86. York Cottage:
This rather small royal home is on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England. It was built by King Edward VII in the 1870’s. It is very small home, but was the happy home of George, Duke of York and his wife Mary and children for many years until his father Edward VII died in 1911 and he took the throne as George V. He and Mary hated to leave there quiet and peaceful – yet cramped – York Cottage home. They did not think of displacing George’s mother, Queen Alexandra from Sandringham House. They didn’t and Queen Alexandra continued to live in Sandringham House with her staff until her death in 1922.
The public cannot visit York Cottage today. It is the telephone and communications center for the Estate, although you can still see the house from the outside on the tour of the grounds on the tractor train. A real must see!!
See en:wikipedia.org.uk/wiki/Sandringham_House for directions and more information.
85. Woburn Abbey:
This is the magnificent family estate of the Russell Family, the Dukes of Bedford, located at Woburn in Bedfordshire. It is 8 miles from Milton Keynes. The estate has been there since 1145 when there was an Abbey built for Cistercian monks. In 1547 Edward VI gave the abbey to John Russell, who began to build the first mansion and his family began to occupy it in 1619. Since that time successive Dukes of Bedford have developed, repaired and expanded it with intelligence and love and have lived on the estate for over 300 years! They still live there today! It has one of the finest collections of art in England, with some 250 paintings on 3 floors including many works by Van Dyck, Gainsborough and Reynolds. The family mausoleum is at Chenies, nearby.
The Dukes of Bedbord led the way to pay for the maintenance and restoration of the House and grounds through ‘incorporation’ as a ‘business’, attracting thousands of tourists each year and running profitable agricultural and other businesses from the estate. Other families have followed suit. It has an award winning Safari Park. They have a magnificent website with the present 15th Duke and family inviting you to visit: http://www.woburnabbey.co.uk/.
It can also be contacted by calling: 01525 290333. By car it is about 1 hour from London on M4, exist junction 12 or 13 and take A5 and look for the signs. It is open from 11 A.M. to 4 P.M. all year.
The Woburn Abbey sits on 3,000 acres of deer park and has a garden that is breathless, including many rare plants and flowers. This is a must visit.
See http://www.woburnabbey.co.uk/ for directions, tickets and more information.
84. Windsor Castle, The Mausoleum and Great Park:
Windsor Castle is both a military castle and a Royal residence. It is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. Sitting high over the Thames River some 30 miles west of London and very close to Heathrow airport, it has been inhabited continually for over 1,000 years!
The site was chosen by William the Conqueror for military defense reasons and he began to build the castle in the 1070’s. A major part of the Castle is St. George’s Chapel in its Lower Ward. It was begun by Edward IV in the 15th Century and finished by Henry VIII (1509-1547). In its crypt are buried 10 British monarchs: Edward IV, Henry VI, Henry VIII, Charles I (without his head!), George III, George IV, William IV, Edward VII (1901-1911), George V (1911-1936), George VI (1938-1952) and most of their Queens.
In 1648 Charles I was imprisoned here for a short while before being taken to Whitehall in London for execution. His headless body was brought back to St. George’s Chapel for burial. Charles II (1660-1683) laid out the Long Walk which stretches from the Castle south into Windsor Great Park.
George IV, added the magnificent Waterloo Chamber in the 1820’s to commemorate Wellington’s victory over Napoleon at Waterloo. Queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837 and throughout her life she loved Windsor Castle, as did her husband Prince Albert. It was they who first open the State Apartments to the public in 1845.
Prince Albert died here at the Castle of typhoid in 1861 and is buried, along with Victoria at the Mausoleum, just south of the Castle, off the Long Walk on the East side. It is open only 2 weekends of the year to raise money for specific charities. You can purchase tickets on the internet, but do it early; they are time sensitive. Visiting the Mausoleum is a must! D, J and aunt M visited it in 2006 and were shaken by the historical atmosphere when you walk in to visit Victoria and Albert, united once more.
In 1992 there was a terrible fire at Windsor Castle. Ten principal rooms and 100 other rooms were destroyed or greatly damaged. One fifth of the Castle was affected. It took 56 million pounds and 10 years of work to restore it all, and restore it they have. To help pay for the restorations, and not tax the people, Queen Elizabeth opened some of the rooms of Buckingham Palace for tourists, a tour you can take today – another must see!
Today Queen Elizabeth loves to stay at Windsor Castle. She spends a month each year there over Easter and one week in June to attend the Royal Ascot races and a service for the Order of the Garter.
Visiting Windsor Castle, the Mausoleum and the Great Park are a must visit!!
