WHEN Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild commissioned a French architect to design his country home in Buckinghamshire, he didn't ask him to follow the trend of the time.

Rather, he asked the architect to build his future retreat in the style of one of his many passions: French style.

And so between 1874 and 1889, Waddesdon Manor was created.

The building is built in the style of a 16th century French chteau and resembles a fairytale-like castle.

Nestling in the middle of the Buckinghamshire countryside near Aylesbury, the thousands of people who visit the country home of the Rothschild family are immediately transported back to the era that the Baron loved so much.

Visitors to Waddesdon can also enjoy its surrounding Victorian gardens, that are renowned for their seasonal displays.

There are also a rose garden, a rococo-style aviary, a collection of exotic birds and extensive wine cellars to visit.

Not surprisingly, the baron used the manor as a place where he could entertain his friends.

But it was also somewhere for him to show off his extensive collection of art from 18th century France.

The manor remains a showcase for this collection, as well as a showcase for his other fine pieces of art and artefacts from other eras, including 17th century Dutch paintings, books and manuscripts, 18th and 19th century textiles and 16th century works of art, drawings and sculpture.

And after generations of the Rothschild family continued to add the late Baron's collection, the impressive Waddesdon pieces were all left to the National Trust in 1957 when James de Rothschild died.

During this time, Waddesdon was opened to the public for the first time and since then, the team of people managing The Rothschild Collection make sure the public can learn new things about the collection and Rothschild family history every year.

And 2005 is no exception.

Opening times and admission prices call the Waddesdon information line on: 01296 653211or www.waddesdon.org.uk

New for this year

Reunited after more than 300 years
After being separated for centuries, a silver cup has been reunited with the painting in which it is featured. Arguably one of the most important silver objects at Waddesdon, the cup was made in the London workshop of Christian van Vianen, a member of a reputable family of silversmiths, and it known for its technical brilliance.

For the cup has been raised out of a single sheet of heavy-gauge silver.

In 1657, the special cup was painted by the Dutch painter Bartholomeus van der Helst in the Portrait of a Boy with a Silver Cup.

The boy in the portrait is unknown but the painting has been exhibited in several parts of America as a noteworthy piece by the artist.

But it was not until art historian Dr Johann ter Moelen recently made the connection, that it was realised that Waddesdon's cup was the same one that was featured in the painting.

The Evelina Hospital Appeal
Baron Ferdinand founded the Evelina Hospital for Sick Children in London to commemorate his wife Evelina, who died in 1866 during childbirth. This year, the hospital is relocating from its current location within Guy's Hospital to a new, purpose-built hospital in Southwark. The Evelina Appeal is raising money to provide additional equipment for the hospital and collection boxes are dotted around the site and a new exhibition in the home tells the tale of the hospital's formation.

An Italian Ballerina at Waddesdon
A painting done in 1782 by Thomas Gainsborough of ballerina Giovanna Baccelli (the mistress of the Duke of Dorset) when she was 21 years old. The painting is on loan from Tate Britain until September.

Music
As part of Waddesdon's ongoing exploration of a new musical trail has been brought into the house as is the musical display in the Manuscript Room.

A Celebration of Drawings
The Rothschild Collection includes more than 2,000 detailed drawings including designs for palaces and snuffboxes, firework displays and stage sets, vases, fountains and furniture.

A catalogue of these drawings is being published this autumn and so to mark the event, Waddesdon is displaying some of the artwork in the Drawing Room.

Porcelain in Reserve
Several pieces of rare porcelain, normally kept in reserve due to space constraints, are this year on display in the Exhibition Room. Pieces on display include a pot pourri vase in the shape of a ship and one of the rarest examples of Svres porcelain.

Baron Ferdinand Revealed
Waddesdon has this year recreated recreation time in the 1890s with a reconstruction in the Family Room of Baron Ferdinand's private sitting room. The reconstruction is based on documentary evidence.

Also, in the Family Room hangs a newly-painted picture of the late Dame Miriam Rothschild, who died this year, aged 96.

A Dutch Loan for the Dining Room
Two dancing female figures obtained by Waddesdon from Huis Doorn in the Netherlands, the final home of the last German Emperor, Wilhelm II.