Carriage Driving in the Northern Virginia countryside
Photos
Click on the Photo numbers below to see each picture.
A Drive to Llangollen estate in Upperville - November 2006
Photo 1 - We've just left our farm, and are heading
down the adjoining gravel road, going west towards the mountains towards the Llangollen estate in Upperville -- about a 7.5 mile drive from our farm, a total of 15 miles round trip. The day is a beautiful warm November afternoon - perfect for taking photos and a long drive through the countryside. The ponies are fresh and ready, and happy to be out for a quiet trot down the miles of these gently traveled gravel roads.
Photo 3 - The head of Llangollen's driveway in Upperville. The driveway is 1 mile long, heading up to the manor house which is situated partway up on the Blue Ridge. The rise is about 150' -- not too steep in the beginning, but rising a bit sharply at about the 1/2 way point. In Liz Tippet's day the sides of the drive were fenced in by white cross-x'd post and board fencing, keeping in the cattle and fencing off the vast pastures. The fencing was fallen down and in great disrepair then Roy Ash purchased the estate. He removed it, and restored the stone walls, which left the beautiful vista unencumbered.
Photo 4 - Halfway up the drive the road splits off to the right and left, the main road up to the house restricted to only horses, carriages, and the owners. Many of the old diseased trees lining the drive since the 1920s were removed and replaced with new trees about 5 years ago. Lovely maples that were just beginning to dress themselves in autumn golds and reds.
Photo 5 - The pair continues straight, past the famous old Llangollen Farm sign that Liz Tippet had hanging at the head of the road for decades. It was moved up to the private part of the driveway when Roy Ash purchased the property.
Photo 6 - From this point on the private driveway the house slowly comes into view. You can't see it, but the road is rising -- 100' in 1/2 mile. The ponies are huffing and puffing a bit, but continue their trotting without hesitation. What a perfect pair!
Photo 7 - The house in full view. The driveway is the steepest here, and Flag and Libby are certainly doing a good job pulling the carriage up and up. The driveway is soon to split to circle in front of the manor house, and also to head up and around the house, taking into account the buildings that surround the magnificent residence.
Photo 8 - We head to the right at the head of the circle, giving us a nice view of the house. When it was purchased by Roy Ash, the house was in great disrepair, and parts of it were actually falling down. He spent a great deal of money, time, and effort into bringing this beautiful building back into being one of the premier private homes in Virginia.
Photo 9 - As we circled up around the back of the house, taking in the beautiful horse-shoe shaped stables on the hillside directly behind the manor house to our left, I pointed out to Becky the fox and hounds chase on the weather vane at the top of the barn. We were too close to the building for any good photos, so we just enjoyed the lovely architecture, the story of the atom bomb shelter that Liz Tippet had built to protect her valued horses in case of an atomic war, and the lovely slopes of pasture rising still higher on the mountains to our right.
Photo 10 - Coming around the other side of the stables where the ancient family graveyard is for the Powell family. There is one large granite topped grave that is enscribed with Cuthbert Powell's name. He was from a very prominent family in Loudoun County, and served as a Representative to Congress in 1841-42. He purchased Llangollen from Rawleigh Colston in 1827, and built the Georgian style manor house in 1830.
Photo 11 - A bit of whimsy greets the viewer as the road heads south away from the stable -- it's a bird house designed as a miniature replica of the manor house -- down to the front columns and windows! I wonder if the birds in residence are as impressed as we are! It is positively gorgeous!
Photo 12 - Coming around the side of the house, the restored manor gardens to our left are gorgeous in color, best viewed from the gentle seats of the gazebo which perchs at the corner of the garden where one can overlook the stunning countryside spread out in a vast vista below. Libby is more interested in the trellaced grape vines to the right, beautifully kept and tended.
Photo 13 - As the views open up, the vistor is overwhelmed with the magnificent overlook of the western Loudoun countryside. The property extends as far as the eye can see, with the Bull Run Mountains many, many miles in the distance. A truly breathtaking view, worthy of a great master's landscape painting
Photo 14 - The drive continues to curve back towards the circular drive in front of the house. We are going past the ancient foundation of an outbuilding to the left that now contains nothing but an centuries old retaining wall that supports the garden terrace.