84. Windsor Castle, The Mausoleum and Great Park:
Windsor Castle is both a military castle and a Royal residence. It is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. Sitting high over the Thames River some 30 miles west of London and very close to Heathrow airport, it has been inhabited continually for over 1,000 years!
The site was chosen by William the Conqueror for military defense reasons and he began to build the castle in the 1070’s. A major part of the Castle is St. George’s Chapel in its Lower Ward. It was begun by Edward IV in the 15th Century and finished by Henry VIII (1509-1547). In its crypt are buried 10 British monarchs: Edward IV, Henry VI, Henry VIII, Charles I (without his head!), George III, George IV, William IV, Edward VII (1901-1911), George V (1911-1936), George VI (1938-1952) and most of their Queens.
In 1648 Charles I was imprisoned here for a short while before being taken to Whitehall in London for execution. His headless body was brought back to St. George’s Chapel for burial. Charles II (1660-1683) laid out the Long Walk which stretches from the Castle south into Windsor Great Park.
George IV, added the magnificent Waterloo Chamber in the 1820’s to commemorate Wellington’s victory over Napoleon at Waterloo. Queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837 and throughout her life she loved Windsor Castle, as did her husband Prince Albert. It was they who first open the State Apartments to the public in 1845.
Prince Albert died here at the Castle of typhoid in 1861 and is buried, along with Victoria at the Mausoleum, just south of the Castle, off the Long Walk on the East side. It is open only 2 weekends of the year to raise money for specific charities. You can purchase tickets on the internet, but do it early; they are time sensitive. Visiting the Mausoleum is a must! D, J and aunt M visited it in 2006 and were shaken by the historical atmosphere when you walk in to visit Victoria and Albert, united once more.
In 1992 there was a terrible fire at Windsor Castle. Ten principal rooms and 100 other rooms were destroyed or greatly damaged. One fifth of the Castle was affected. It took 56 million pounds and 10 years of work to restore it all, and restore it they have. To help pay for the restorations, and not tax the people, Queen Elizabeth opened some of the rooms of Buckingham Palace for tourists, a tour you can take today – another must see!
Today Queen Elizabeth loves to stay at Windsor Castle. She spends a month each year there over Easter and one week in June to attend the Royal Ascot races and a service for the Order of the Garter.
Visiting Windsor Castle, the Mausoleum and the Great Park are a must visit!!
See http://www.royal.gov.uk/ for directions, open times, tickets and other information.
83. The Old Palace of Whitehall:
When Cardinal Woolsey fell from power, Henry VIII took over his York Palace, as he did with his other property Hampton Court. He expanded and modernized it, changed its name to Whitehall Palace, and took it as his principal London residence, leaving Westminster Palace nearby to the House of Commons and House of Lords. Few recognize Parliament as a Royal Palace. He had a jousting ‘tilt’ and cock fighting pit – which are now under the building at 70 Whitehall Road. It was the main Royal Residence in London from 1530 to 1697.
James I expanded the Palace in the early 1600’s and with the help of Indigo Jones built the marvelous the Banquet Hall to what it is today. His son Charles I was born in the Palace. In 1650 there were 1500 rooms! It was regarded as one of the largest buildings in the world. The last king to live here was James II, who did so from 1685-1688 and then was deposed. It was in the Banquet Hall that his successors, William and Mary of Orange, were offered the crowns of Great Britain in February 1689.
After this date the Palace began to lose favor with Royal Sovereigns. William suffered from asthma and hated the dampness of the Palace so near the Thames River. He preferred, and lived in, Kensington Palace on the higher ground at the west end of Hyde Park. Even so, when his Queen Mary died (after him) she lay in state in the Palace of Westminster.
The Palace was destroyed in 2 fires, 1691 and a massive one in 1698. After the final fire there was no desire to try to rebuild it. By the 1750’s the land it had stood on had been leased and sold for the building of townhouses. Despite the fire some evidence of the Palace remains for us to see. In Tudor times it was a favorite home of such monarchs as Henry VIII. His extensive Wine Cellar is one of the few parts of the massive complex that still exists. It does exist largely due to Queen Mary, the Consort of George V. When roads were being redrawn in the area to the east and south of Parliament the Wine Cellar of the old Palace of Westminster was unearthed. Mary requested it be saved. As a result the 70’ x 30’ brick vaulted Wine Cellar was encased and moved 9 ‘ to the West and put deeper in the ground, now to be seen underneath the Ministry of Defense building.
The other part of the massive Palace that still exists is the wonderful white Banquetting Hall that faces the Admiralty. It is from the windows of this Hall that Charles I stepped to his death by execution in 1649 on an erected scaffold. There is another remnant that my wife and I found on a visit. There are stone steps leading down to the Thames behind one of the Whitehall government buildings. The steps lead up to a wall. Before its destruction, they would have led to the Palace from the river.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of-Whitehall for more information.
