. It is there that a program of plays and performances is carried out during the year and in the Summer there is to be played a Shakespeare play. This year's offering is As You Like It and I hope to be one of the audience.

A view of the house from the rose garden

As a romantic and soppy cat owner (I am soppy not the cat) I like to wander around thinking about soft furry animals, birds, bees and other creatures. As a result I have time to sit and reflect on the slow growth of a garden and how it changes and develops over many years and yet when one returns to it the changes are not always that obvious. Smallhythe is like that and as the years pass so the garden seems to mature but although I am sure it was different the last time I visited it I am sure it was the same. I found that reassuring.

Roses in the rose garden

To sit where Ellen Terry may have sat and contemplate such silly things as my cat and the evidence of Rabbits trying to take over the grassy knolls; and try to visualise the ship building and the nature of the port ( the name Hythe says such was the nature of the place) and imagine water where there are now fields. On leaving the place I took the road to Oxney Island and as I passed the river flats I could see the water meadows that are now part of the land.

The Rose arbor from the Gazebo

Smallhythe house is a part of our heritage and well worth a visit. The atmosphere is peaceful yet alive as if the Victorians have left behind a spirit (Gin I expect) that is there for the visitor to absorb and take a little away with them as an inspiriation for their own creative bent. I felt the atmosphere in the barn as the stage unfolded to my view. A person was dressing a figure in costume and we chatted recognising the actor in each other - she an actor and myself a poetry performer and actor - she showed her enthusiasm and declared that being on stage and also in the audience at the Barn is a wonderful experience.

Visit Smallhythe and feel two parts of our history - that connected to the stage and that of our maritime prowess. You will not be disappointed. Also, a treat, a pair of Swallows nesting in the cafe.