This wonderful estate is the remarkably austere looking London home of the Percy Family, Duke and Duchess of Northumberland. It and its family are of immense historical importance. Today Syon Park is still the London home of the Northumberland family, but they are rarely there, preferring their country properties. But they have owned and occupied Syon House in an unbroken string since the early 1500’s and is still owned, by them!
In the 16, 17, 18, and 19th centuries it was on the western outskirts of London, far enough to be in the beautiful country right in the fork of the Thames, yet close enough to get to Parliament and to the Royal Court by barge or carriage. It is the last surviving ducal residence with its estate and 40 acres of gardens in London.
Actually the London home of the Duke of Northumberland is a 200 acre park and an incredible almost medieval fortress-like palace, a stones throw from downtown London. It is across the Thames from Kew Gardens and Kew Palace. The Northumberland family have lived here for over 400 years.
The name Syon comes from Mount Zion in the Holy Land because a Bridgettine Order Abbey was established on the site in the 14th Century by the Swedish mystic St. Bridget. Located here was one of the last great Abbeys to be built as instructed by Henry V in 1415. With the Dissolution of all Roman Catholic monasteries by Henry VIII, this abbey was demolished in 1539. Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s first wife loved the abbey and often visited it. Unfortunately it became a subsequent target for his anger at the divorce problems he had with Catherine and with the Vatican. Richard Reynolds, confessor of the nuns there was brutally executed by Henry VIII in 1535, his body being placed on the Abbey gateway. He was later martyred.
In a macabre and some say just irony, when Henry VIII died in 1547, his coffin stopped overnight at Syon Park on its way from London to Windsor for burial. Poor embalming and the heat caused the body to explode and dogs were seen licking at the remains! This was regarded by Roman Catholics as divine judgment for the Dissolution of all the RC monasteries in the UK.
Henry VIII had given the property to the 1st Duke of Somerset, Lord Protector of Henry VIII’s son and heir Edward VI. It is Somerset who built the house we see today in the Italian Renaissance style. Somerset died in 1552 and the property was acquired by his rival John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland – no relation to the present family. It was his son, Lord Guildford Dudley who married Lady Jane Grey and it was at Syon Park that she was offered the throne by the Duke on the death of Edward VI in 1554. Nine days later she was displaced by Henry VIII’s eldest daughter Mary, and Jane was executed.
In 1557 the Roman Catholic Queen Mary Tudor reestablished the Abbey at Syon, but she died in 1558 and the nuns left England with the ascension of her younger, and Protestant, sister Queen Elizabeth I. In 1594 Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland acquired Syon House and estate through his marriage to Dorothy Devereux, and the Percy family has lived here ever since.
The name Syon comes from Mount Zion in the Holy Land because a Bridgettine Order Abbey was established on the site in the 14th Century by the Swedish mystic St. Bridget. Located here was one of the last great Abbeys to be built as instructed by Henry V in 1415. With the Dissolution of all Roman Catholic monasteries by Henry VIII, this abbey was demolished in 1539. Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s first wife loved the abbey and often visited it. Unfortunately it became a subsequent target for his anger at the divorce problems he had with Catherine and with the Vatican. Richard Reynolds, confessor of the nuns there was brutally executed by Henry VIII in 1535, his body being placed on the Abbey gateway. He was later martyred.
In a macabre and some say just irony, when Henry VIII died in 1547, his coffin stopped overnight at Syon Park on its way from London to Windsor for burial. Poor embalming and the heat caused the body to explode and dogs were seen licking at the remains! This was regarded by Roman Catholics as divine judgment for the Dissolution of all the RC monasteries in the UK.
Henry VIII had given the property to the 1st Duke of Somerset, Lord Protector of Henry VIII’s son and heir Edward VI. It is Somerset who built the house we see today in the Italian Renaissance style. Somerset died in 1552 and the property was acquired by his rival John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland – no relation to the present family. It was his son, Lord Guildford Dudley who married Lady Jane Grey and it was at Syon Park that she was offered the throne by the Duke on the death of Edward VI in 1554. Nine days later she was displaced by Henry VIII’s eldest daughter Mary, and Jane was executed.