82. Palace of Westminster:
This Palace had been the center of British government and the Monarch’s principal residence since 1049. What was a Royal Palace of Westminster is the present Parliament Buildings complex sitting on the original site, and is referred to interchangeably as the Palace of Westminster. One often hears the phrase: The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace.
Edward the Confessor built a royal palace on Thorney Island, just west of London at the same time he built Westminster Abbey (1045-1050). The area became known as ‘Westminster’. As last as the mid 16th Century it still had this status. Henry VIII married two of his wives here: Ann Boleyn (1533) and Jane Seymour (1536). Henry died here in January 1547.
There was a great fire in 1512 and much of the Palace was destroyed. Henry appropriated Cardinal Wolsey’s York Palace nearby, renaming it Whitehall Palace. Henry VIII used it as his principal residence, and although Westminster was still officially named a Palace, Henry left it for the use of the two Houses of Parliament and a law court, the Commons taking over the former ‘St. Stephen’s Chapel’, while the House of Lords met in the ‘White Chamber’.
In 1834 most of the Palace was again destroyed by fire and the present Houses of Parliament were built over the next 30 years. The design incorporated historic Westminster Hall and the remains of St. Stephen Chapel. The present Parliament Buildings structure began to be built in 1840 in the Perpendicular Gothic style and was completed in 1870. Its most famous tower, the Clock Tower holds Big Ben in its height of 316’. Big Ben is not a clock, but rather is the largest of five bells in the clock that strikes on the hour.
During WWII the Palace of Westminster (Parliament Buildings) was hit 14 times by bombs. The worst hit was on May 10, 1941 when the House of Commons chamber was destroyed and 3 people killed. The Chamber was rebuilt and completed in 1950.
The Palace of Westminster is huge: 1,100 rooms, 100 staircases and 3 miles of corridors. The present building dates from the 19th Century, some of the original historic building remains: Westminster Hall, used today for major ceremonial events like the lying in State of Monarchs and heads of the British state, and the Jewel Tower.
Westminster Hall remains much as it was, the Great Hall of the Palace, dark, dripping with history. It is used frequently today for major Royal events, most remembered by people is the lying in state of deceased Royals and leaders of State. Elizabeth the Queen Mother left from this Hall to her funeral and burial in St. George Chapel in Windsor. Many British Prime Ministers have lain in State here – Sir Winston Churchill being a notable one. It was also the site of the criminal trial of Sir Thomas More, the ‘Man For All Seasons’, accused of treason by Henry VIII in the 1530’s.
While control of the Palace has historically rested with the Lord Great Chamberlain – The Duke of Northumberland – by agreement with the Crown it passed to the 2 houses of Parliament in 1965, while a few rooms still are controlled by the Chamberlain.
See www.parliament.uk/parliament/guide/palace.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org./wiki/Palace_of_Westminster for directions, open times, tickets and more information.
81. Warwick Castle:
This amazing Castle is the finest Medieval fortress in England and in 2007 was voted the finest castle in England. It is located on the Avon River in Warwick, Warwickshire, 2 miles from Junction 15 on the M40. Signs are well marked. You can take the train from Marleybone station in London for a journey of 1 hour and 45 minutes, and has been the ancestral home of the Grenville family, the Earls and Countesses of Warwick, one of the most powerful political families in England for over 500 years!. They still live there! British political history at the highest cabinet and royal adviser levels is consistently dotted with a Grenville.
It has a magnificent Great Hall, State Rooms, turrets, drawbridges, dungeons, priceless paintings, sculpture and portraiture.
It was built by William the Conqueror in 1068 and in the early 17th Century was bought by Sir Fulke Grenville and made into a country estate. He spent the equivalent of $6,000,000 in today’s dollars to renovate the property. It has been in the Grenville family possession, to successive Earls and Countesses of Warwick down from that time until 1978, when it was sold to the large visitor attraction business, Tussauds. The Castle stands on gardens that stretch 690 acres and is a must see. The website boasts ‘The Best Medieval Experience’ for both children and adults.
Contact www.tourist-information-uk.com/warwick-castle.htm . or telephone at 44 (0) 1926 406600 for directions, attractions, more information and tickets which you can buy on-line.
80. Walmer Castle:
This is one of the Cinque Port defense castles specifically built to defend against a sea attack from France and Spanish following Henry VIII’s break with Rome in the early 1500’s. He built it in 1539-1540. It was never put to the test. It has a central Keep, and is the official residence of the Lords Wardens of the Cinque Ports, a title that originally gave the official control of the five most important medieval ports on the south coast (Hastings, Romney, Hythe, Dover and Sandwich). With the growth of the British Navy the Cinque Ports declined in importance and the title of Warden took on more of a ceremonial role, bestowed on those who had given distinguished service to the state.
