Category: Stately Homes

Downton Castle

 From the Greville Memoirs

June 26th, (1839) Delbury.— “I rode to Downton Castle on Monday, a gimcrack castle and bad house, built by Payne Knight, an epicurean philosopher, who after building the castle went and lived in a lodge or cottage in the park: there he died, not without suspicion of having put an end to himself, which would have been fully conformable to his notions. He was a sensualist in all ways, but a great and self-educated scholar. His property is now in Chancery, because he chose to make his own will. The prospect from the windows is beautiful, and the walk through the wood, overhanging the river Teme, surpasses anything I have ever seen of the kind. It is as wild as the walk over the hill at Chatsworth, and much more beautiful, because the distant prospect resembles the cheerful hills of Sussex instead of the brown and sombre Derbyshire moors. The path now creeps along the margin, and now rises above the bed of a clear and murmuring stream, and immediately opposite is another hill as lofty and wild, both covered with the finest trees—oaks, ash, and chestnut —which push out their gnarled roots in a thousand fantastic shapes, and grow out of vast masses of rock in the most luxuriant and picturesque manner. Yesterday I came here, a tolerable place with no pretension, but very well kept, not without handsome trees, a,nd surrounded by a very pretty country.”


Downton Castle



Richard Payne Knight by Sir Thomas Lawrence

 Richard Payne Knight (1750-1824), was born in 1750 and called Payne after his grandmother, Elizabeth, daughter of Andrew Payne, and wife of Richard Knight (1659-1745), the founder of the Knight family, who acquired great wealth by the ironworks of Shropshire, and settled at Downton, Herefordshire. Being of a weakly constitution, Knight was not sent to school till he was fourteen, and did not begin to learn Greek till he was seventeen. He was not at any university. About 1767 he went to Italy, and remained abroad several years.

Knight again visited Italy in 1777, and from April to June of that year was in Sicily in company with Philipp IIackert,the German painter, and Charles Gore. When in Italy Knight spent much time at Naples, where his friend Sir William Hamilton (1730-1803) was the British envoy. About 1764 Knight had inherited the estates at Downton, Herefordshire. He ornamented the grounds, and there erected from his own designs a stone mansion in castellated style. Knight invited Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton to Downton Castle in 1802 and also owned a house in Soho Square, London, where he used one of the large rooms as his museum. In 1780 he became M.P. for Leominster, and from 1784 to 1806 sat for Ludlow

Knight died at his house in Soho Square, on 23 April 1824, of ‘an apoplectic affection’ (Gent. Mag. 1824, pt. ii. p. 185). He was buried in Wormesley Church, Herefordshire, where there is a monument to him, with a Latin epitaph by Cornewall, bishop of Worcester.

His Downton estate passed to his brother, Thomas Andrew Knight. He made to the British Museum, of which he had been Townley trustee since 1814, the munificent bequest of his bronzes, coins, gems, marbles, and drawings. The collection was valued at the time at sums varying from 30,000/. to 60,000/. The acquisition of the bronzes and coins immensely strengthened the national collection. The trustees of the British Museum printed and published in 1830  Knight’s own manuscript catalogue of the coins, with the title ‘Nummi Veteres.’

Victoria in England 2011

Penshurst Place, Kent

Yes, both Kristine and I confess we are unrepentant when it comes to spending our time and money on trips across the pond to England.  Many of you do the same.  We work hard to book ourselves into a variety of cities and London neighborhoods,  lots of museums and other historic attractions, gardens for wandering, evenings in the theatre or concert hall, and wonderful meals… and, believe it or not, time in libraries and archives.  My upcoming two weeks in England will be no different … castles, stately homes, gardens, museums, several different hotels…and archives at the University of Southampton and Hatfield House.
Upon our arrival in Dover, I hope we can visit Walmer Castle. We “did” Dover Castle a few years ago, and this time, I want to see the Duke of Wellington’s home when he was in residence as the Warden of the Cinque Ports, less than ten miles north along the Channel coast.

We have a stop planned at Penshurst Place, in which many centuries of British History are enveloped…as well as a great slice of architectural history. And stunning gardens, which I hope will be in full bloom in early June.

While we are in London, we want to re-visit the Victoria and Albert Museum, this year to see the Cult of Beauty exhibition, which comes highly recommended by Jo Manning and many others.
Last year, at the V and A, I enjoyed the Horace Walpole and Strawberry Hill exhibition, in which many of his treasures were reassembled and shown while the house itself was undergoing a thorough renovation.  This year, I intend to see the finished house, just a short train ride from London in Twickenham.

Next I head to Southampton to visit the Archives in Hartley Library at the University of Southampton.

And while I am in town, I will make time to see the sights, though I understand that the house in which Jane Austen once resided is long gone.  Parts of the city walls, however, still stand, and the famous port should be interesting to see. 

After a short stay in London again, I will go to Hatfield House in Hertfordshire, to study diaries in their Archive. Hatfield has an amazing history and renowned gardens. I wrote about a previous visit to Hatfield on this blog, August 13 2010.

