Middle Claydon

The village is home to Claydon House (National Trust), a Jacobean manor house that was remodelled in the 1750s at a time of great enthusiasm for all things Oriental. The home of the Verney family for more 350 years, the house contains a number of state rooms with magnificent carved wood and plaster decorations on an Oriental theme. What makes the house particularly interesting is its associations with Florence Nightingale. Florence’s sister married into the Verney family, and the pioneer of modern hospital care spent long periods at the house, especially during her old age. Her bedroom and a museum of her life and experiences during the Crimean War can be seen here. Florence died in 1910 after a long career that embraced concerns of public health as well as the training of nurses; she was the first woman to be awarded the Order of Merit.