Past Wardens included Prime Minister William Pitt, the Younger, Lord Granville, Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the 1st Duke of Wellington, who died here 150 years ago in his armchair in 1852. He had been appointed in 1829, 15 years after his victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. He remained Warden for 23 years.
When Prime Minister William Pitt took up residence here as its Warden, he leased additional lands around it establishing its present boundaries. It is believed Pitt laid out the kitchen garden, the glen and perhaps the walled garden. A later Warden, Lord Granville greatly developed the garden with professional assistance, such as the yew-lined Broadwalk and graced terraces.
There are wonderful gardens, one being the ‘Queen Mother’s Garden’ within a 19th Century walled garden, actually presented to the Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother in 1997 on her 95th birthday to commemorate her years as Warden She regularly visited and stayed in Walmer Castle. For those who love Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger this is a must! Lord George Curzon (previous Viceroy of India) and his first wife Mary, were given this property to live in when they returned from India in 1905 and assumed the Warden position. They found it uninhabitable, especially the unhealthy drains leading to a health threat to themselves and their girls. Mary refused to live there. Repairs were made, but was not a favorite home for Lord Curzon ever. Later in life he did a major academic research project on the property and personally paid for some on-going renovations.
See www.english-heritage.org.uk for more details.
83. The Old Palace of Whitehall:
When Cardinal Woolsey fell from power, Henry VIII took over his York Palace, as he did with his other property Hampton Court. He expanded and modernized it, changed its name to Whitehall Palace, and took it as his principal London residence, leaving Westminster Palace nearby to the House of Commons and House of Lords. Few recognize Parliament as a Royal Palace. He had a jousting ‘tilt’ and cock fighting pit – which are now under the building at 70 Whitehall Road. It was the main Royal Residence in London from 1530 to 1697.
James I expanded the Palace in the early 1600’s and with the help of Indigo Jones built the marvelous the Banquet Hall to what it is today. His son Charles I was born in the Palace. In 1650 there were 1500 rooms! It was regarded as one of the largest buildings in the world. The last king to live here was James II, who did so from 1685-1688 and then was deposed. It was in the Banquet Hall that his successors, William and Mary of Orange, were offered the crowns of Great Britain in February 1689.
After this date the Palace began to lose favor with Royal Sovereigns. William suffered from asthma and hated the dampness of the Palace so near the Thames River. He preferred, and lived in, Kensington Palace on the higher ground at the west end of Hyde Park. Even so, when his Queen Mary died (after him) she lay in state in the Palace of Westminster.
The Palace was destroyed in 2 fires, 1691 and a massive one in 1698. After the final fire there was no desire to try to rebuild it. By the 1750’s the land it had stood on had been leased and sold for the building of townhouses. Despite the fire some evidence of the Palace remains for us to see. In Tudor times it was a favorite home of such monarchs as Henry VIII. His extensive Wine Cellar is one of the few parts of the massive complex that still exists. It does exist largely due to Queen Mary, the Consort of George V. When roads were being redrawn in the area to the east and south of Parliament the Wine Cellar of the old Palace of Westminster was unearthed. Mary requested it be saved. As a result the 70’ x 30’ brick vaulted Wine Cellar was encased and moved 9 ‘ to the West and put deeper in the ground, now to be seen underneath the Ministry of Defense building.
The other part of the massive Palace that still exists is the wonderful white Banquetting Hall that faces the Admiralty. It is from the windows of this Hall that Charles I stepped to his death by execution in 1649 on an erected scaffold. There is another remnant that my wife and I found on a visit. There are stone steps leading down to the Thames behind one of the Whitehall government buildings. The steps lead up to a wall. Before its destruction, they would have led to the Palace from the river.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of-Whitehall for more information.
82. Palace of Westminster:
This Palace had been the center of British government and the Monarch’s principal residence since 1049. What was a Royal Palace of Westminster is the present Parliament Buildings complex sitting on the original site, and is referred to interchangeably as the Palace of Westminster. One often hears the phrase: The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace.
Edward the Confessor built a royal palace on Thorney Island, just west of London at the same time he built Westminster Abbey (1045-1050). The area became known as ‘Westminster’. As last as the mid 16th Century it still had this status. Henry VIII married two of his wives here: Ann Boleyn (1533) and Jane Seymour (1536). Henry died here in January 1547.
