iStock/Getty Images Plus a garden that descends to the River Wind- River the to descends that a garden with church, the by hard manor, Cotswold ‘a typical as sisters, Mitford of the last the Cotswolds defined the Mitfords’ childhoods the beautiful’: ‘exceptionally but Freezing, N Dior her as tailored sharply and stylish as biographies historical and novels acclaimed World fashioned War and sisters. six of all lives the in formative were 1926, in family the moved Redesdale Lord which to House, Swinbrook and Asthall memoir, her Wait Me! in For England’ of part beautiful exceptionally an in rush… written.’ they’ve everything about just read ‘I’ve them,’ ‘I confides. he adore court. holding is ‘Diana’ where ballroom, the to down we file N and books letters, their from excerpts through life, to Redesdale Lady and of Lord ters daugh six the bring actresses ago—sees weeks out sold play—which company. The audience. enraptured an to of Love Pursuit The from aloud children, older his I a headline, Iknow it’sa headline, sisters were forged the by “Peer’s Daughter” in N Debo, by described was Asthall Dreamy as whispers man one too?’ ‘Are you afan, atheatre by of aperformance part It’s all Cotswolds of their youth. ancy moved to Paris after the Second Second the after Paris to moved ancy about one of you extraordinary Mitford Mitford extraordinary Flora Watkins Flora a literary pilgrimage pilgrimage a literary climate ancy’s novels. novels. ancy’s that ‘Farve’ converted to a library for alibrary to converted ‘Farve’ that 2009 23, September ( Oxfordshire west in Manor Asthall at old bedroom n her Whenever I read Iread Whenever Life in in Life a cold cold a The lives of the ofThe lives the May 1, May 2019 Life, Country N ancy Mitford is reading reading is Mitford ancy makes makes ), over the barn barn ), the over C ew Look suits. suits. Look ew ountry (2010). (2010). L

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- , Illustrated London News/Mary Evans; Luise Berg-Ehlers/Alamy Stock Photo www.countrylife.co.uk Letters Letters gargantuan the and letters and of N editor and daughter-in-law Mosley, Diana’s Charlotte thinks important’, of Pursuit pages opening the in Fanny by described uplands’ Cotswold bleak ‘beautiful the among home childhood and of Love Pursuit The autobiographical highly However, N sisters. the among countrywomen great poem Betjeman’s John Sir in all’ of them rural ‘most as described Pamela, and of Devonshire, 1945.) in Burma in fighting killed heir—was Tom—the brother (Their of war. outbreak the at suicide attempted and Hitler with friends became also Unity attendance. in Hitler with Goebbels, Joseph of home the in Mosley, place took Oswald Sir leader Fascist British the to marriage, Diana’ssecond USA. the in campaigner rights civil- and journalist a left-wing as career ful forged asuccess later and Romilly, Esmond nephew, Socialist radical Churchill’s with ally ‘Muv’. sighed of you one children,’ be... about to it’s I know going aheadline, in Daughter” “Peer’s words the I read ‘Whenever sisters. younger her infamous—by famous—nay, made however, first was, name Mitford The ( sisters the of Four page: Facing It was Debo, who became the Duchess Duchess the became who Debo, It was 19, sensation- (Jessica) eloped Aged Decca That landscape is ‘very present and very very and present ‘very is landscape That Love in a Cold Climate aCold in Love The Mitford Girls Mitford The ancy’s two masterpieces, the the masterpieces, two ancy’s , who were the the were , who , are set in her her in set , are . ancy’s essays essays ancy’s clockwise from top -