Photo 15 - The view of the house as we exit out of the back drive, onto the circular drive in front of the house. During Liz Tippet's day the front of the house was hidden by large overgrown shrubbery -- all of which was removed when the house was renovated by the Ashs.
Photo 16 - We drive up to the front, coming close enough to the house to really examine the beautiful restoration. Many of the panes of glass in the windows are centuries old, and we can see the gentle waves of the ancient glass as we pass by. The columns are now strong and beautiful, having been fully replaced as the original ones were termite ridden and falling down. The house is a masterpiece of beauty, and a once gracious way of life. Our carriage is following in the hoofbeat and carriage tracks of ancient days of the Powell family, including the years that Liz Tippet tootled down her driveway with a load of guests on her coach put to her 4-in-hand. It is so nice to feel such a part of history.
Photo 16a - Posing the pair in front of Llangollen.
Photo 17 - Having enjoyed the beauty of the house and the estate, we turn the ponies back down the driveway, heading back towards the public road.
Photo 18 - One last look back at the manor house of Llangollen as we head down the driveway.
Photo 19 In a few weeks these lovely maple trees will soon be in full autumn dress. The ponies are happy to trot down the gently sloping driveway, letting the carriage float behind them.
Photo 20 - As we reach the bottom portion of the driveway we stop and let the ponies have a bit of a rest and a snack of apples and carrots. They dove into the treat with delight, enjoying the break. Becky took this shot of me, as I both held the reins and the bucket of carrots and apples, letting the ponies pick out what they wanted. We left bits of apples and carrots in our wake as the ponies munched the final offering, and I remounted the box seat to direct them down the rest of the driveway where we'd turn left and head through Corotoman's estate just 1/2 mile down the road.
Photo 21 - We turn onto Corotoman's lovely, long driveway, past the 1820's manor house, and down the back road where we follow the ancient roadbed, now the back private drive for Corotoman. It is so quiet back here, passing the ponds and vast acres of Corotoman's field to our right, and beautiful deep woods of Newstead Farm to our left.
Photo 22 - I decide to drive through Foxlease on our way back (you can view that driving tour on the links below) and take the old Randolph road through the back of the estate. A downed tree along the old road had been pulled aside after having blocked the old road, but I elect to take the route at the edge of the field. The farm road turns back to the old road after the rise in the distance. In the photo you can see that Libby (to the right) is getting tired. She's so sweet, and very lovely in harness, but not quite as fit as her brother who has barely broken a sweat throughout the whole drive. A testament to all that Arabian horse blood that was introduced into the Welsh breed in the 1910-1930's.
Photo 23 - Back onto the old Randolph road, now abandoned by the county and returned to the adjoining landowners. There were hundreds of these old roads crisscrossing western Loudoun that were abandoned by the county in the 1950's and 60's. Many still remain, kept up as bridle and carriage ways by the adjoining landowners.
Photo 24 - The creek that now bisects the old road. Years ago the culvert that allowed the road to cross the creek was washed away in a flood. It was never replaced, and now we just drive our carriages through the water. I pointed out other carriage tracks to Becky -- one belonging to my neighbor who drives his 4-in-hand through these roads almost daily. In the spring I come down these paths on horseback to clip back some of the encroaching growth, helping keep the roads open and passable. All the major work -- like removing fallen trees -- is done by the landowner's staff, however, for which we are grateful!
Photo 25 - The old road has gotten a facelift recently from a new landowner who has completely redone the ancient road bed, once full of big holes and massively deep mud puddles and bogs, with new footing and groomed gravel. The brush has been cut back and the stone walls restored to their old splendor. It is simply heavenly to drive on now.
Photo 26 - The final 1 1/2 miles to our farm is old hat to the ponies, and they are happy to turn up our driveway to be greeted by Itchy and Andy in the pasture to the left. Becky and I are also happy to be home, and still glowing about the beautiful drive through three lovely and historic estates. A perfect day with my perfect pair.
