Posted by D at 16:49:28 Permanent Link Comments (0)
UK Treasure Houses

Treasure Houses

6. Ashford Castle:

This is an Irish Castle in County Donegal. It was built in 1228!,and passed into English hands after a military battle in 1589.In 1715 the Browne family (Baron Oranmore) occupied the estate. In 1852 it was purchased by Sr. Benjamin Guinness who extended the estate to 26,000 acres. It remained in thehands of descendents and its Iveagh Trust until it was sold in 1939 to Noel Huggard who turned it into a hotel.

It is today still a very luxurious hotel. It can be contacted through such websites as www.ashford.ie/inex.php. In 1951 American director John Ford shot his classic film 'The Quiet Man' starrring John Wayne and Maureen O'Harain and around the Castle in the neighbouring small village of Cong. In 2008 it was sold to the Galway-based land developer Gerry Barret and his family.Over the years many distinguished guests have stayed at Ashford: George V and Queen Mary, Oscar Wilde (his father Sir William Wilde had an estate adjacent to Ashford), President Ronald Reagan, HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Wessex, Senator Edward Kennedy, John Wayne and Prince Rainier of Monaco.

Posted by D at 07:49:49 Permanent Link Comments (0)

5. Apsley House:


This was the London home of the Duke of Wellington, opposite the entrance to Hyde Park in Knightsbridge, built between 1781-1787 by Robert Adam. He often was so accessible his windows would be broken by crowds so he had steel ones put in. It has been refurbished and is just as majestic as ever. It is open to the public.

See www.english-heritage.org.uk/server:php?show=nav.12679 for directions and more information.
osted by D at 07:21:38 Permanent Link Comments (0)

4. Anmer Hall:

This palace is on the Royal Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England. A picture of it has been hard to find. It is a Georgian house that was a particular favorite of Prince George, Duke of Kent, uncle of Elizabeth II who was killed in a plane crash in WWII. His Greek wife, Princess Maria died in 1998. Their 3 children Edward, Alexandra and Michael have been close to Queen Elizabeth II andPrince Philip. Edward, now Duke of Kent sold the family home, Coppers, and leased Anmer Hall in 1973. With his divorce in the 1990's, he moved from Anmer Hall to the 'Grace and Fancy' home, York House, near Marlborough Palace in London in 1993. His Dutchess lives privately in an apartment and does charity work.
Posted by D at 07:06:54 Permanent Link Comments (0)
UK Treasure Houses

3. Althorp:




This estate is the home of the Spencer family in Northamptonshire, England 6 miles north of Northampton on the A428.. The estate dates back to the 16th Century when in the Tudor period a wealthy Warwickshire glazier, Sir John Spencer, bought Althorp
and Wormleighton in Warwickshire. The Spencer money was largely made in the wool trade. Althorpe was originally a 300 acre estate called ‘Oldthorpe’, and even earlier ‘Olletorp”. It has been continuously occupied by the family since 1508 to today (2009) !!

The Spencer family was raised to the Peerage in 1603 and gained the Earldom of Sunderland in 1643. In 1734 Charles, the 5th Earl of Sunderland, inherited the dukedom of Marlborough and went to live at Blenheim Palace. Winston Churchill traces his ancestry back to Charles the 5th Earl of Sunderland. When Charles left for Blenheim Palace, Althorp thus passed to his younger brother, an art dealer who made his first son John, the 1st Earl of Spencer. It was John whose daughter Georgiana later became the Duchess of Devonshire by marrying into the Cavendish family (subject of current movie 'The Dutchess').

In 1783 the 2nd Earl of Spencer renovated a deteriorating Althorp. Althorp contains one of the largest family art collections, including portraits of member of the House of Hapsburg by Rubens, of Charles II by Lely, and a whole room full of works by Gainsborough and Reynolds. It has a magnificent garden to explore. Located on the estate on an island by itself is the grave and memorial of HRH Princess Diana, killed in 1997 in a car crash in Paris. It is open to the public from July 1 – August 30 each year from 11 A.M. to 5 P.M. Contacts: telephone: 01 604 770107; e-mail: mail@althorp.com and website: www.althorp.com.


Posted by D at 06:59:24 Permanent Link Comments (0)
UK Treasure Houses

2. Alnwick Castle:

This estate has been continuously owned by the Percy Family, The Dukes of Northumberland since 1309!; located 33 miles north of Newcastle on Tyne and 80 miles south of Edinburgh; presently lived in by Ralph Percy, the 12th Duke; in 1950 the Castle was opened to the public after the War; and in 1995 Ralph Percy, the 12th Duke succeeded.

Alnwick Castle is the 2nd largest inhabited Castle in England; in 1750 the 1st Duke completely restored the Castle fit for residence. All of the Northumberland Estates cover 120,000 acres in Northumberland, Middlesex and Scotland (and they own Syon Park Estate in London which is open to the public, but never live there now).

