Eastnor Castle

2011-12-24T11:09:23Z

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[[Image:Eastnor Castle Morris edited.jpg|thumb|Eastnor Castle circa 1880.]]
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'''Eastnor Castle''' is a 19th century [[Castle#Revival_castles_and_the_castle_as_a_country_house|mock castle]], two miles from the town of [[Ledbury]] in [[Herefordshire]], [[England]], by the village of [[Eastnor, Herefordshire|Eastnor]]. It was founded by [[John Cocks, 1st Earl Somers]] as his [[stately home]] and continues to be inhabited by his descendents. Currently (2011) in residence is the family of James Hervey-Bathurst, the grandson of [[Arthur Somers-Cocks, 6th Baron Somers]]. The castle is a Grade I [[listed building]].

==History==
It was constructed between 1812-20 at a cost of £85,000 or equivalent to approximately between £6 to £28 million in the present day (2007).

The estate was started in the late 16th century when the Cocks family purchased local land. Subsequent marriages into the Somers and Nash families helped provide the wealth and substance necessary to build this imposing [[castle]] which was designed to look like a medieval castle guarding the Welsh borders. The architect was [[Robert Smirke (architect)|Robert Smirke]] and [[Augustus Pugin]] designed the Gothic drawing room.

In 1984, both the band [[Slade]] and the [[BBC]] made use of the castle. Slade used it to film their video for "[[Run Runaway]]" and the BBC to film the exterior shots of Abner Brown's theological college in their adaptation of ''[[The Box of Delights]]''.<ref name="BoxofDelights">{{cite web
| title = The Box of Delights (1984) Filming Locations
| publisher = IMDb
| url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086675/locations
| accessdate = 3 November 2011}}</ref>

The 1986 film adaptation of [[Oscar Wilde]]'s ''[[The Canterville Ghost (1986 film)|The Canterville Ghost]]'' was shot here.<ref name="The CantervilleGhost">{{cite web
| title = The Canterville Ghost (TV 1987)
| publisher = IMDb
| url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090792/
| accessdate = 3 November 2011}}</ref>

The grounds are the location of the [[Land Rover]] vehicle test track. The off road circuits at Eastnor Castle provide some of the most challenging all-terrain driving experiences in the UK. Each year in June Eastnor castle is host to the Landrover World Event and offers visitors the chance to try off roading in the latest models of [[Range Rover]], [[Freelander]] and the classic Defender.<ref>[http://www.landroverworld.co.uk Land Rover World annual event]</ref>

During the summer of 2010 the American reality competition television program, ''[[The Amazing Race 17|The Amazing Race]]'', filmed a number of tasks of a medieval theme at the castle for the first episode of season seventeen of the program including the first ‘pit stop’ of the race. The episode originally aired on 26 September 2010. The venue became internationally famous as it was in this episode that one contestant was hit in the face by a backfiring watermelon.<ref>[http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/video/?pid=NTCVHsDBTjrx1oloGwwvV2d_rkLoQ31w&vs=homepage&play=true The episode on CBS.com] (retrieved 27th September 2010)</ref>

== Events ==
* The [[park|deer park]] at Eastnor is the venue for [[The Big Chill (music festival)|The Big Chill]] [[music festival]].
* [[Mountain Mayhem]] - mountain bike festival
* Eastnor Castle plays host to the Firework Champions competition - [http://www.eastnorfireworks.co.uk www.eastnorfireworks.co.uk]
* Eastnor Castle and grounds was host to events and the pit stop on the first leg of ''[[The Amazing Race 17]]''

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Eastnor Castle}}
*[http://www.eastnorcastle.com Eastnor Castle] - Wedding venue and corporate entertainment centre.
*[http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Eastnor+castle&m=text Photos of Eastnor at Flickr]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03_bWFsTw1M Eastnor Castle HDR Photo Video] HDR photos in HD Video of Eastnor Castle and grounds

