32. Cumberland Lodge:
This property is a Royal ‘Grace and Favor’ mansion in Windsor Great Park, 3.5 miles south of Windsor Castle. It was built in 1650 when Oliver Cromwell divided up the Park and sold off lots. It has also been called Windsor Lodge and Range Lodge. After the Restoration in 1660, Charles II gave it to the head Ranger of the Park, always a Royal favorite.
It has been host to many important historical events. Sarah Churchill, The Duchess of Marlborough to the first Duke, John Churchill, died here in 1722. George Spencer-Churchill, the 5th Duke of Marlborough lived here until his death in 1822. Princess Helena, daughter of Queen Victoria, lived here from 1846 until her death in 1923. Auguste Victoria (1858 - 1921), the last German Empress after defeat in WWI, lived and died here.
In 1936 it was used for vital meetings between Edward VIII’s Private Secretary and Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin prior to Edward’s abdication in 1938.
Today it is a study and educational center around issue of understanding the basic principles of politics and social ideologies. It was turned over to such educational issues due to a feeling that students did not understand enough about the ideologies of others, thus giving rise to movements like Nazism. Students can stay at the Lodge for short courses, and workshops are held there.
See: www.cumberlandlodge.ac.uk for more information and directions.
31. Cliveden House:
This marvelous Italianate-style country estate is one of the great country houses in England. It was built in 1666 for the Lord Cliveden, the 2nd Duke of Buckingham by William Winde on 376 acres of protected woodland with wonderful views of the Thames River in the village of Taplow in Berkshire, near Windsor. A fire in 1795 destroyed most of this original house and it was left unrestored for 30 years. After being rebuilt it was again burned in 1849 almost to the ground. Sir Charles Barry then designed the Italianate-style building we see now for the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland.
It has been owned by various Earls and one Prince of Wales, but in 1893 was purchased by William Waldorf Astor, whose family had made a fortune in the hotel and fur businesses, and remodeled again. It was given to his son William the 2nd Viscount Astor and his new bride Nancy Witcher Langhome as a wedding present in 1905!
This House and estate has a rather distasteful modern association. It was here that the 2nd Viscount Astor and Lady Astor entertained their ‘Cliveden Set’, a group which included pro-Nazi sympathizers who gathered around the Astors in the years prior to WWII.
In 1942 Viscount Astor gave the House and estate to the National Trust. It as also the setting of the Profumo scandal of 1961. The Secretary of State at the time, John Profumo, met showgirl Christine Keeler who was having an affair with a Russian naval attaché. His indiscretion caused his resignation and eventually brought down the government of Prime Minister Harold MacMillan.
Since that time the House has changed hands several times and today is an exclusive hotel, with rates starting at $434 per night! The estate has been the scene of such movie as ‘The Thunderbirds’ in which Lady Penelope is seen driving by the Fountain of Love.
There are 38 rooms named for Cliveden’s distinguished guests: Rudyard Kipling, Lawrence of Arabia, Charlie Chaplin, Prime Minister Asquith. The Great Hall is done in oak paneling, tapestries and armor. Priceless cars are parked outside: multiple Bentleys, Rolls-Royces and Ferraris. The gardens are marvelous containing a Rose Garden, a Canadian War Memorial Garden, many ‘follies’ – replica antiquity ruins such as Roman sarcophagi, statues and an authentic 17th balustrade actually from Rome’s Villa Borghese. There is a Fountain of Love and a 1,000 yard formal garden. Parts of the garden date back to the 16th Century, but most of the statuary was added by the Astors. A must see!!
Even though it is now a hotel, 3 rooms are open to the public, as are the gardens which are maintained by the National Trust. Contacts are: phone: 01628 605069; website: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/., and such others as http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliveden.
30. Claremont House:
This is an estate built initially in 1708 by Sir John Vanbrugh for his own use. He was also the architect of Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard. It is located ½ mile west of Esher in Surrey, and can be reached by train from Waterloo Station in London in 22 minutes. It was sold to the Duke of Claremont and when he died in1768, his widow sold it to Clive of India. He knocked down the original house and commissioned a palatial Palladian mansion to be built by Capability Brown. It was finished in 1775, but Clive never lived in it because he committed suicide in the same year.
It is a superb example of Palladian style in architecture. Following Clive’s death the property was bought by the British crown for Prince Leopold of Coburg (younger brother of Duke Ernst (father of Prince Albert and his queen Louise) and his bride Charlotte in the early 1800’s for 69,000 pounds. Unfortunately Charlotte died in a botched childbirth at Claremont, and Leopold lived on here alone until he was called to assume the position of King of the Belgians in 1831. Claremont was one of Queen Victoria’s favorite retreats. Leopold was the brother of the Duchess of Kent, Victoria’s mother, and Victoria’s special uncle. As a result, Victoria spent much happy time at Claremont with her uncle before he left for Belgium. Even after her ascension in 1837 Queen Victoria came here and contributed a water fountain in the town of Esher, which can still be seen. Leopold died in Belgium in 1865 and the property at Claremont was repurchased by the Crown in 1867. It remained a Royal residence until 1992 when it was sold. It is now a school. It was used as well as a conference and corporate center. All the State Rooms are open to the public, as are the stables built by King Leopold. It has beautiful gardens, sweeping lawns and lake views in the style of Capability Brown.