My final stop will be in Windsor, where I will visit the brand new Museum of Windsor and, if the stars are in perfect alignment, visit with our friend Hester Davenport, author of biographies of Mary Robinson and Fanny Burney, and an expert on Windsor history, among other achievements.

Then it will be time to fly home. And start planning the next trip (anticipation is more than half the fun). I will report more fully after I return, and perhaps, along the way.

The Story of Whitley Hall



Whitley Hall


From the Letter Bag of Lady Elizabeth Stanhope

“Another Yorkshire neighbour whom the Stanhopes visited at this date was Mr Beaumont (1) of Whitley Beaumont, and although on this occasion the entry regarding their visit is scanty, a fuller description of their eccentric host, written by Marianne the following autumn, may be here inserted : —
Nov. 1808.
Last Monday we met the Mills’ at Grange, she, delightful as usual. We returned the next day, and in our road called on Mr Beaumont of Whitley. The master of Whitley is a strange creature, half mad. He leads the life of a hermit, and has not had a brush, painter or carpenter in his house since he came into possession many, many years ago.
It is more like a haunted house in a romance than anything I ever saw. He is now an old man, and has never bought a morsel of furniture; half the house never was finished; one of the staircases has got no banisters. The stables were burnt down some time ago and have never yet been rebuilt. The rooms he lives in have not been put to rights for many years—a description of the things they contain would not be easy,—hats, wigs, coats, piles of newspapers, magazines and letters, draughts, bottles, wash-hand basins, pictures without frames, apples, tallow candles and broken tea-cups.
The whole house looks like a place for lumber. There are some fine rooms, but so damp and mouldy it is quite shocking. There is a chapel completely filled with old rubbish and a plaid bed which was put up for the Pretender.
In the room Mr Beaumont sleeps in I saw his coffin made of cedar wood. He scarcely ever sees a living creature and quite dislikes the sight of a woman. He does everything in the room, which no housemaid ever enters, nor indeed any part of the house.”
(1) John Beaumont, Esquire of Whitley Beaumont, Yorkshire, born 1752, died 1831; married Sarah, daughter of Humphrey Butler, Esquire of Hereford.

 

The house referred to above, Whitely Beaumont Hall, was owned by the Beaumont family for some 400 years. The Hall was built by Sir Richard Beaumont and was last owned and occupied by the Sutcliffe family, the last owner being Charles Sutcliffe. His great nephew wrote in the Yorkshire Post and recalled visiting the “secret garden” and sitting on an old World War One field gun kept in the front garden.

Charles Sutcliffe was a member of the Rockwood Hunt and hunt balls were held in Whitley’s great hall. During the Second World War, Charles Sutcliffe loaned the grounds for army training manoeuvres and camps. The Sutcliffe family were the largest individual maltsters in Great Britain with kilns in many parts of northern England, many of which were in Wakefield. Charlie Sutcliffe died in 1948. 
Scouts first camped at Whitley Beaumont in 1928, Charles Sutcliffe allowed Scouts to camp in the hall’s kitchen garden. There is some question over the exact date, some locals suggest 1928, whilst Huddersfield Scout archives suggest that the first use was in 1929. By October 1935 it was recorded in the local area records that “the estate manager had allowed Scouts to camp at Whitley Hall and 102 weekend camps had been arranged.”
Peter Hinchliffe in the Examiner, June 26th 1998, referred to earlier times when his mother as a 16 year old witnessed the auction of the “fittings of the mansion” Wednesday May 16th 1917. These included an Elizabethan and a Georgian mantel piece in marble, and oil paintings by Italian masters. He notes that the Hall fell into disrepair and that Charlie Sutcliffe described it as his “shooting box.” He entertained friends by candlelight, as there was no electricity.
Peter recalls sneaking up to peer in at the windows while a military ball was in progress, during the war, and then the auction at the Three Nuns in 1950 when the Hall was bought by a Halifax demolition firm for £2500 and the woodlands and parklands sold off for some £20,000. The hall was demolished in the early 1950’s and the area surrounding the site was extensively open-cast mined.  Parts of the property remain a scout camp.

The ruins of a Summer House, or Temple, are all that remain of Whitley Hall.

For Sale: Alton Manor Nr. Wirksworth, Derbyshire

On May 12th, Graham Penny Auctions will be selling Alton Manor, a Grade II Listed, 14 bedroom manor house situated on 26 acres in Derbyshire. The estate boasts a tree lined drive with gate house, walled garden, icehouse, brew house, kennels, a lake (trout stocked) and boat house, a stone courtyard with 4 coach houses and stabling and a separate lodge house complete with two bedrooms, two reception rooms and its own garden. Bidding will start at one million pounds.

Lady Winifred Hilton lived in the house for more than 50 years and sadly passed away last year at age 91. She was the widow of the former Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire, Sir Peter Hilton, and she was born Winifred Smith at Tansley, near Matlock, in 1919. Lady Hilton served in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force in the Second World War, when she was posted to Liverpool and then Northern Ireland, working in special operations on radar, decoding and cyphers. In 1942, she married Sir Peter, whom she met two years earlier when he was billeted in Matlock after being evacuated from Dunkirk. For a truly amazing story regarding Sir Peter and his father, Richard, and their similar war injuries and the doctor who operated on them both, in two separate wars, click here.