In 1557 the Roman Catholic Queen Mary Tudor reestablished the Abbey at Syon, but she died in 1558 and the nuns left England with the ascension of her younger, and Protestant, sister Queen Elizabeth I. In 1594 Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland acquired Syon House and estate through his marriage to Dorothy Devereux, and the Percy family has lived here ever since.
The 9th Earl was a business partner of Walter Raleigh and their interests in America in tobacco and potatoes. But he fell into deep trouble in 1605. His distant cousin Thomas Percy dined at Syon with the Earl the day before joining Guy Fawkes and his associates planning to blow up the Parliament buildings the next day. He was implicated by association, although innocent, and spent 15 years in the Tower by orders of James I.
Interestingly, the 9th Earl’s youngest brother George Percy, was one of the original Virginia settlers in the 13 Colonies and helped found Jamestown in 1607. His son the 10th Earl was known to be impartial between the growing antagonism of the Royalists and Roundheads. This lead to the Civil War in 1649. George Percy was the governor protector of Charles I’s younger son, the Duke of York – the future James II. All the younger children of Charles I lived at Syon Park in 1646 and their father visited them during his imprisonment at Hampton Court Palace, before he fled to the Isle of Wight. It is on one of these visits that historians suspect the famous painting of Charles I and the Duke of York by Sir Peter Lely which hangs at Syon Park today was made. The artist was paid 20 pounds by the Duke for the painting. In 1750 the property fell to a daughter of the 11th Earl of Northumberland and her husband Sir Hugh Smithson. But the daughter, Elizabeth, loved the Percy name and revived it. In the same year Sir Hugh became the Earl and the 1st Duke of Northumberland in 1766. They laid out new grounds with the aid of Capability Brown and redesigned the Palace by Robert Adam.
The Palace today has a stunning entrance rotunda containing a sculpture of ‘The Dying Gaul’ and a simply indescribable Long Gallery. Interestingly Sir Hugh Smithson, 1st Duke of Northumberland continued his American connection by fathering a son, James Smithson. James left his fortune - $500,000 at that time- to the United States to establish an institution for ‘the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men’. Hence the Smithsonian Institution that still is in Washington, D.C. and known by so many. The 2nd Duke made friends with Joseph Brant, a native Indian Chief from what is now Canada – Brantford. Brant visited the Palace and a portrait hangs there of him.
The influence and power of the Northumberland family has rarely been so clearly seen as when the 3rd Duchess was appointed governess to the young Princess Victoria. In early 1800’s, prior to Victoria becoming 18, the Duchess was in charge of Victoria’s education, and Victoria lived at Syon Park for a while. Between 1831 and her ascension in 1837 the Duchess oversaw her education, and the Princess had her own rooms at Syon, which can still be visited, along with those of her mother, the Duchess of Kent. They retain their original beds. Victoria enjoyed the glass conservatory that is still in the estate, completed in 1830.
Syon Park is open to the public, and it is a jewel of immense historical importance. It is very popular to hire for weddings, celebrations, corporate events, product launches, exhibitions, fashion shows and as a film location. My wife nd I and my aunt Margaret toured the House and gardens of Syon Park in 2007. Truly it is a must see!
Interestingly, the 9th Earl’s youngest brother George Percy, was one of the original Virginia settlers in the 13 Colonies and helped found Jamestown in 1607. His son the 10th Earl was known to be impartial between the growing antagonism of the Royalists and Roundheads. This lead to the Civil War in 1649. George Percy was the governor protector of Charles I’s younger son, the Duke of York – the future James II. All the younger children of Charles I lived at Syon Park in 1646 and their father visited them during his imprisonment at Hampton Court Palace, before he fled to the Isle of Wight. It is on one of these visits that historians suspect the famous painting of Charles I and the Duke of York by Sir Peter Lely which hangs at Syon Park today was made. The artist was paid 20 pounds by the Duke for the painting. In 1750 the property fell to a daughter of the 11th Earl of Northumberland and her husband Sir Hugh Smithson. But the daughter, Elizabeth, loved the Percy name and revived it. In the same year Sir Hugh became the Earl and the 1st Duke of Northumberland in 1766. They laid out new grounds with the aid of Capability Brown and redesigned the Palace by Robert Adam.