(1960). (1960). Rebels and memoir, her Hons in ever, lamented happened,’ she ever nothing but spring… frosty to way gave winter ‘Freezing away. get to wait couldn’t who Decca, did as N there. happy really was Heythrop, the with children. of the most by loathed N by ‘Swine-brook’ christened was and built Farve which of Swinbrook, that is hillside’, the upon high ‘stuck setting, Pursuit in home Radletts’ the Alconleigh, in evident is love of Asthall Climate aCold in Love in ton, castle’, Hamp- French ‘Gothic the as appears 1919, in duties death pay to Redesdale Lord by sold was which home, Cotswolds for day’s more one hunting”.’ anything “I’d was give dying was she when said she thing last very Mosley. ‘The Mrs continues N in rooted deeply was country love of the ‘The (2007). Sisters Six Between cupboard, the Bolter and passed folklore into ancy recalled being bored and frustrated, frustrated, and bored being recalled ancy Only Debo, with her hens and hunting hunting and hens her with Debo, Only ancestral Mitfords’ the Park, Batsford Uncle Matthew have ): Unity, Jessica, Diana and Nancy. Above: Nancy. and Diana Jessica, Unity, ): The Hons’The linen , although its its , although ancy as well,’ as ancy ancy and and ancy . N ancy’s ancy’s

Asthall Manor, as immortalised Alconleigh except the kitchen,’ she divulges. ‘There was was ‘There divulges. kitchen,’ she the except all, at rooms the ‘I haven’t changed Slade. the at was she when bedroom her in painted N amural and floor top the on board cup linen Hons’ the in taking tour, Mitford ahome’. is ‘it stresses, she ‘because,’ private, is house the of events, handful this from 1997, Apart later. me tells since chatelaine Asthall’s Pearson, Rosie Form’ ‘On ( tion exhibi sculpture biennial the during open are Afew rooms experience. ultimate the is house the inside aglimpse getting Asthall, shot.’ be to love ought invented indeed—whoever ‘Love citing: believes, she literature,’ in funniest the among are Montdore’s lines of Lady (2004). ‘Some Climate aCold biography, in Life a witty of author Thompson, Laura myth’, thinks N folklore. into passed has late’—it be will fella damned the minutes, three-quarter six-and- precisely ‘in temper: irascible and hunts child bloodhounds, his with Farve, much Matthew—very Uncle and Bolter the of Pursuit conceits comedic great of the one cupboard, linen Hons’ the house, the in place warm only the in refuge ancy who did most to fashion the ‘Mitford ‘Mitford the fashion to most did who ancy That perpetual cold saw the sisters take take sisters the saw cold perpetual That With her ‘light, yet profound’ novels, it was was it novels, profound’ yet ‘light, her With Miss Pearson takes me on an unofficial unofficial an on me takes Pearson Miss at play the enjoying fans Mitford For the May 1, May 2019 Life, Country C ountry L ife , . Together with with . Together June 6, 2018 6, June ancy ancy 97 ), ), - -

Norman Parkinson Achive/Iconic Images/Getty; Santi Visalli/Getty a green-baize wall here and there was the the was there and here wall a green-baize 98 have would Matthew Farve/Uncle of which move. another yet meant fortunes family Mitford the in decline afurther door, after next Cottage Mill The at Unity and dale Redes- Lady 1941, with in lived dish, Debo Chatsworth’. on focused longer no was and Dowager the became she after years, later her ‘in for pub Debo the reinvigorated lease, the has now who Orr-Ewing, Archie estate. Chatsworth of the pub, part now Debo’s Inn, Swan The to home is stone, hued of warm- cottages its with village, Cotswold This Swinbrook. to you come and willows, stumpy with lined riverbanks the Windrush, Oxford.’ from up her rang Waugh of N think to Ilove room. atelephone thing: amazing most Pamela hunting-mad equally did as countryside, the loved Debo hounds, her with Happy Over an excellent lunch of lambs’ kidneys, kidneys, of lambs’ lunch excellent an Over Caven- Andrew to marriage her Before Walk half a mile from Asthall along the the along Asthall from amile half Walk

Country Life, May 1, May 2019 Life, Country ancy sitting here when Evelyn Evelyn when here sitting ancy