Lady Winifred Hilton



Lady Hilton at her 90th birthday party at The Spot, in Secheveral Street, Derby

The Manor originally contained 480 acres. It was held by the Byrons for three or four centuries, and afterwards belonged successively to the Blackwalls, Iretons, and Mellors. From the latter it was purchased by the Hon. Anchetil Grey, whose relative, the Earl of Stamford, sold it in 1747 to the Wilmots, from whom it was purchased by the late James Milnes, Esq. It then passed to that gentleman’s eldest son, who assumed the name of Walthall in lieu of Milnes under the will of his maternal grandfather. A handsome mansion, in the Elizabethan style, was built in 1846-7 by the late Mr. Milnes. The History, Topography and Directory for Derbyshire (1895) adds: “Alton Manor, which forms part of the township, contains 480 acres. It was held by the Byrons for three or four centuries, and afterwards belonged successively to the Blackwalls, Iretons, and Mellors. From the latter it was purchased by the Hon. Anchetil Grey, whose relative, the Earl of Stamford, sold it in 1747 to the Wilmots, from whom it was purchased by the late James Milnes, Esq. The present owner is that gentleman’s eldest son, who assumed the name of Walthall in lieu of Milnes under the will of his maternal grandfather. A handsome mansion, in the Elizabethan style, was built in 1846-7 by the late Mr. Milnes.”  Noted architect Sir Gilbert Scott built Alton Manor to a Jacobean style in an attractive mellow ashlar stone.

Today, Alton Manor still boasts such original features as twin oak entrance doors, oak panelled hallways, Hopton stone floors and fireplaces, mullioned and transomed windows, turret, butler’s pantry, intact servant’s bells and pantry, housekeeper’s sitting room and gun room. Who says a million pounds won’t buy much these days?

Blair Castle to be Sold by Savills



Copyright Francis Frith

 Blair Castle, one of Scotland’s oldest continuously occupied estates, is for sale through Savills. Set in 1,500 acres near Dalry, Ayrshire, it has been the home of the Blair family since 1105. The current owner, Luke Borwick, a descendant of the founding family, endeavored – a la Monarch of the Glen – to maintain the estate with golfing weekends, weddings, advertising shoots and other commercial activities. During its long history, Mary Queen of Scots, William Wallace and Robert the Bruce have enjoyed hospitality at the castle, which is now to be sold along with its contents.

In addition to the 16 bedroom house, the 670 acre grounds include 12 cottages, salmon fishing and woodlands. From the Savills listing description: “Blairquhan Castle lies at the heart of the estate, overlooking the Water of Girvan which flows for over 3½ miles along the northern boundary of the estate. It is rare to find an estate which affords such privacy. About 670 acres in all, the estate also has 12 further estate properties, a walled garden with glasshouse, ice house, outstanding woodlands, farmland, a Purdey Award winning low ground shoot, roe stalking, trout fishing, and salmon and sea trout fishing. Lord Cockburn, writing as he worked his way around the South Circuit of the Scottish Bench in September 1844, wrote about his stay at Blairquhan: `I rose early…and surveyed the beauties of Blairquhan. It deserves its usual praises. A most gentleman-like place rich in all sorts of attractions – of wood, lawn, river, gardens, hill, agriculture and pasture.'”

Also from the Savills site: “Approached by way of three drives, the principal route to the Castle, the three mile Long Approach, starts at the Ayr Lodge and runs alongside the Water of Girvan. The castle is first glimpsed through the trees on the approach. A key characteristic of the castle is the extent to which it has
been preserved as William Burn and Sir David Hunter Blair completed it in 1824. Certain improvements were warranted, since the castle had only one bathroom on the principal floor when it was originally built, with accommodation for 18 resident indoor servants. An ambitious refurbishment in 1970 won the Saltire Award and was followed by an ingenious conversion by the architect Michael Laird, which made use of the former servants’ rooms to provide a modern Estate Office.

“There are now 16 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms and a driver’s overnight room. The castle has been extremely well maintained, with work including significant roof repairs, re-leading the main tower, and installation of new central heating boilers. Laid out over three floors, the accommodation is as shown in the accompanying photographs and on the layout plans. In all, there are over 70 rooms. Reception rooms include a saloon, two drawing rooms, a library and a dining room. In addition there are three kitchens, a library, a billiard room, picture galleries, a table tennis room, museums, stores and wine cellars.”

Whilst bits of British history hit the selling block daily, some as large or larger than Blair Castle, it’s always heart rending to read of these individual properties, their owners and their history. One can only hope that whomever purchases the Estate will preserve it to the same standards the family strove to achieve.
You will find more pictures and info about the Estate, it’s lodgings, gardens and history here. And all the sale details from property agent Savills website here. To read more about recently saved Scottish castles, click here.