The Palace today has a stunning entrance rotunda containing a sculpture of ‘The Dying Gaul’ and a simply indescribable Long Gallery. Interestingly Sir Hugh Smithson, 1st Duke of Northumberland continued his American connection by fathering a son, James Smithson. James left his fortune - $500,000 at that time- to the United States to establish an institution for ‘the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men’. Hence the Smithsonian Institution that still is in Washington, D.C. and known by so many. The 2nd Duke made friends with Joseph Brant, a native Indian Chief from what is now Canada – Brantford. Brant visited the Palace and a portrait hangs there of him.
The influence and power of the Northumberland family has rarely been so clearly seen as when the 3rd Duchess was appointed governess to the young Princess Victoria. In early 1800’s, prior to Victoria becoming 18, the Duchess was in charge of Victoria’s education, and Victoria lived at Syon Park for a while. Between 1831 and her ascension in 1837 the Duchess oversaw her education, and the Princess had her own rooms at Syon, which can still be visited, along with those of her mother, the Duchess of Kent. They retain their original beds. Victoria enjoyed the glass conservatory that is still in the estate, completed in 1830.
Syon Park is open to the public, and it is a jewel of immense historical importance. It is very popular to hire for weddings, celebrations, corporate events, product launches, exhibitions, fashion shows and as a film location. My wife nd I and my aunt Margaret toured the House and gardens of Syon Park in 2007. Truly it is a must see!
Contact: http://www.syonpark.co.uk/
73. Sunninghill Park:
This is a private home built by Queen Elizabeth II for HRH Prince Andrew, Duke of York and his wife, Duchess Sarah Ferguson as a wedding present in 1986. It sits in Windsor Great Park. The press didn’t like the design, regarded it un-royal and dubbed in ‘South York’, after the Texas property South Fork on the TV show Dallas.
The Queen retained ownership for four years after the divorce in 2000 and then signed it over to Andrew. In 2004 Andrew sold it for an incredible fortune of 15 million pounds – he only asked 12 – to a businessman from Kazakhstan who may be turning it into a hotel.
Andrew moved out to Royal Lodge in the Park in 2004, the former home of his grandmother, Elizabeth the Queen Mother who died there in 2001. Despite market values he paid only 1 million pounds for a 75 year lease. His daughters Beatrice and Eugenie live with him. Sarah, now Duchess of York, has purchased Dolphin House, just next door, to be near her daughters. Andrew and Sarah have an amicable relationship.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SunninghillPark for more information.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SunninghillPark for more information.
72. St. James Palace: 
This Royal Palace is located in London and is the still today the senior Palace of the Sovereign with a very long and important history. It is lies on the north side of Pall Mall half way down between Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace. It sits immediately beside Clarence House, which is within its grounds, and can be recognized by its red brick construction, while Clarence House is white stucco. It has been home of several members of the Royal Family and still today the location of official royal ceremonial business. It is not open to the public except for religious services in the two chapels: The Royal Chapel and the Queen’s Chapel.
This Royal Palace is located in London and is the still today the senior Palace of the Sovereign with a very long and important history. It is lies on the north side of Pall Mall half way down between Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace. It sits immediately beside Clarence House, which is within its grounds, and can be recognized by its red brick construction, while Clarence House is white stucco. It has been home of several members of the Royal Family and still today the location of official royal ceremonial business. It is not open to the public except for religious services in the two chapels: The Royal Chapel and the Queen’s Chapel.
Clarence House, Godophine House (now Lancaster House), and the Queen’s Chapel are all within the grounds of St. James Palace.
