A Beautiful Equine Photoshoot in the Grounds of Grittleton House
Here at Grittleton we pride ourselves on being a part of the community and are always happy to be involved in something a little different. That is why we were excited to welcome the photographer Jo Hansford to the Estate when she contacted us asking if she could use the grounds for an Equine photoshoot.
Grittleton Stables – A Short History
Did you know that Grittleton House historically had fabulous Victorian stables located within the grounds? Positioned around a central cobbled courtyard, the stables comprised of a beautiful Cotswold stone building where the carriages were originally stored, the clock tower (or tower house as it is also known) which housed both horses and staff accommodation, and finally The Mews which offered a further four stables.
When the House was sold by the Neeld family in the 1970s the Stables were not included in the sale and sadly became separated from the Estate. In 2007 the Stables were put on the market and were purchased by the current owners of the House, the Shipp family, allowing the Stables to once again become part of the Grittleton Estate. The Stables have since been converted and are now used as additional accommodation for wedding guests.
Farewell to a beloved companion
Following the photoshoot we asked Jo to send us some more information about the background and concept. This is what she had to say.
We were over the moon when Grittleton House said yes to hosting our shoot with the young dressage rider Beatrice Butterworth and her pony ‘Cannon’! We had been looking around for a beautiful English country house background and when we saw Grittleton, with its amazing drama and stunning architecture, we knew it was perfect!
Bea’s shoot was a farewell to her beloved pony with whom she had achieved so much in the last two years competing at dressage. We wanted to create some images which were special, personal and different so we decided, along with Bea’s mum Sharon, to create two different sets of images.
Firstly, we decided upon a traditional, classical English hunting look with a top hat which we felt fitted well with the country house setting. Secondly, we wanted something softer and more romantic to capture the wonderful bond between Bea and Cannon. The shoot took place during October 2022 when we were gifted with a stunning autumn day – a mix of sunshine and soft, overcast light, perfect for this shoot!
