National Trust house near Banbury to hold display exploring themes of Jewish identity and country homes

The Country Houses, Jewish Homes display, which is part of the Jewish Country Houses project at Oxford University and supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, will open on Monday September 4, and run until Friday November 3.

It will explore how Jewish families like the Bearsteds, who lived at Upton in the 1930s and 1940s, arrived in Britain and fought for the right to acquire land and gain the political rights and social status that came with it.

The house will have information boards throughout where visitors can find out how the Bearsteds and other prominent Anglo-Jewish families navigated the society of their time, which was still structured by Christianity and dominated by the landed aristocracy.

Research by Abigail Green and Marcus Roberts looks at what it means to be Jewish and British, from the early struggles for religious equality in Georgian Britain to the rise of modern political antisemitism and the tragedy of the Holocaust.

Property curator at Upton House and Gardens, Michelle Leake, says: "We hope this display will inspire our visitors to delve into a lesser-known but hugely significant part of Upton’s history."

Normal admission to Upton House will apply during the Country Houses, Jewish Homes display. No booking is required, and on busy days there will be timed tickets available on a first-come, first-served basis at the visitor reception.

To find out more, visit nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/warwickshire/upton-house-and-gardens