It was built by Henry VIII after he confiscated boldly the building of the Hospital of St. James. Most of the remains of the original red brick building survive, including the Royal Chapel, the Gatehouse with Henry VIII’s original cypher ‘HR’ and Crown over the door, the turrets and 2 surviving Tudor rooms in the State Apartments.
Henry VIII’s illegitimate son Henry Fitzroy, who he had been considering as his heir, died here in 1536 at 17 years of age. Anne Boleyn stayed there the evening after her coronation – her cypher ‘HA’ are above a couple of Tudor fireplaces in the State Apartments.
Elizabeth I was living there during the Spanish Armada threat in the late 1580’s. James II was born and baptized there. After the destruction of the Palace of Westminster by fire in the late 17th C. all monarchs lived here until William IV part of the time. In the early 1800’s the brothers of the Prince Regent (future William IV) lived there.
It was built by Henry VIII after he confiscated boldly the building of the Hospital of St. James. Most of the remains of the original red brick building survive, including the Royal Chapel, the Gatehouse with Henry VIII’s original cypher ‘HR’ and Crown over the door, the turrets and 2 surviving Tudor rooms in the State Apartments.
Henry VIII’s illegitimate son Henry Fitzroy, who he had been considering as his heir, died here in 1536 at 17 years of age. Anne Boleyn stayed there the evening after her coronation – her cypher ‘HA’ are above a couple of Tudor fireplaces in the State Apartments.
Elizabeth I was living there during the Spanish Armada threat in the late 1580’s. James II was born and baptized there. After the destruction of the Palace of Westminster by fire in the late 17th C. all monarchs lived here until William IV part of the time. In the early 1800’s the brothers of the Prince Regent (future William IV) lived there.
Since then Buckingham Palace is the London Royal residence and St. James Palace is largely for ceremonial events. It has been the setting of some of the most important Royal events in British history and a residence of the King and Queen for over 300 years. It remains today the official residence of the reigning Sovereign even though they have lived in Buckingham Palace. All ambassadors of foreign countries and High Commissioners presented letters to the sovereign for accreditation in the Court of St. James. Royal levees continued to be held there up to 1939. Still today a vitally important ceremony still occurs at the Court of St. James – the Ascension Council meets at the death of a monarch to introduce, proclaim and hear the first address of the new monarch.
Handel was the Court appointed organist of the Royal Chapel in 1723, where he composed the ‘Zadock the Prince”, used at all Royal coronations ever since. The Royal Chapel is a very historical part of the Palace. It was decorated by Hans Holbein. Many Royal marriages have occurred here, such as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. They were married there in 1840 and their marriage certificate signed by the Archbishop of Canterbury hangs today in the Vestry. She never lived in the Palace. More recently, the coffin of Diana, Princess of Wales lay in state in the Royal Chapel on the evening before her funeral so her family could hold a private vigil. The coffins of Elizabeth, the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret lay in the cream stucco Queen’s Chapel, still within St. James Palace, but just across the road from the Royal Chapel. Interestingly, Mary I’s heart is buried beneath the Choir stalls. Charles I received his last Communion in the Royal Chapel before he was beheaded on a scaffold outside the Banqueting Hall in 1649.
Handel was the Court appointed organist of the Royal Chapel in 1723, where he composed the ‘Zadock the Prince”, used at all Royal coronations ever since. The Royal Chapel is a very historical part of the Palace. It was decorated by Hans Holbein. Many Royal marriages have occurred here, such as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. They were married there in 1840 and their marriage certificate signed by the Archbishop of Canterbury hangs today in the Vestry. She never lived in the Palace. More recently, the coffin of Diana, Princess of Wales lay in state in the Royal Chapel on the evening before her funeral so her family could hold a private vigil. The coffins of Elizabeth, the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret lay in the cream stucco Queen’s Chapel, still within St. James Palace, but just across the road from the Royal Chapel. Interestingly, Mary I’s heart is buried beneath the Choir stalls. Charles I received his last Communion in the Royal Chapel before he was beheaded on a scaffold outside the Banqueting Hall in 1649.