This castle has been a favorite for historical movies. Filmed there have been: Becket (1964) starring Richard Burton and Peter O’Toole; Mary Queen of Scots (1971) starring Vanessa Redgrave and Glenda Jackson; Ivanhoe (1982) starring James Mason; Elizabeth (1998) starring Cate Blanchett; and Harry Potter & the Philosopher’s Stone (2001) and Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets (2002); and Blackadder. See www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alnwick_Castle for more directions and more information.


Posted by D at 06:44:47 Permanent Link Comments (0)
UK Treasure Houses

1. Abbotsford House:



This is the former home of Sir Walter Scott, 19th Century novelist; 2 miles from Melrose off A68 by the River Tweed on the Scottish border; the property was bought by Scott in 1811 and the house completed in 1824; you can see his Study, Drawing Room, Entrance Hall, Armories and Dining Hall in which he died on September 21, 1832; contains immense library, including original copies of his works, of 9,000 volumes; house has been open to the public since 1833.

When Scott was a boy he often traveled from Selkirk to Melrose in the Border Country where some of his novels are set. He would talk to his son about the Battle of Melrose (1526). Close by there was a farm called Cartleyhole, which Scott eventually purchased. It was eventually developed into a marvelous manor that is ‘likened to a fairy palace’. Rich oak paneling, marvelous collections of art, suits of armor Rob Roy’s Gun and Montrose’s Sword, fine furniture brought the character to the house. The library contains over 9,000 rare volumes. The ceilings are of oak and cedar and carved with coats of arms painted in their correct colors. More land was purchased until 1,000 acres was owned. The presence of an old abbey and abbots suggested the name of the manor.

The Scott family inhabited the house without interruption until the death of Scott’s great-great-great granddaughter Dame Jean Maxwell-Scott died in July 2004. She inherited it from her elder sister Patricia in 1998. They had both turned the house into one of Scotland’s major tourist attractions because, like so many of these proud and brave families, they had to rely on the paying guests to keep it up. It had electricity installed only in 1962. An interesting point is that Dame Jean was a horse trainer as well, and one of her horses, Sir Wattie, won two silver medals in the 1998 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. See http://www.scottabbotsford.com/ for directions and more information.


Posted by D at 06:29:47 Permanent Link Comments (0)

Purpose and Hopes of the Blog

Good morning, a new Blog is launched:

Detailed Context:

Today I am launching a new blog devoted to the marvellous 18th Century (and earlier) artistocratic stately homes that still exist for the public to visit. For simplicity these manors, palaces, castles and homes are called in this blog 'treasure houses' because all have in them priceless art, sculpture, ceramics, furniture and other wonderful treasurers of a past wealthy, but slower and more stately world.

These homes were the country residences of the artistocratic wealthy class, who largely drew their wealth and high social station from their ownership of vast tracts of land with in their estates. Many families in the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th Century owned numerous estates, often in the 10's of thousands of acres.With the application of an Inheritance Tax on these families by Prime Minister Lloyd George shortly after WWI added to income taxes, many were forced to close and fell into disrepair. Others were given by their families - many of whom had lived uninterrupted on the estate since the 15th Century - to the National Trust, an agency of the government which manages them today. The National Trust moved whenever possible to open them to the public to raise money for their repair and maintenance.Other estates have remained in the hands of the original families - the Montagu family on Beaulieu Palace and Abbey estate west of Southampton in the New Forest - is one example. They have proudly stayed and shouldered the burden of the crippling taxation, opening their homes to tourism, starting farming, timber and other industries on their estates.This blog is devoted to these proud families and aims to be of assistance to them to have the Inheritance Tax - a weapon of long ago - removed so they can keep their revenues from tourism and other efforts to ensure the prompt restoration and maintanace of their homes and estates for the enjoyment of future generations.

Background:

In the 15th-17th Centures the treasure houses of the artistocratic society were the seats of real political power in the United Kingdon - not London where the Monarch and Parliament stood. They were built large to show the real politica power and wealth of these ancestral families from whose ranks the advisors of Monarchs at the very highest levels were drawn. Political discussions were very much part of the activities of these great houses, it can be said that the houses themselves opened doors for the most impressive families to be awarded Dukedoms by the Monarch because they drew attention to their wealth and good breeding.Their 'wealth' was not the wealth of today. It was land-based, with tens of thousands of individuals and families working for the Lord of the estate and living on the property. Their positions were passed down from father to children and many of them remained working on the estates.

As industry and commerce appeared in the 19th Century a new 'monied' wealth class appeared from the cities, who bought many of the treasure houses from the original aristocratic families who could no longer generate the funds to keep them going.But their real demise was at the hands of the highly critical Welshman, David Lloyd George, who when Prime Minister set himself to bring down these idle rich, as he saw them. The result was the punative and disasterous Inheritance Tax. When a Lord died, his heir had to pay a large tax before he could inherit. Often this was impossible and the estate was sold or abandoned. Many have disappeared.This Blog says unappologically - a POX on Lloyd George. It is time to save these houses and support the brave families who soldier on trying to keep them afloat by withdrawing the Inheritance - almost 100 years after it was put on their backs.