There was a great fire in 1512 and much of the Palace was destroyed. Henry appropriated Cardinal Wolsey’s York Palace nearby, renaming it Whitehall Palace. Henry VIII used it as his principal residence, and although Westminster was still officially named a Palace, Henry left it for the use of the two Houses of Parliament and a law court, the Commons taking over the former ‘St. Stephen’s Chapel’, while the House of Lords met in the ‘White Chamber’.
In 1834 most of the Palace was again destroyed by fire and the present Houses of Parliament were built over the next 30 years. The design incorporated historic Westminster Hall and the remains of St. Stephen Chapel. The present Parliament Buildings structure began to be built in 1840 in the Perpendicular Gothic style and was completed in 1870. Its most famous tower, the Clock Tower holds Big Ben in its height of 316’. Big Ben is not a clock, but rather is the largest of five bells in the clock that strikes on the hour.
During WWII the Palace of Westminster (Parliament Buildings) was hit 14 times by bombs. The worst hit was on May 10, 1941 when the House of Commons chamber was destroyed and 3 people killed. The Chamber was rebuilt and completed in 1950.
The Palace of Westminster is huge: 1,100 rooms, 100 staircases and 3 miles of corridors. The present building dates from the 19th Century, some of the original historic building remains: Westminster Hall, used today for major ceremonial events like the lying in State of Monarchs and heads of the British state, and the Jewel Tower.
Westminster Hall remains much as it was, the Great Hall of the Palace, dark, dripping with history. It is used frequently today for major Royal events, most remembered by people is the lying in state of deceased Royals and leaders of State. Elizabeth the Queen Mother left from this Hall to her funeral and burial in St. George Chapel in Windsor. Many British Prime Ministers have lain in State here – Sir Winston Churchill being a notable one. It was also the site of the criminal trial of Sir Thomas More, the ‘Man For All Seasons’, accused of treason by Henry VIII in the 1530’s.
While control of the Palace has historically rested with the Lord Great Chamberlain – The Duke of Northumberland – by agreement with the Crown it passed to the 2 houses of Parliament in 1965, while a few rooms still are controlled by the Chamberlain.
See www.parliament.uk/parliament/guide/palace.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org./wiki/Palace_of_Westminster for directions, open times, tickets and more information.
81. Warwick Castle:
This amazing Castle is the finest Medieval fortress in England and in 2007 was voted the finest castle in England. It is located on the Avon River in Warwick, Warwickshire, 2 miles from Junction 15 on the M40. Signs are well marked. You can take the train from Marleybone station in London for a journey of 1 hour and 45 minutes, and has been the ancestral home of the Grenville family, the Earls and Countesses of Warwick, one of the most powerful political families in England for over 500 years!. They still live there! British political history at the highest cabinet and royal adviser levels is consistently dotted with a Grenville.
It has a magnificent Great Hall, State Rooms, turrets, drawbridges, dungeons, priceless paintings, sculpture and portraiture.
It was built by William the Conqueror in 1068 and in the early 17th Century was bought by Sir Fulke Grenville and made into a country estate. He spent the equivalent of $6,000,000 in today’s dollars to renovate the property. It has been in the Grenville family possession, to successive Earls and Countesses of Warwick down from that time until 1978, when it was sold to the large visitor attraction business, Tussauds. The Castle stands on gardens that stretch 690 acres and is a must see. The website boasts ‘The Best Medieval Experience’ for both children and adults.
Contact www.tourist-information-uk.com/warwick-castle.htm . or telephone at 44 (0) 1926 406600 for directions, attractions, more information and tickets which you can buy on-line.
80. Walmer Castle:
This is one of the Cinque Port defense castles specifically built to defend against a sea attack from France and Spanish following Henry VIII’s break with Rome in the early 1500’s. He built it in 1539-1540. It was never put to the test. It has a central Keep, and is the official residence of the Lords Wardens of the Cinque Ports, a title that originally gave the official control of the five most important medieval ports on the south coast (Hastings, Romney, Hythe, Dover and Sandwich). With the growth of the British Navy the Cinque Ports declined in importance and the title of Warden took on more of a ceremonial role, bestowed on those who had given distinguished service to the state.
Past Wardens included Prime Minister William Pitt, the Younger, Lord Granville, Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the 1st Duke of Wellington, who died here 150 years ago in his armchair in 1852. He had been appointed in 1829, 15 years after his victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. He remained Warden for 23 years.
When Prime Minister William Pitt took up residence here as its Warden, he leased additional lands around it establishing its present boundaries. It is believed Pitt laid out the kitchen garden, the glen and perhaps the walled garden. A later Warden, Lord Granville greatly developed the garden with professional assistance, such as the yew-lined Broadwalk and graced terraces.
