English Home

48 THE ENGLISH HOMEPeople who live in very old houses oftenspeculate about the original owners. It isexciting, therefore, when plenty of accurateinformation exists to reveal – 200 years on –something about the lives of the people who have gonebefore. Carol and Peter Richards know quite a lotabout previous residents of their handsome Georgianhome, as it has a traceable pedigree. “We have hearda lot about the history from local people, and I amalways hungry to find out more,” says Carol.The Richards’ home, Radford Villa, is set in fourand a half acres, in a village near Bath. Initially afarmhouse, it dates back to the early 1800s, when itwas built by the son of a local farming and millingfamily whose social importance was on the rise. ARegency extension was added in the 1830s, when theyoung man’s wife, a prolific thrower of parties, neededmore space to entertain guests. The property latermoved into the hands of a family of market gardeners,who covered the grounds with glasshouses where theygrew carnations to national acclaim.“We are the seventh family to live here,” says Carol,explaining that they moved in eight years ago, just``````CLOCKWISE FROMABOVE A freshwreath designed byPulteney BridgeFlowers, combiningroses and eucalyptus.The Oka dining tableis flanked by a set ofchairs sourced byC & P Interiors.Carol acquired copiesof early 20th-centuryphotographs of someprevious occupantsof Radford Villa.Playful tealightholders top the table.Decor in the library isbased aroundZoffany‘s SloaneAvenue wallpaper.The armchair’s fabricis Zoffany Vivaldi.Tree decorationsinclude a delicatelamb from Lux Deco.TEH UK DEC15 HOUSE - Richards.indd 48 23/10/2015 12:56