Story Search Results

The country house in society #48

...land. Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire    Blenheim Palace (above) is the greatest Baroque mansion in England.  Built for the Duke of Marlborough in gratitude for his part in the war in Bavaria.  It was also the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.   The political power exerted by owners and their association with music and the arts are all part of the contribution these country seats have made to our society. However, as their decline came towards the end of the 19th century different uses came to the fore in the 20th century as these great houses were opened to the public and saved by institutions such as The National Trust. My own parents bought our...

Change and the Country House #61

...rivalled Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard (where Downton Abbey was filmed) but it was gutted by fire in 1937 and later looted and vandalized.  Thanks to a Preservation Order issued in 1972 it is now looked after by English Heritage.  Witley Court, Worcester   When my parents bought Hoar Cross Hall it too was in sad neglect and they had a real battle on their hands to get the grounds back to some sort of order (see photo above) although thankfully the house itself was in quite good repair apart from a few leaks in the roof - no dry rot or death watch beetle to contend with at least!  However, we still needed to open it to the public and later we ran...

Home fit for a King #53

...With the Coronation of King Charles III almost upon us, this week's blog focuses on the Palace that he now calls home – or the 'Headquarters' of the Royal Family. This residence is Buckingham Palace which is the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom and where many state occasions take place, but Buckingham Palace was originally known as Buckingham House. The building at the core of today's Palace was a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703 on a site that had been in private ownership for at least 150 years. It was acquired by King George III in 1761 as a private residence for Queen Charlotte and became known as Th...

A Home fit for a King #21

...In this week's blog I am focusing on the royal family again and the stately homes which they grew up in. The main residence for the Royal family is Buckingham Palace which is the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom and where many state occasions take place, but Buckingham Palace was originally known as Buckingham House. The building at the core of today's Palace was a large townhouse built for the Duke of Buckingham in 1703 on a site that had been in private ownership for at least 150 years. It was acquired by King George III in 1761 as a private residence for Queen Charlotte and became known as The Queen's House. During the 19th ce...

The Origins of the Stately Home #39

...Why are stately homes so called? Stately home actually means 'a large impressive old house with interesting history and usually visited by the public.' Well, I suppose they do look very 'stately' for a start but these houses were also a status symbol for the great families of England, who competed with each other to provide hospitality for the royal household who would travel around England meeting their subjects. Stately homes were huge mansions which were always beautiful and the epitome of perfect architecture, often designed by famous architects of the day. The gardens too would be perfectly landscaped to show balance, variety, sequence and colour. One of t...

Queen Alexandra - my family #52

...Here is a final selection of photos from the album of Queen Alexandra, found in the Library of Hoar Cross Hall.  Alexandra enjoyed photography as a hobby and in 1908 put together this album of personal photos of her family to be sold for charity.  It is a fascinating insight into another world, long gone now.  As we lead up to the Coronation of King Charles III it is a reminder of all that has gone before and all that is to come in the future with our hard working royals.     King Edward VII and David Here is the King in relaxed pose with his grandson, David, who later became King Edward VIII.  David became the King in January 1936 and famously abdicat...