There are wonderful gardens, one being the ‘Queen Mother’s Garden’ within a 19th Century walled garden, actually presented to the Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother in 1997 on her 95th birthday to commemorate her years as Warden She regularly visited and stayed in Walmer Castle. For those who love Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger this is a must! Lord George Curzon (previous Viceroy of India) and his first wife Mary, were given this property to live in when they returned from India in 1905 and assumed the Warden position. They found it uninhabitable, especially the unhealthy drains leading to a health threat to themselves and their girls. Mary refused to live there. Repairs were made, but was not a favorite home for Lord Curzon ever. Later in life he did a major academic research project on the property and personally paid for some on-going renovations.
See www.english-heritage.org.uk for more details.
79. Waddesdon Manor: 
This incredible Rothschild French chateau estate is located 1 hour north of Windsor in the village of Waddesdon, in Buckinghamshire, England. It was built in the
Neo-Renaissance style of a French chateau between 1874-1889 by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild (1839-1898).
This incredible Rothschild French chateau estate is located 1 hour north of Windsor in the village of Waddesdon, in Buckinghamshire, England. It was built in the
Neo-Renaissance style of a French chateau between 1874-1889 by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild (1839-1898).
It was given to the National Trust, and the Rothschild family no longer lives there – even though they have left in it all its sumptuous furniture, floor coverings, and priceless English, Dutch and Renaissance works of art (e.g. ‘Pink Boy’), gold and silver ware and priceless china. It is a very innovative building. It has a steel frame, which takes much pressure off the foundations. It had electric lighting in the 1890’s, which impressed Queen Victoria so much she spent 10 minutes switching a newly electrified chandelier on and off , and instructed that Windsor Castle should have the same modernization. During WWII children under 5 were evacuated from London to stay here. When Baron Ferdinand Rothschild died in 1898 the house passed to his sister Alice de Rothschild. Upon her death in 1922 that property and contents passed to James de Rothschild of the French branch of the family, who further enriched it with collections of his late father Baron Edmond James de Rothschild of Paris. When James died in 1957 he bequeathed the Manor, 200 acres of grounds and its contents to the National Trust to be preserved for posterity and an endowment of 750,000 pounds.
At present the rest of the estate is owned by Jacob, the 4th Lord Rothschild. He has been a major benefactor of Waddesdon Manor and has overseen the extensive restoration. However, he has been announced that his financial support will end in 2010, at which time Waddesdon Manor will have to pay its own way. A burglary in June 2003 snatched French snuff boxes and bejeweled items, which were never found in tack, some of which, encrusted with diamonds had belonged to Marie Antoinette and Madame de Pompadour and were irreplaceable.
Touring the Manor today it seems as if the Rothschild’s drove away in the 1950's and just never came back. The estate has hosted many film companies. Most recently the acclaimed ‘The Queen’(2006), starring Helen Mirran was shot here, with Waddesdon Manor doubling for Buckingham Palace. A must visit.!! My wife and I and aunt Margaret visited this wonder in 2006.
At present the rest of the estate is owned by Jacob, the 4th Lord Rothschild. He has been a major benefactor of Waddesdon Manor and has overseen the extensive restoration. However, he has been announced that his financial support will end in 2010, at which time Waddesdon Manor will have to pay its own way. A burglary in June 2003 snatched French snuff boxes and bejeweled items, which were never found in tack, some of which, encrusted with diamonds had belonged to Marie Antoinette and Madame de Pompadour and were irreplaceable.
Touring the Manor today it seems as if the Rothschild’s drove away in the 1950's and just never came back. The estate has hosted many film companies. Most recently the acclaimed ‘The Queen’(2006), starring Helen Mirran was shot here, with Waddesdon Manor doubling for Buckingham Palace. A must visit.!! My wife and I and aunt Margaret visited this wonder in 2006.
78. Tower of London:
This imposing Royal Palace/fortress has been a Royal residence for over 500 years. It sits on the Thames River in East London. William the Conqueror built the imposing 90’ high fortress in the center called the ‘White Tower’ in 1078. It is 15’ thick at its base and 11’ thick at its top. Henry III had it whitewashed in 1240, which is how it got its name.
The Tower of London has been a primarily a fortress. It has 13 towers on its massive curtain wall. It has also been a prison for people of particularly high state status, e.g. princes and princesses, e.g. Elizabeth I when Princess Elizabeth, high level clerics. The water entrance is called the ‘Traitor’s Gate’ because prisoners accused of treason, such as Anne Boleyn and Thomas Moore entered here. Some of its famous prisoners have been: John II, King of France, Sr. Thomas More, Henry VI (murdered by Richard I), Edward V and brother Richard, known as ‘the Princes of the Tower’ who were murdered there, Elizabeth I when Princess Elizabeth, Sir Walter Raleigh, Guy Fawkes, Rudolf Hess, and the last to be imprisoned there, the Kray twins, in 1952 for a few days for failing to report for national service.
