Magic carpet arrives at Lydiard

Sarah and Sara, with carpet movers Jim Smith and Craig Whitbread of Swindon Services

A Victorian Wilton carpet which has travelled around the country and been to the USA and back has been donated to Lydiard House by Sara Fields from Abbey Meads.

As a child Sara played on the twenty by sixteen foot carpet purchased by her grandfather in 1959 and later inherited it. Unfortunately, she's never had anywhere large enough to roll it out and with a family move to Abu Dhabi planned for mid-August, she decided to donate it to Lydiard House, even though she had never made a visit in the four years she lived in the town.

"My children have visited the house and park with their school and I was very aware of Lydiard from The Link magazine; but coming here was always something we would do as a family one day. I'm very pleased, the house is perfect for the carpet; we will visit it in the future."

Keeper of the house Sarah Finch-Crisp said she was delighted by Sara's call. "It was a lovely surprise to be offered the carpet which suits the ambience of the house. We will have to reduce it in size to fit into the dining room and we hope to have it on display in September."

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