See en:wikipedia.org/wiki/Claremont_(country house) for directions and more information.
29. Clarence House:
This mansion sits on the north side of Pall Mall, half way down between Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace, sitting right next to St. James Palace. It is a cream color stucco and was built between 1825-1827 for Prince William Henry, Duke of Clarence, who lived there as King William IV from 1830-1837 at the ascension of Queen Victoria.
It is now the official London residence of HRH Charles the Prince of Wales and the Camilla Duchess of Cornwall. From 1953-2000 it was the principal home of Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, who would often come out of its side gate to great the public on her birthdays. Today the public can tour the 5 rooms on the main floor which are used for official and ceremonial affairs. It is furnished just as Elizabeth left it in 2000, holding her impressive art and furniture collections. Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) and her new husband Prince Philip stayed there immediately after their wedding in 1947.
See www.royal.gov.uk/output/page2522.asp for directions and more information.
28. Chartwell:
This is the country property of Winston Churchill purchased from writing royalties in 1922 and retained until his death in 1965. It is located 2 miles south of Westerham, in Kent off road B2026. It was modernized by 1924 with larger casement windows dotting its red brick. Behind the house are lakes and luscious lawns. Churchill created a series of dams in the lakes, a water garden where he fed his fish, Lady Churchill’s Rose Garden – a golden wedding anniversary present from their children. Preserved there is the famous brick wall he worked on relentlessly to relax and for
enjoyment. The garden provided inspiration for Winston’s many paintings, many of which are on display in the garden’s Studio. During WWII it was largely unused. It has been preserved as it looked when Church was in residence. Memorabilia and gifts are throughout the rooms, along with original furniture and books, honors and medals.
It is currently administered by the National Trust. It was bought from Churchill by a group of friends in 1947 with Churchill staying on paying a nominal rent. It was not open to the public until it was presented to the nation in 1966, a year after his death. I, my wife and aunt M visited Chartwell in 2006.
See www.places-to-go.org.uk/Chartwell.htm for directions and more information.
27. Chatsworth House:
This fabulous estate is the home of the Cavendish Family, the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, going back to the 17th Century. The Cavendish motto is “Safe by being cautious”. The estate is situated in the magnificent landscape of Derbyshire Peak District National Park at Chatsworth in Derbyshire. It is located 8 miles north of Matlock (20 min), off the B6012, north of Derby (50 min away) and south of Manchester (1 ½ hrs away), and 1hr and 15 min south west of Leeds.
Chatsworth House has 297 rooms, under a roof of 1.3 acres, 17 staircases, 359 doors, 2084 light bulbs, 27 baths and 56 lavatories. The park is 1,000 acres and the entire estate covers 35,000 acres spread over 20 miles of Devonshire and Staffordshire countryside. The 11th Duke Andrew Devonshire is regarded as the Duke who saved Chatsworth in the 20th Century. There is a wonderful exhibition of his life and accomplishments. Interestingly the Cavendish and the Spencer Families (Diana Spencer) are linked. The 5th Duke of Devonshire, William Cavendish (1748-1811), married Georgiana Spencer (1757-1806) in mid 1700’s.
The House is called the ‘Palace of the Peak’ and the Cavendish family has lived in this house for over 450 years! It contains one of Europe’s finest private art collections, representing 4000 years of European culture and craftsmanship. It has a 19th Century Library, Great Dining Room and Sculpture Gallery, the 1st Duke’s Painted Hall and State Apartments. Included are various royal thrones, a Greek marble foot.
The 105 acre garden has evolved over more than 450 years. It contains 5 miles of walks with rare trees, shrubs, formal hedges, temples, sculptures, streams, ponds, a 300 year old water Cascade falling 200 yards down the hill, a huge maze, rose and kitchen gardens. An absolute must see!!
See www.tourist-information-uk.com/chatsworth.htm for more information and directions.
26. Castle Howard Estate House, Estate and Mausoleum:
This simply unbelievably overpowering estate is located in York, near Malton, 15 miles northeast of York off A64 in N. Yorkshire. It is the ancestral home of the ancient line of Dukes and Duchesses of Norfolk, the Howard family. The Duke of Norfolk is the Premier Duke (highest in British heraldry) in England, and is the hereditary Earl Marshall of England, responsible for the organization of all major royal events (coronations, marriages, funerals….) and Chief Butler of England.