[[Category:Castles in Herefordshire]]
[[Category:Country houses in Herefordshire]]
[[Category:Gardens in Herefordshire]]
[[Category:Gothic Revival architecture in England]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1820]]
[[Category:Grade I listed buildings in Herefordshire]]
[[Category:Mock castles in England]]
[[Category:Historic house museums in Herefordshire]]

Croome Court

2011-12-24T10:50:09Z

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{{Multiple issues
| POV=February 2010
| original research=February 2010
| weasel=February 2010
}}
[[Image:the front croome.jpg|thumb|300px|The north front of Croome Court and part of its surrounding grounds]]

'''Croome''' is an 18th century landscape park, garden and mansion house in south Worcestershire designed by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown with some features by Robert Adam. The park and garden are owned by the National Trust. The mansion house, Croome Court, was purchased by the Croome Heritage Trust and is currently leased to the National Trust. Croome is near [[Pershore]], south of Worcester, in [[Worcestershire]], [[England]].

The house and parkland was [[Capability Brown|Lancelot 'Capability' Brown's]] first landscape design <ref>Kay, Sarah. ''Croome Court, Paper prepared for the Arts, Architectural & Learning Panels' Visit''. Written for the National Trust, 2008. p. 11. Statement of Significance</ref> and his first major architectural project <ref>Gordon, Catherine. ''The Coventrys of Croome''. Phillimore & Co. Ltd., 2000. p. 2.</ref> and is an important and seminal work.<ref>Gordon, Catherine. ''The Coventrys of Croome''. Phillimore & Co. Ltd., 2000. p. 2.</ref> 'Capability' Brown started work at Croome in 1751 for [[George Coventry, 6th Earl of Coventry]]. The mansion house was designed by Brown and is a "rare example of his architectural work" and was his "first flight into the realms of architecture".<ref>Stroud, Dorothy. ''The Architectural Works of Lancelot Brown''. Country Life, January 6, 1940</ref> [[Robert Adam]] designed parts of Croome Court's interior and along with [[James Wyatt]], designed temples and follies for the park.

The Park and Court are both open to the public for most of the year. It is a pay for entry property, but National Trust members receive free entry.<ref>[www.nationaltrust.org.uk]</ref> It is now open 7 days a week until the end of October 2011, with the Court being closed on Tuesdays.<ref>[www.nationaltrust.org.uk/croomepark]</ref>

Croome Park has a man made lake and river, statues, temples and other buildings with the Court as the central focus. The other buildings around the park include Gatehouses, a Grotto, a Church and buildings termed "eye-catchers". These are Pirton Castle, Panorama Tower, Dunstall Castle and Park Seat. They are set away from the core of the Park and are intended to draw your eye into the wider landscape.

==Features in the Park==

The National Trust own and have restored the core of the original 18th century parkland and it is open to visitors throughout the of the year. To visit many of the features below, you have to enter the pay for entry National Trust parkland. Some areas, however, are accessible via public footpaths.

'''[[St Mary Magdalene's Church, Croome D'Abitot|St Mary Magdalene Church]]:''' This Grade I listed building was built in 1763 by Capability Brown for the Earl of Coventry. A medieval church was demolished to make way for this church, the interior of which was designed by Robert Adam.

'''The Rotunda:''' A domed and circular building close to Croome Court and at the moment inaccessible. The building was purchased together with Croome Court by the Croome Heritage Trust in 2007 and the exterior has been restored in 2010 by the National Trust after being left in a state of neglect for decades. It sits on a ridge to the east of Croome Court in the Home Shrubbery and is shrouded in trees, including 200 year old Cedar of Lebanon. Described as a 'garden room',<ref>Gordon, Catherine. ''The Coventrys of Croome''. Phillimore & Co. Ltd., 2000. p. 117.</ref> it was designed by Brown and built between 1754-7. The door and windows are pedimented and inside there's a coffered ceiling and stuccowork by Francesco Vassalli in 1761.<ref>Gordon, Catherine. ''The Coventrys of Croome''. Phillimore & Co. Ltd., 2000. p. 117.</ref> The Portland stone panels above the windows and door are Robert Adam's design and were carved by Sefferin Alker and added in 1763.<ref>Garnett, Oliver. ''Croome Park - Souvenir Guide''. National Trust., 2008. p. 18.</ref> The interior has been made stable by the National Trust and work will be continued to restore its interior completely in the future. It is Grade I listed <ref>[http://lbonline.english-heritage.org.uk/BuildingDetailsForm.aspx?id=152534 The Rotunda, Listed Buildings Online, English Heritage]</ref> and the National Trust hopes to open the building to the public in the future once restoration is complete.