Executed here for treason have been, for example: William Hastings (1483), Sr. Thomas More (1535), Anne Boleyn (1536), Margaret Pole (1541), Catherine Howard (1542), Jane Boleyn (1542), Lady Jane Grey (1554) and Robert Devereau, 2nd Earl of Essex, and the last execution, German spy Josef Jakobs on August 14, 1941 by firing squad. The nobles in this list were beheaded on Tower Green inside the Tower of London complex and buried in the small Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula (in chains) next to the Green. Thomas More was beheaded publicly on Tower Hill just outside the Tower of London. D and J have visited the Tower many times and have seen the Tower Green execution spot, marked by a plaque in the ground and fenced of by a rope. They also entered the Chapel and seen the alter, at the foot of which is buried so many of there noble criminals. The Royal Mint is also here, as are the Crown Jewels used primarily at coronations. It has served as a Royal prison for years, prisoners entering by Traitor’s Gate on the Thames, for example, Lady Jane Grey and Rudolph Hess who escaped Germany by flying to England and was temporarily impression in the Tower for 4 days in May 1941.
It is readily accessible by tube: the District and Circle lines stop at Tower Hill station. See www.hrp.org.uk/toweroflondon for directions, open times, tickets and more information.
77. Tintern Abbey:
This is the historic church structure in Wales that so inspired poet William Woodsworth to write a poem so titled: “Lines composed a few miles above Tintern Abbey on revisiting the banks of the Wey during a tour, July 13, 1798”.
It was founded by Walter de Clare, Lord of Chepstow in 1131 in Monmouthshire, Wales. It was only the second Cistercian (or White Monks) monastery in Britain at the time and the first in Wales. The monks came from the daughter house of Citeaux, L’Aumone in the diocese of Blois in France. Two other daughter houses were established: Kingswood in Goucestershire (1193)and Tintern Parva (1203), west of Wexford in south east Ireland.
It is primarily the great church of the Abbey that can be seen today, constructed of old Red Sandstone. It is 72 meters long. It is one of the most spectacular ruins in the country.
It was abandoned in 1536 at the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII. It was surrendered by the Abbot Wyche on September 3, thus ending this monastic way of life that had lived here for over 400 years! The valuable articles of the Abbey were confiscated to the King’s treasury and the Abbott pensioned off. The building was granted to the Lord of Chepstow, Henry Somerset, 2nd Earl of Worcester. Lead from the roof was sold and the decay of the shell began.
Over the next 2 centuries no interest was shown to the site. After 1782, however, with the publication of the book ‘Observations on the River Wye’ by Reverend William Gilpin, tourists came in droves. In 1822 a new road, now the A466, was opened. In the 9th Century the Abbey became the focus of scholars and archaeologists, In 1901 the Abbey was bought by the Crown from the Duke of Beauford for 15,000 pounds. It was recognized as a monument of national importance and repairs began. In 1984 Cadw took over responsibility for the site.
See www.walescastles.com/tintern.html for directions and more information.
76. Thatched House Lodge:
This is a ‘Grace and Favor’ Royal Residence in the London Borough of Richmond that stretches back for centuries. ‘Grace and Favor’ means it is owned by the Sovereign and leased or given out at his/her pleasure. It sits on 4 acres of land close to the Thames and very close to the city of London. It started as two thatched houses in Richmond Park for the game wardens, and known at that time as Aldrige Lodge. It was enlarged in 1727 by George I. The two houses were joined in 1771. It has also been known as Burkitt Lodge.
It has always been occupied by Royalty or their highest courtiers. In the period after 1840 it was the home to General Edward Bowater, Equerry of Prince Albert, and later by General Lynedock Gardiner, Equerry of Queen Victoria. Later the Duke of Sunderland lived there. As well, between 1834 and 1969 various Monson family Baronets (Edmund, Maxwell, Edmund and finally George) live there. It was the London home of Dwight David Eishenhower, Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe, during WII. Since 1963 it has been the residence of Princess Alexander, The Honorable Lady Ogilvy, having been acquired on lease from the Crown Estates Commission by her husband. Her husband is buried in the lawn at the back of the Mausoleum at Windsor, very close to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. My wife and I and aunt Margaret visited this grave site in 2007. Very moving!!! A must!!
