Emma's Eccentric Britain: afternoon tea with Lady Ashcombe

Emma Kennedy was looking forward to tea at one of Britain's most historic country houses ? but would her ladyship even let her through the door in scruffy trainers?I'm heading over to Sudeley Castle to take tea with a fabulous Cotswolds woman, Lady Ashcombe, who once a month opens her library and invites people to take tea with her. Sudeley was the home of Katherine Parr, the reluctant last queen of Henry VIII."She was the first woman to have a book published," Jean Bray, the castle's archivist tells me. "In fact she published two. And they were both bestsellers."Sudeley is celebrating the 500th anniversary of Parr's birth, and the monthly "At Home" tea parties are one small part of the festivities. "We're going to recreate her funeral," Jean tells me, eyes twinkling."Are you going to dress up?" I ask."I might put a smart shoe on, yes.""No. I mean in Elizabethan costumes."Jean frowns a little and stares up towards a slightly ominous cloud. "Not sure," she tells me. "They're very expensive to rent. And heavy."I nod. I have first-hand experience of wearing an Elizabethan costume. I played a lady in waiting in the BBC production The Virgin Queen during one of the hottest summers on record. Everyone was fainting left, right and centre. I tell Jean this. "No hope of a hot summer here," she says, still staring upwards. "But no matter. I'll still wear some smart shoes."Smart shoes, of course, are in order for taking tea with a proper lady which is a shame, because I'm wearing some scruffy Converse trainers and I've forgotten to brush my hair. No matter. I need neither a frock nor heels to scoff scones and eclairs, and I happily make my way to the old library where a feast fit for kings awaits.The room is gorgeous. Old leather-bound books top and tail oak panelled walls while in the centre, in pride of place, hangs a magnificent Sheldon tapestry. "It's the Expulsion from Paradise," Jean tells me. "Egg sandwich?"At this point, Lady Ashcombe, pictured below, takes to the floor and instantly endears herself to everyone assembled by not being able to work the PowerPoint. "Mark!" she calls, waving her remote forlornly hither and thither. "Mark! I can't seem to ? Mark ? it's not working as well as it might ? Mark!""If you point it at the box," says a grey haired man eating a salmon sandwich at the table next to me, "I think it'll work better."Lady Ashcombe tries that and it works. She beams graciously and we're off."Whenever I go to someone else's house," she begins, "the first thing I do is go and look at the pictures on the piano and find out who they are. So that's what this is. I'm going to tell you about what it's like to live here and a few of the stories I have to tell."I cast a quick eye over to Lady Ashcombe's piano. There's a host of beautifully executed black and white photos, one of which is of someone I recognise. "Isn't that Henry Dent-Brocklehurst?" I whisper to Jean, giving her a nudge."Yes," she whispers back, "that's Lady Ashcombe's son."Lady Ashcombe hails from Virginia. As a raven haired beauty back in the 1960s, she found herself marrying Mark Dent-Brocklehurst for whom Sudeley was the family home. "It wasn't open to the public then," she tells us, "and my mother-in-law lived here. When we came to stay we had to wear long gowns and furs to supper. There was no hot water and the heating was nonexistent. It was very uncomfortable."But in the early 1970s, Mark's destiny was to be fulfilled and he moved his new family back into the crumbling stately home. "We realised that to keep it going we were going to have to open it up, so we did that in 1971. For some reason, I dressed up as a Red Indian at the opening ceremony. I've no idea why."But tragedy struck and Mark, aged 40, died from a heart attack, leaving his young wife and two small children. "I decided," Lady Ashcombe continues, "to fulfil Mark's dreams. So I persevered and tried to make Sudeley what he always dreamed it would be." She remarried but remained dedicated to Sudeley.I have to say, this afternoon tea is a thoroughly enjoyable experience. There are tales of ghosts, a pet badger and celebrity weddings, Lady Ashcombe is charm itself, the cakes are wondrous and the tea is served in mismatched vintage cups and saucers, a small idiosyncrasy I find delightful."Don't rush away," she tells us, with a soft lilt when she's done. "Although," she adds, with a twinkle, "if you do linger, they will lock you in." And with that, she slips off through a door, followed by a very devoted dog.? The next At Home with Lady Ashcombe is on 14 July, when she will be joined by her son, Henry Dent-Brocklehurst. It costs �24, including tea, cake and admission to the castle. Ellenborough Park hotel and spa in Cheltenham (01242 807591, ellenboroughpark.com, doubles from �210) provided Emma's accommodationFollow Emma on Twitter @EmmaK67Day tripsShort breaksEmma Kennedyguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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