'''The Park Seat:''' Also known as The Owl's Nest. Built in 1770-2 by Adam. It is situated as a lookout over the park.

'''The London Arch:''' The main entrance to the house. This once had railings either side.

'''Temple Greenhouse:''' This Grade I listed building was also designed by Robert Adam, completed in 1763. It used to have large sash windows in the front of it, now only the grooves where they used to slide can be seen. It housed the Earl's collection of exotic plants and was heated in the winter by a fire lit in a brick brothy at the back, then the heat was channeled underneath through gaps in the floor.

'''Around the Lake:''' The grotto and various features were designed by Capability Brown. 50,000 cubic metres of silt and vegetation were removed when restoring the lake. Nearby are the Punch Bowl gates designed by Wyatt in 1793 to 1794. On one of the islands in the lake is the temple pavilion (1776-7).

'''Island Pavilion:''' Grade I listed building

'''London Lodge:''' Grade I listed building

'''The Worcester Lodge:''' A gate house built in 1801 and subsequently rebuilt in 1879. This sat on the main road to Croome from Worcester. A carriage drive used to run from the lodge directly to the Punch Bowl Gates in the Park itself and onto the Court beyond. The drive way no longer exists and the lodge is now cut off from the rest of the Park by the construction M5 motorway. Today, the lodge is a private residence and not part of the National Trust owned Park. It is a Grade II building.<ref>[http://lbonline.english-heritage.org.uk/BuildingDetailsForm.aspx?id=152549 Worcester Lodge, Listed Buildings Online, English Heritage]</ref> Further down the road on the same side of the M5 is the keeper's house of the menagerie.

==Croome Court==

Croome Court was designed by [[Capability Brown]] and Robert Adam.

The house has been visited by George III, [[Queen Victoria]] and George V. During the second world war it housed the Dutch Royal family, who were escaping the Nazi occupation of Holland. In the 1940s the Coventry family had to sell the Court. It was used as a school and also by [[International Society for Krishna Consciousness|Hare Krishnas]]. It lay empty for 12 years until rescue arrived (though at expense of part of the walled garden being built on for garages) and it was patched up and it became a private home once more with its 17 bedrooms.

One room was removed and is displayed in the Metropolitan Museum in New York: The Tapestry Room "George William, sixth earl of Coventry, commissioned this set of tapestries in Paris in 1763 for the tapestry room at his country seat, Croome Court (Worcestershire), which was then being remodeled by Robert Adam"
*[http://www.metmuseum.org/TOAH/hd/bouc/ho_58.75.1-22.htm The Tapestry room]

The kitchen gardens saved in 2000 are now slowly being restored.

In November 2007, Croome Court was bought from the private owner by The Croome Heritage Trust who have leased it to the National Trust for 10 years who will manage it whilst raising funds for its restoration.

The Mansion opened to the public on September 26, 2009 and the National Trust is now trying to raise £4.8 million to secure the long term future of the Court and enter into a 999 year lease from the Croome Heritage Trust.
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/8274196.stm Historic house to open to public]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/7385154.stm A sneak peek inside the court]
*[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4858846368893390853&hl=en-GB A party and funfare at Croome Court when privately owned]
*[http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=YIDnHPx2NAo Croome Court during its use as a school in the 1960s]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7398685.stm The RAF/ TOP SECRET RAF DEFFORD and CROOME COURT]

In early 2011 the snowfall across the country caused particular problems for the main building. A build-up of snow on the roof caused water leaks and significant damage to parts of the ceiling in the Long Gallery.