71. Stratfield Saye: 
This is the fabulous country estate of Arthur Wellesley, the Great Duke of Wellington. It is located in Stratfield Saye, N.E. Hampshire, 1 miles west of A33 half way between Reading and Basingstoke. Take the M4 and off at Junction #11, then M3 and off at Junction #6. There was a major house there in 1603 built by Sir William Pitt, the Comptroller of the Household of James I.
When he bought the property in 1817 the Duke of Wellington had planned to demolish it and build and grand one to be called the Waterloo Palace. He abandoned the idea in 1821 as too expensive. Today it is administered by a Trust. The stables contain the Wellington Exhibition including a large collection of military mementos, his 18 ton bronze funeral carriage made from melted French cannon from the Battle of Waterloo at which the Duke defeated and captured Napoleon. Also on the grounds is the grave of Copenhagen, the Great Duke’s favorite charger (horse).
Telephone: (44) 01256 882882; and e-mail: info@ stratfield-saye.co.uk and see the website http://www.stratfield-saye.co.uk/. for more information.
This is the fabulous country estate of Arthur Wellesley, the Great Duke of Wellington. It is located in Stratfield Saye, N.E. Hampshire, 1 miles west of A33 half way between Reading and Basingstoke. Take the M4 and off at Junction #11, then M3 and off at Junction #6. There was a major house there in 1603 built by Sir William Pitt, the Comptroller of the Household of James I.
When he bought the property in 1817 the Duke of Wellington had planned to demolish it and build and grand one to be called the Waterloo Palace. He abandoned the idea in 1821 as too expensive. Today it is administered by a Trust. The stables contain the Wellington Exhibition including a large collection of military mementos, his 18 ton bronze funeral carriage made from melted French cannon from the Battle of Waterloo at which the Duke defeated and captured Napoleon. Also on the grounds is the grave of Copenhagen, the Great Duke’s favorite charger (horse).
Telephone: (44) 01256 882882; and e-mail: info@ stratfield-saye.co.uk and see the website http://www.stratfield-saye.co.uk/. for more information.
70. Slane Castle: 
This property is in County Donegal, Northern Ireland and was first built by the Marquis of Conyngham in the Peerage of Ireland in 1701. The family became a Barony in 1753 and the Baron made a Viscount in 1756. The family was originally of Scottish nobility and moved to County Donegal in 1611.
The Castle sits only a short distance from the famous battle ground of the Battle of the Boyne. There was a terrible fire in 1991 that destroyed much of the Castle facing the river. Renovations were completed in 2001, funded largely by the hard work of the current occupant of the Castle, Lord Henry, Earl of Mount Charles, the son of the present 7th Marquis of Conyngham. George IV of England was deeply in love with Elizabeth, Marchioness of Conyngham. He visited the Castle in 1821 and the bed he slept in is still there and called ‘The King’s Bedroom’. The road from Dublin to the Castle is the straightest in the area, and people feel it was on his orders so he could get quickly to Elizabeth. The vast parks of the Castle were laid out by Capability Brown.
To raise funds following the fire and for general support of the upkeep of the Castle, all kinds of events are staged there. But Sloan is known internationally for its music festivals – especially rock & roll – staged in the natural park amphitheatre below the Castle. In 1981 a major rock concert of 100,000 listened to the Rolling Stones, U2, Dylan, Madonna, R.E.M., Bryan Adams, Bruce Springstein. The Stones returned in 2007 and U2 recorded their song ‘The Unforgettable Fire’ while living in the castle. It is available for weddings, celebrations and corporate events.
See http://www.slanecastle.ie/ of directions, open times, tickets and more information.
69. Stowe House:
This is the estate with a mansion of immense palatial scale. It is the ancestral home of the very powerful political and court families - the Temple and later the Grenville families - and it has a unique set of garden buildings. The Grenvilles lived here in splendor from the 1600’s until WWI. It is located in Buckinghamshire northwest of London up the M1 past Milton Keyes to Northampton, then left on the A43. It is northeast of Oxford.