Richmond Park is a marvelous place to visit. It stretches into 2,058 acres around the Thames. It is absolutely beautiful and stretches over 6 counties. It was often painted by Reynolds and Turner. A major site is Richmond Hill from which wonderful views of London, including St. Paul’s Cathedral are to be seen. The park was enclosed in 1637 by King Charles I for a hunting preserve. It is the largest enclosed park in Europe.
In the Park is an ‘ancient Green’ where jousting used to take place. It is smaller now than it was then. Today cricket is played there and around it are numerous pubs, restaurants and stores in which to take a break. There is the Richmond Theatre in the Green which has put on plays for years. Facing the Green is the Maids of Honor Row, established by George I to accommodate ladies of his court, when his son and heir, the Prince of Wales and his wife, lived at Richmond Lodge.
One can see a few of the remains of Richmond Lodge today. It was originally built by Edward I in the 13th Century and enlarged by Henry VII in the late 15th Century. During the Civil War it was torn down by Cromwell and his Parliament and the land and materials sold for 13,000 pounds. Remaining today is an Archway bearing the arms of Henry VIII, the Wardrobe Court and the Gate House with its fine apartments.
The town of Richmond is bustling with many shops, pubs and restaurant right off the Green. The Town and the Park are very close to Hampton Court, the botanical gardens of Kew Palace, and Syon Park the London home of the Dukes and Duchess of Northumberland, which my wife and I and aunt Margaret visited in 2007. It is the home of the Royal Star and Garter Lodge, home of disabled service men and women, and British Lego family company has produced millions of poppies since 1922.
Getting to Thatched Lodge, Richmond Park and Richmond is very easy. Boats regularly carry tourists from Westminster to Hampton Court. There is a 30 minute rail service from Waterloo Station and the District tube line goes right there.
leave it.
76. Thatched House Lodge:
This is a ‘Grace and Favor’ Royal Residence in the London Borough of Richmond that stretches back for centuries. ‘Grace and Favor’ means it is owned by the Sovereign and leased or given out at his/her pleasure. It sits on 4 acres of land close to the Thames and very close to the city of London. It started as two thatched houses in Richmond Park for the game wardens, and known at that time as Aldrige Lodge. It was enlarged in 1727 by George I. The two houses were joined in 1771. It has also been known as Burkitt Lodge.
It has always been occupied by Royalty or their highest courtiers. In the period after 1840 it was the home to General Edward Bowater, Equerry of Prince Albert, and later by General Lynedock Gardiner, Equerry of Queen Victoria. Later the Duke of Sunderland lived there. As well, between 1834 and 1969 various Monson family Baronets (Edmund, Maxwell, Edmund and finally George) live there. It was the London home of Dwight David Eishenhower, Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe, during WII. Since 1963 it has been the residence of Princess Alexander, The Honorable Lady Ogilvy, having been acquired on lease from the Crown Estates Commission by her husband. Her husband is buried in the lawn at the back of the Mausoleum at Windsor, very close to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. My wife and I and aunt Margaret visited this grave site in 2007. Very moving!!! A must!!
Richmond Park is a marvelous place to visit. It stretches into 2,058 acres around the Thames. It is absolutely beautiful and stretches over 6 counties. It was often painted by Reynolds and Turner. A major site is Richmond Hill from which wonderful views of London, including St. Paul’s Cathedral are to be seen. The park was enclosed in 1637 by King Charles I for a hunting preserve. It is the largest enclosed park in Europe.
In the Park is an ‘ancient Green’ where jousting used to take place. It is smaller now than it was then. Today cricket is played there and around it are numerous pubs, restaurants and stores in which to take a break. There is the Richmond Theatre in the Green which has put on plays for years. Facing the Green is the Maids of Honor Row, established by George I to accommodate ladies of his court, when his son and heir, the Prince of Wales and his wife, lived at Richmond Lodge.
One can see a few of the remains of Richmond Lodge today. It was originally built by Edward I in the 13th Century and enlarged by Henry VII in the late 15th Century. During the Civil War it was torn down by Cromwell and his Parliament and the land and materials sold for 13,000 pounds. Remaining today is an Archway bearing the arms of Henry VIII, the Wardrobe Court and the Gate House with its fine apartments.
The town of Richmond is bustling with many shops, pubs and restaurant right off the Green. The Town and the Park are very close to Hampton Court, the botanical gardens of Kew Palace, and Syon Park the London home of the Dukes and Duchess of Northumberland, which my wife and I and aunt Margaret visited in 2007. It is the home of the Royal Star and Garter Lodge, home of disabled service men and women, and British Lego family company has produced millions of poppies since 1922.
Getting to Thatched Lodge, Richmond Park and Richmond is very easy. Boats regularly carry tourists from Westminster to Hampton Court. There is a 30 minute rail service from Waterloo Station and the District tube line goes right there.
leave it.
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