The magnificent Castle sits in 1,000 acres of beautiful gardens. The 18th Century palace is probably the largest estate home still existent and has been the home of the Howard family for 300 years and is home today to Hon. Duke and Lord Simon Howard and his wife Rebecca and twins, Octavia and Merlin. It is a working estate and the biggest employer in the area.
This simply unbelievably overpowering estate is located in York, near Malton, 15 miles northeast of York off A64 in N. Yorkshire. It is the ancestral home of the ancient line of Dukes and Duchesses of Norfolk, the Howard family. The Duke of Norfolk is the Premier Duke (highest in British heraldry) in England, and is the hereditary Earl Marshall of England, responsible for the organization of all major royal events (coronations, marriages, funerals….) and Chief Butler of England.
The magnificent Castle sits in 1,000 acres of beautiful gardens. The 18th Century palace is probably the largest estate home still existent and has been the home of the Howard family for 300 years and is home today to Hon. Duke and Lord Simon Howard and his wife Rebecca and twins, Octavia and Merlin. It is a working estate and the biggest employer in the area.
The Castle is 323 feet in length, crowned with magnificent Corinthian columns on the North front, topped with a wonderful lighted Dome rising over the Great Hall (35’ square), the top of which is 100’ above the floor. Besides the house there is a magnificent Rose Bank, Ornamental and Vegetable Gardens and Woodlawn Gardens. There is a family mausoleum, containing the remains of all previous Dukes and Duchesses of Norfolk which has just been restored and is open to the public.
The Palace is England’s largest, containing original Antique Passage, Great Hall and Long Gallery, Rose Gardens and historic walled vegetable gardens. Its vast and priceless art collections have been collected by succeeding generations. But it is the House and its size that takes your breath away.
It was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh, who also was the architect of Blenheim Palace, in 1699 and took over 100 years to complete. Over that century 3 successive Earls
(3rd, 4th, and 5th) of the Howard family lived there and collected a huge number of pieces of art on their European tours and added them to the house and the grounds. Over the same period the grounds expanded through purchase to include 3 villages and a 1,000 acres of farmland. Today there are listed 200 buildings, temples and monuments within the estate, all requiring constant upkeep.
The 3rd Earl purchased art pictures widely, especially in Italy, notably those of Maro Ricci, who paintings filled the house. Many were lost in the fire of 1940, but many have just been restored and are on public view for the first time in ½ a century.
The 4th Earl specialized in sculpture and Italian painting, especially the Venetian Canaletto, buying 50 pictures. However, since then many have been discovered to be by his assistants and have been auctioned off, and others were destroyed in the 1940 fire. Only 5 now remain. Many of his sculpture acquisitions now line the Antique Passage and are found in the Great Hall. Here one sees original statues of Roman Emperors on pedestals all around the Hall.
The 5th Earl also toured Europe on a collection binge. While he specialized in buying art from Italy (e.g. Bellini and Titian), he also commission English artists such as Sir Joshua Reynolds, who painted 3 portraits of the Duke. In 1848 he published a catalogue of the collection of some 274 pictures, many of which were compromised by the fire; many have been restored. The catalogue also lists 300 pieces of porcelain that is to be found on the China Landing.
With respect to the fire of 1940 it was truly disastrous and destroyed the dome and 20 grand rooms of the magnificent home, including the beautiful Garden Salon. For the next few years Castle Howard was open to the skies and once splendid rooms just gutted shells.
George Howard inherited the estate when he returned from WWII and because of the death of his two older brothers in it. He determined that the house should still be lived in by his family and began the bold effort to restore all the damage over the next ½ century. As a result there has been an uninterrupted occupation of Castle Howard by the family. Finances to accomplish the reconstruction and constant maintenance then and now come from visitors (200,000 a year at present), forestry, farming and property rentals. Wild game are harvested and sold to the general public at the Farm Shop.
As indicated earlier the magnificent Garden Salon had been completely destroyed in the fire and left largely derelict until the late 1970’s. In conjunction with Granada TV and the filming of ‘Brideshead Revisited’, it was completely restored true to the designs of Lord Howard, and is now there for everyone to enjoy again.
Today all is done to attract visitors to Castle Howard. Lord and Earl Sir Simon Howard, George’s son and heir, his wife Lady and Countess Rebecca and their twin daughters live there and welcome you on their website http://www.castlehoward.co.uk/ to come and visit. The direct telephone number is +44 (0) 1653 648-444.
The Palace is England’s largest, containing original Antique Passage, Great Hall and Long Gallery, Rose Gardens and historic walled vegetable gardens. Its vast and priceless art collections have been collected by succeeding generations. But it is the House and its size that takes your breath away.