When it was built in the early 17th Century its size was used to demonstrate their power and wealth – to impress the locals to put you back in the House of Commons. The house is a Paladian style, very much of Roman antiquity in appearance, neo classical. These families tried to recreate Rome in the building – e.g. columns that showed a lot about them and their political and social aspirations. They were saying: ‘see, I can understand this antiquity’.
With the imposition of the dreaded Inheritance Tax by that envious poor Welshman, Prime Minister David Lloyd George, Stowe House and estate was saved from almost certain ruin with the establishment of Stowe School in 1923. Sir Richard Branson, President of Virgin Airlines, was educated here.
More recently the gardens were presented to the National Trust in 1989 so they and the 40 ‘Listed’ monuments and temples on the property could be protected by Law and restored. In 2000, the House itself was presented to the Trust to allow the beginning of major restoration to its former brilliance. It is now a ‘Grade 1 Listed Home’ and almost fully restored. It looks as it did in its heyday in the 18th Century. A must see!!
This property is in County Donegal, Northern Ireland and was first built by the Marquis of Conyngham in the Peerage of Ireland in 1701. The family became a Barony in 1753 and the Baron made a Viscount in 1756. The family was originally of Scottish nobility and moved to County Donegal in 1611.
The Castle sits only a short distance from the famous battle ground of the Battle of the Boyne. There was a terrible fire in 1991 that destroyed much of the Castle facing the river. Renovations were completed in 2001, funded largely by the hard work of the current occupant of the Castle, Lord Henry, Earl of Mount Charles, the son of the present 7th Marquis of Conyngham. George IV of England was deeply in love with Elizabeth, Marchioness of Conyngham. He visited the Castle in 1821 and the bed he slept in is still there and called ‘The King’s Bedroom’. The road from Dublin to the Castle is the straightest in the area, and people feel it was on his orders so he could get quickly to Elizabeth. The vast parks of the Castle were laid out by Capability Brown.
To raise funds following the fire and for general support of the upkeep of the Castle, all kinds of events are staged there. But Sloan is known internationally for its music festivals – especially rock & roll – staged in the natural park amphitheatre below the Castle. In 1981 a major rock concert of 100,000 listened to the Rolling Stones, U2, Dylan, Madonna, R.E.M., Bryan Adams, Bruce Springstein. The Stones returned in 2007 and U2 recorded their song ‘The Unforgettable Fire’ while living in the castle. It is available for weddings, celebrations and corporate events.
See http://www.slanecastle.ie/ of directions, open times, tickets and more information.
69. Stowe House:
This is the estate with a mansion of immense palatial scale. It is the ancestral home of the very powerful political and court families - the Temple and later the Grenville families - and it has a unique set of garden buildings. The Grenvilles lived here in splendor from the 1600’s until WWI. It is located in Buckinghamshire northwest of London up the M1 past Milton Keyes to Northampton, then left on the A43. It is northeast of Oxford.
When it was built in the early 17th Century its size was used to demonstrate their power and wealth – to impress the locals to put you back in the House of Commons. The house is a Paladian style, very much of Roman antiquity in appearance, neo classical. These families tried to recreate Rome in the building – e.g. columns that showed a lot about them and their political and social aspirations. They were saying: ‘see, I can understand this antiquity’.
With the imposition of the dreaded Inheritance Tax by that envious poor Welshman, Prime Minister David Lloyd George, Stowe House and estate was saved from almost certain ruin with the establishment of Stowe School in 1923. Sir Richard Branson, President of Virgin Airlines, was educated here.
More recently the gardens were presented to the National Trust in 1989 so they and the 40 ‘Listed’ monuments and temples on the property could be protected by Law and restored. In 2000, the House itself was presented to the Trust to allow the beginning of major restoration to its former brilliance. It is now a ‘Grade 1 Listed Home’ and almost fully restored. It looks as it did in its heyday in the 18th Century. A must see!!
Contacts are: +44 (0) 1280 818229; e-mail: amcevoy@stowe.co.uk; website: http://www.stowe.co.uk/ for information on maps, opening times, tickets and more information.
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