A la Ronde, with its sixteen sides, lozenge-shaped windows at every other angle, and topped by an octagonal lantern crowned by an oriental-looking bell tower, is one of the quirkiest properties belonging to the National Trust. Its creators were Jane Parminter (1750–1811), and a cousin, Mary Parminter (1767–1849), the latter of whom stipulated in her will that only unmarried kinswomen should inherit the property and apart from Reverend Oswald Reichel (1840–1923), female succession was maintained until it was sold to the National Trust in 1991. Most of the paintings are portraits of the previous owners and landscapes by them, as well an imposing nineteenth-century painting of a Lyme Mastiff, a now extinct breed of dog bred at Lyme Park. The works of art with most significance for A la Ronde are not paintings but pictorial or decorative pieces made out of materials such as shells, feathers, silk embroidery, cut paper, sand and even seaweed.

Photo credit: National Trust Images/John Blake
National Trust, A la Ronde
Summer Lane, Exmouth, Devon EX8 5BD England
alaronde@nationaltrust.org.uk
01395 265514
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/alarondePlease remember to double-check the opening hours with the venue concerned before making a special visit
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17 May 2022
It's not everyday you find a dodo and a mermaid together in one place. Can you tell us where you'd find this lot? https://t.co/YZ6LRhWeJ6
National Trust
National Trust artworks can also be found at these venues
More information-
National Trust Collections
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National Trust Collections at Harvington Hall
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National Trust, A la Ronde
Exmouth
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National Trust, Aberdeunant
Llandeilo
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National Trust, Acorn Bank
near Penrith
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National Trust, Anglesey Abbey
Cambridge
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National Trust, Antony
Torpoint
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National Trust, Ardress House
Portadown
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National Trust, Ascott
near Leighton Buzzard
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National Trust, Ashdown House
Newbury
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National Trust, Attingham Park
near Shrewsbury
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National Trust, Avebury Manor
near Marlborough
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National Trust, Baddesley Clinton
Baddesley Clinton
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National Trust, Barrington Court
near Ilminster
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National Trust, Basildon Park
Reading
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