It was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh, who also was the architect of Blenheim Palace, in 1699 and took over 100 years to complete. Over that century 3 successive Earls
(3rd, 4th, and 5th) of the Howard family lived there and collected a huge number of pieces of art on their European tours and added them to the house and the grounds. Over the same period the grounds expanded through purchase to include 3 villages and a 1,000 acres of farmland. Today there are listed 200 buildings, temples and monuments within the estate, all requiring constant upkeep.
The 3rd Earl purchased art pictures widely, especially in Italy, notably those of Maro Ricci, who paintings filled the house. Many were lost in the fire of 1940, but many have just been restored and are on public view for the first time in ½ a century.
The 4th Earl specialized in sculpture and Italian painting, especially the Venetian Canaletto, buying 50 pictures. However, since then many have been discovered to be by his assistants and have been auctioned off, and others were destroyed in the 1940 fire. Only 5 now remain. Many of his sculpture acquisitions now line the Antique Passage and are found in the Great Hall. Here one sees original statues of Roman Emperors on pedestals all around the Hall.
The 5th Earl also toured Europe on a collection binge. While he specialized in buying art from Italy (e.g. Bellini and Titian), he also commission English artists such as Sir Joshua Reynolds, who painted 3 portraits of the Duke. In 1848 he published a catalogue of the collection of some 274 pictures, many of which were compromised by the fire; many have been restored. The catalogue also lists 300 pieces of porcelain that is to be found on the China Landing.
With respect to the fire of 1940 it was truly disastrous and destroyed the dome and 20 grand rooms of the magnificent home, including the beautiful Garden Salon. For the next few years Castle Howard was open to the skies and once splendid rooms just gutted shells.
George Howard inherited the estate when he returned from WWII and because of the death of his two older brothers in it. He determined that the house should still be lived in by his family and began the bold effort to restore all the damage over the next ½ century. As a result there has been an uninterrupted occupation of Castle Howard by the family. Finances to accomplish the reconstruction and constant maintenance then and now come from visitors (200,000 a year at present), forestry, farming and property rentals. Wild game are harvested and sold to the general public at the Farm Shop.
As indicated earlier the magnificent Garden Salon had been completely destroyed in the fire and left largely derelict until the late 1970’s. In conjunction with Granada TV and the filming of ‘Brideshead Revisited’, it was completely restored true to the designs of Lord Howard, and is now there for everyone to enjoy again.
Today all is done to attract visitors to Castle Howard. Lord and Earl Sir Simon Howard, George’s son and heir, his wife Lady and Countess Rebecca and their twin daughters live there and welcome you on their website http://www.castlehoward.co.uk/ to come and visit. The direct telephone number is +44 (0) 1653 648-444.
25. Carisbrooke Castle:
This historic castle sits on 7 acres on the Isle of Wight and is remarkably complete. It is the Royal prison of Charles I prior him being beheaded at the Banqueting Hall in Whitehall in 1649. In the Carisbrooke Church the register records: “In the year of Our Lord God, 1649, January the 30th day, was Kinge (sic) Charles beheaded at Whitehall Gate”. Two of Charles’ children were imprisoned there as well. His daughter Elizabeth caught cold and died. His son, later with the Restoration in 1660 Charles II, was set free 2 years later and shipped off to Holland.
Visitors can see the room from which he tried to escape – twice! Originally when Charles I was defeated by the Parliamentary forces of Oliver Cromwell at Marston Moor and then Naseby, he was imprisoned at Hampton Court Palace. He escaped and fled to the Isle of Wight. The governor betrayed him and imprisoned him in this Castle.
At one time Carisbrooke was the capital of the Isle of Wight and had its own Norman castle, the one we see today, and was the home of the Redvers family who ruled the Island. When they departed in 1293, Edward I bought the Castle.
See www.english-heritage.org.uk/carisbrooke for directions and more information.
This historic castle sits on 7 acres on the Isle of Wight and is remarkably complete. It is the Royal prison of Charles I prior him being beheaded at the Banqueting Hall in Whitehall in 1649. In the Carisbrooke Church the register records: “In the year of Our Lord God, 1649, January the 30th day, was Kinge (sic) Charles beheaded at Whitehall Gate”. Two of Charles’ children were imprisoned there as well. His daughter Elizabeth caught cold and died. His son, later with the Restoration in 1660 Charles II, was set free 2 years later and shipped off to Holland.
Visitors can see the room from which he tried to escape – twice! Originally when Charles I was defeated by the Parliamentary forces of Oliver Cromwell at Marston Moor and then Naseby, he was imprisoned at Hampton Court Palace. He escaped and fled to the Isle of Wight. The governor betrayed him and imprisoned him in this Castle.
At one time Carisbrooke was the capital of the Isle of Wight and had its own Norman castle, the one we see today, and was the home of the Redvers family who ruled the Island. When they departed in 1293, Edward I bought the Castle.
See www.english-heritage.org.uk/carisbrooke for directions and more information.
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