These treasure houses are not dinosaurs, no longer reflective of modern times or modern culture. Indeed they represent priceless art, architecture and beauty. They represent proud families who want to keep their names and the houses of their ancestors alive. They represent the pride that these families still have in them and in the generations of their families - often captured on art on palace walls - who have lived there for, in some cases well over 400 years! They also represent a window into the politics and social world of an earlier era, when these homes and their owners play a leading role in political and state events of the UK. Many still do today.With the loss of each additional treasure house leaves a gaping, never to be retrieved, tear in the UK, of its past and what has made it so special amid the cultures and nations of the world.

The Government has responded to their value: It is important to note that the UK government is becoming more and more aware of the need to preserve these masterpieces. On July 8, 2008, just a few weeks ago, a new program was launched by the national government that tracks these 'treasure houses' and their present condition. The 'Heritage at Risk Project' creates a national register of the state of 'neglect' of thtese houses and estates, and helps their ownes find ways to fund repairs and restorations to protect them for succeeding generations. We laud all those behind such efforts The reader may want to contact the project directly to see how he/she can help. Just Google the project's name and contact them.Also by relatively new British law, if a stately home is designated a 'Scheduled Ancient Monment', the property is forever protected from change by law. Many of the properties that will be presented in the Blog over the coming weeks are so designated, such as Burghley House. Recently the owners of many of the major houses have taken another step to help one another with the preservation of their proudly owned estates. Several have formed the 'Treasure Houses of England' organization, a heritage foundation created initially by 10 of the foremost estates to promote tourism and to generate funds for restoration and maintenance.

How The Blog Will Present The Stories of These Treasure Houses:

Eighty five (85) homes are currently to be entered into this Blog, alphabetically, with pictures and information on its history and present, who the family is, where the estate is, how you get tickets - often from their own websites via the Internet, when they are open to the public and the major attractions that should be seen. The information is gleaned from personal visits and an extensive Internet search. Any use of whole phrasing from any resource, should there be any, is quite unintentional.

Three or so homes will be added to the record on this Blog, until all 85 are available in the next few days to the reader.

The intentions of the Blog are simple:

1. to encourage the reader to plan a trip, often packaging 3 estates in the same general area so he/she will come to appreciate them as I do;

2. to encourage the reader to search the Internet...for others not listed, and add to this record him or herself so it ever grows as a living resource for anyone who is studying them and/or wishes to visit them.

3. and...the major intention is to gather force to the voices calling for the removal of the Inheritance Tax on these families and these homes, and a reduction of income taxes, as long as they do all they can to use the income they generate through tourism, estate industries...to keep these estates in a high level of restoration and repair for future generations to enjoy.

And Finally: 4. The great houses and estates of this Blog are still there and they are success stories. The author has been to several of them - many with his wife and 93 year old aunt who loves them! But their struggles are not over, nor will they ever be as the forces of Mother Nature relentlessly wear on these grand buildings, and continued taxes of all kinds weigh on the families. As you visit an estate you will see clearly how they still struggle valiantly to keep repairs up and bring back gardens long since overgrown.We salute these noble families and encourage them in their efforts. This author has petitioned the British P.M. Gordon Brown to remove the Inheritance Tax.Another way we can all help is to VISIT them as tourists and go back to relive an earlier, more sublime, more mannerly and supremely wealthy quiet country existence away from the smog, noise and political bantering in London. You can join the 'Friends' of a particular house, contribute to it and /or get information on upcoming events at it. You will be greatly helping them...and yourself.

In a few days the first Treasure Houses will appear: Abbotsford House, Alnick Castle, Althorpe, Anmer Hall and Apsley House.

I am a Canadian, majoring in University in Honors History, and as a retired gentleman, gets the opportunity to travel to these great houses, as well as many places and wonders around the world. I hope to see you in one of these marvellous Treasure Houses.

Saving UK's wonderful Treasure Houses

Good morning, this blog is devoted UK Treasure Country Houses & to saving the remaining hundreds of UK aristocratic country homes, once all owned by the British aristocracy going back in some cases to the 1500's. Some are still owned by decedents of these families after 400 years!; many others had to be sold by their owners for inheritance tax pressures, others to developers, and thankfully, many others have been left to the government's National Trust and are open to the public.

My intent is that you learn about them. What family owned them? Are they still there to meet? What treasures are still in them? Where are they and how can I and my family get easily to tour them.

My hope is that if more of the world comes to visit them, they will join the growing number of voices who want the British government to remove all inheritance taxes, lessen their general tax load and help them keep them in repair as long as they are kept open for the public to enjoy for generations to come.

Following are some 85 'Treasure Houses', as I call them. I have visited many and still do. Hopefully I will see you in one one day.

Best regards,

Dr. Donald Beggs,

Toronto, Canada