Fuddler’ passage from Cold Climate from passage Fuddler’ ‘Chubb the eye, reciting her in a twinkle ters Sis- her by Mitford of Nancy A Portrait Orr-Ewing. Mr explains room, best —the ‘Debo’s in Room’ staying visitor, a frequent N by out set as term, ‘U’ the being of course, (this, chimneypiece the over hang sisters of the portraits Acton William famous the and walls the adorn photographs Mitford and-white Black- reveals. he alive,’ legend Mitford the keeping and home back coming childhood, area. love for the Debo’s describes Orr-Ewing guests—Mr N at bellow would Farve for breakfast,’ approved—‘Brains was at her happiest living at Caudle Green, Green, Caudle at living happiest her at was Pam Switzerland, and Ireland in living years In Julian Jebb’s 1980 documentary, Jebb’s 1980 documentary, Julian In ‘I think a lot of it was about reviving her her reviving about was of it a lot ‘I think , Pam stood on the riverbank nearby, riverbank the on stood , Pam ancy in that mischievous essay). Debo was was essay). Debo mischievous that in ancy The Heythrop hunt usually meets at Batsford and Swinbrook each season each Swinbrook and Batsford at meets usually hunt Heythrop ❍ The gravestone her adorns emblem) Mitford (the by. Amole close grave Pam’s ❍ by Pam owned once Cottage, nearby, Riverside in and stables old its in available ❍ road to Shipton-under-Wychwood the from glimpsed be can but owned, privately is House ❍ Swinbrook churchyard the from visible is house the times, At other there. held sometimes are retreats writing and 824319; Yoga classes www.onformsculpture.co.uk). 2020 in (01993 be will exhibition Form’ sculpture ‘On Manor’s next ❍ Asthall 701441; www.batsarb.co.uk) (01386 is Redesdale, Baron 1st the grandfather, sisters’ the by started Arboretum, Batsford but public, the to open isn’t Dulverton, Lord of seat the Park, ❍ Batsford In the footsteps of the Mitfords

The Swan Inn ( Inn Swan The Nancy is buried in Swinbrook churchyard, next to and Unity Diana, with ancy’s sophisticated house house sophisticated ancy’s left , 01993 823339; www.theswanswinbrook.co.uk). is B&B . After . After

ing like them—is there?’ them—is like ing there’s noth ‘because Orr-Ewing, Mr says story,’ incredible most the be ‘It would ters? sis the about film afeature been yet there hasn’t why Land: of Mitford custodians Monsieur rue la de Dame La called eyes, French through of N biography Another increase. to set only 2019, is late in out due interest Pursuit on take a modern and novels crime of period series Murders’ Mitford Fellowes’s ‘The of Jessica success Mr Orr-Ewing. ‘ Orr-Ewing. Mr crowd. adifferent Tew, attracting Great at Farmhouse, Soho and Kingham at Daylesford Bamford’s of Lady success the day, with feels, he Mitfords’ the from changed much is area The scenes. hunting the film to there hounds taking recalls Avis Guy secretary Heythrop Fanny. as Pike Rosamund ayoung starring series, TV BBC 2001 the in for Alconleigh in stood actually which Moreton-in-Marsh, near Park, Batsford girls.’ were they when they’d how to been reverted they I think too. ‘Diana, Alexander. Mrs a lot,’ recalls Land’. ‘Mitford calls woman, daily former and biographer her Alexander, Diana what from away miles 20 about load of American tourists in period dress dress period in tourists of American load acoach- welcomed recently Swan ness—The on aMitford- on ahit.’ taken has tranquillity rural the perhaps but for good us, is pub, which film about the sisters?film Mitford Land: why hasn’t There’s only one thing that baffles the the baffles that thing one There’s only ‘Everything’s got sort of slicker,’ agrees of slicker,’ got sort agrees ‘Everything’s at begins trail the devotees, For Mitford Pam] [with stay and come to used ‘Debo The sisters continue to mean brisk busi brisk mean to continue sisters The there been a feature there afeature been One thing baffles baffles One thing tour. With the the With tour. Abbey Downton N ow, every village has agastro- has village ow, every , is also imminent. imminent. also , is www.countrylife.co.uk by India Knight Knight India by ancy, seen ancy, seen - - -