==The Eye-catchers==

[[File:Panorama Tower at Croome Park - geograph.org.uk - 59476.jpg|right|thumbnail|Panorama Tower]]
[[File:Castle folly, Croome - geograph.org.uk - 108546.jpg|right|thumbnail|Pirton Castle]]
[[File:Dunstall "Castle" - geograph.org.uk - 15460.jpg|right|thumbnail|Dunstall Castle]]
The National Trust own and have restored the eye-catchers of the 18th century parkland. They are not at the core of the parkland and they lie close to public footpaths. At present, the buildings are not open to the public.

'''The Panorama Tower:'''. Another domed and circular folly situated on Knight's Hill at the very edge of the park. This is one of the "eye-catchers" designed to draw the eye into the wider landscape and was acquired by the National Trust in 2009 and has been restored by the charity in 2010. The building had been in deterioration for decades. The building was constructed by James Wyatt using design ideas by Robert Adam.<ref>Gordon, Catherine. ''The Coventrys of Croome''. Phillimore & Co. Ltd., 2000. p. 122.</ref> It is a circular 2 storey building with a central interior staircase leading up to a viewing platform under a domed roof where there are views across Worcestershire to the Malverns. The building was not completed until after the 6th Earl of Coventry's death, probably in 1812.<ref>Gordon, Catherine. ''The Coventrys of Croome''. Phillimore & Co. Ltd., 2000. p. 122.</ref> The Panorama Tower is a prominent feature from the M5 motorway which cuts through the park and the Tower is now separated from the rest of the park and Court, like the Worcester Lodge. It is a Grade I listed building.<ref>[http://lbonline.english-heritage.org.uk/BuildingDetailsForm.aspx?id=152548 Panorama Tower, Listed Buildings Online, English Heritage]</ref>

'''Pirton Castle:''' A sham castle situated on Rabbit Bank which is a prominent ridge in the landscape at Pirton to the north of the park and Court. This is one of the "eye-catchers" designed to draw the eye into the wider landscape which was acquired by the National Trust in 2009 and has been restored by the charity in the same year.<ref>http://www.midlandconservation.com/CaseStudies/Pirton_Castle.htm</ref> The building had been in deterioration for decades and covered in ivy. The building was designed by James Wyatt and built by William Stephens in 1797 as a ruin.<ref>Garnett, Oliver. ''Croome Park - Souvenir Guide''. National Trust., 2008. p. 20.</ref> The building was constructed among a row Cedar of Lebanon trees, many of which still stand today along the ridge. It is a Grade I listed building <ref>[http://lbonline.english-heritage.org.uk/BuildingDetailsForm.aspx?id=152646 Pirton Castle, Listed Buildings Online, English Heritage]</ref> and Pirton Castle is a feature from the M5 motorway northbound which cuts through the park.

'''Dunstall Castle:''' Designed by Robert Adam, this eyecatcher folly, built around 1766, is cut off from the park as it is hidden by trees from within the park. The stones from the tops of the 3 towers have fallen off so that now about a metre is missing from the central tower. The right arch also had a wall at the bottom which has disappeared if compared with original pictures of the castle.

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
*Mowl, T. (2006). Historic Gardens of Worcestershire

==External links==
{{commons category|Croome Park}}
*[http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-croome.htm Croome Park information at the National Trust]
*[http://croomewalledgardens.com/default.asp?doit=history Croome Court walled / kitchen gardens]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6qNVSdG3LA CROOME LANDSCAPE PARK PHOTOS] Pictures of the whole park
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwn_V9gVOJM Croome Park HD Video] Video stroll around lake, river and mansion
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[[Category:National Trust properties in Worcestershire]]
[[Category:Country houses in Worcestershire]]
[[Category:Gardens in Worcestershire]]
[[Category:Grade I listed buildings in Worcestershire]]
[[Category:Grade I listed houses]]
[[Category:Country parks in Worcestershire]]
[[Category:Historic house museums in Worcestershire]]
[[Category:Folly castles in England]]

[[pt:Croome Court]]
[[ru:Крум-корт]]

Wikipedia - Benutzerbeiträge [de]

Eastnor Castle

Croome Court