Three things to consider when building a mansion. You want extensive grounds for your lawns and gardens that are not easily achievable close to the coast. Saltwater and storms would increase maintenance. These mansions date from the 1500s and in that time coastal erosion has destroyed some coastal areas for miles inland.
The number 1 house Wentworth Woodhouse Rotherham England. I’m from Rotherham and Volunteer with a Folly on the Estate. The reason it was stained black:- Pollution: Rotherham was an Industrial Town with Iron and Steelworks along with coal mines. When I was a kid everything in Rotherham was black. Smoking chimneys from domestic coal fires adding to the air - so full of soot that we used to joke about having to chew the air before breathing it! Now the house has been been fully cleaned, open to the public and looks amazing. You need to stand in front of it to get a sense of the size of the place. It was home to Lord Rockingham who was a supporter of American Independence. His friend Benjamin Franklin stayed there in 1771. Both men were Fellows of the Royal Society (of Science). Rockingham agreed to become Prime Minister in 1782 on the condition that he be allowed to set America free. Several American Cites and Counties were named for him, including for example Rockingham County North Carolina.
I live 5 minutes away from Wentworth Woodhouse and spent most of my childhood there as family members worked there over many years. Wentworth Woodhouse as we know it today was built in front of the smaller original house during a family feud over who should have inherited it. William Wentworth died childless and it was expected that his nephew Thomas Wentworth would inherit the house and fortune, however it was passed to his cousin Thomas Watson instead. This was the cause of the family feud and Thomas bought Wentworth Castle and significantly extended it to compete with the Woodhouse however Watson couldn’t compete with the extended bigger and better and Woodhouse that we know today.
I stayed at Wentworth Woodhouse about 1978 when it was being used by the Lady Mabel college for a church activity. My bedroom was on the left side named the 'Bedlam' wing. I found the name amusing!
The classical column orders are: Doric, Tuscan, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite. Following the rules of classical architecture, the order not only determines the capital at the top of the column, but the base of the column as well as the entablature above. Interesting fact about Chatsworth: the windows are gilded (covered with gold leaf). I saw a documentary a few years ago on it, soon after they had been re-gilded. The Duke explained that although it cost a lot, in the long run it was cheaper given how much it would cost to repaint the windows over the lifetime of the gilding.
Chatsworth in Derbyshire is stunning. Visited many times. It ticks all the boxes - exterior, interior and the gardens, which are all beautiful. The interior decor is incredible and uses vibrant, rich colours in the wall paintings, carpets, etc which gives it a warmer feel than some other stately homes I have seen. I have also visited Castle Howard which is also very grand and impressive, but has a cooler feel with a lot of marble flooring. Chatsworth is my favourite, and there are also other places to visit close by - Haddon Hall, Bakewell and Buxton. All within easy reach of Manchester.
Connor... Titanic sailed (& sank) in 1912... They had bikes, motorbikes, cars and big ships (which didn't all sink !!) So... Yes, why not have bikes ?! (Afterall, during WWI, there were even biplanes !!)
Thank you for reacting to this video Connor. I’m fortunate to have visited most of these houses several times with Hardwick, Chatsworth and Wentworth Woodhouse all being less than an hour’s drive from my house. The closest is just a 20 minute drive away and so I’m happy to say I volunteer at Wentworth Woodhouse on a regular basis. This house sits in the middle of what was to become, not long after the house was completed, the Yorkshire coal seam which powered the Industrial Revolution and so, what you see is the historic remains of centuries of smog from hundreds of factories and thousands of houses burning coal in and around the nearby towns and villages. Up until WW2, the family’s great wealth came from their ownership of a number of these nearby coal mines and that legacy can still be seen in the blackened surface of this great building (btw note the Corinthian columns). Therefore, it’s likely that the building will remain in its ‘industrial revolution state’ for some time yet. Also, ‘Mea Gloria Fides’ simply translates as ‘My Glorious Faith’. I could go on and tell you about the connection the house and it’s owners have with the English civil war, with the American war of independence and the connection to JFK but I’ll let you do your own research if you’re interested. Chatsworth has the most spectacular setting of all these houses, the most beautiful 105 acre garden and the Cavendish family who own the house (and who used to own Hardwick Hall) are the family who bred the modern banana that we all eat today - the Cavendish banana. The house, along with Castle Howard, probably put on the two best Christmas displays of any house in the country! No expense is spared and these houses are full with visitors throughout the darkest times of the year! I fully recommend at least a full day to visit any one of these houses to take in the grandeur and often irreplaceable artworks that grace these beautiful homes. Let me know when you’re visiting Wentworth Woodhouse and I’ll give you a personal tour.
When these houses were built NOBODY went to the coast. That didn't happen till much later when Queen Victoria's son who became Edward VII started to go to Brighton in the later 19th Century that made Coastal Resorts popular. These large stately houses were more used to see shooting fox hunting and other outside activities.
I live about 10 minutes from Hardwick Hall and enjoy visiting the house and walking in the wonderful grounds. Within a few yards of the hall is Hardwick old Hall which Bess also built to replace her fathers medieval manor house but even before that was finished she started on the new hall. The old hall is now a ruin managed by English Heritage. I'm also lucky to live close to Chatsworth House and going there around sunrise in autumn to photograph the red deer stags fighting is such a privilege
The house you liked so much, #2, Castle Howard, is about 30 minutes drive from York. The reason why these houses were not by the coast was most likely because the land was important to raise deer, food, and generally sustain the household from local labour...possibly based on riches from industry of the time. The blackening is from historic and modern pollution. Eg. Exhaust fumes
Hi Connor, I love your reactions to our amazing British stately homes. I live close to Harewood house (no.10) and Castle Howard (no.2) and as a family we are very lucky to visit these regularly throughout the year. We particularly enjoy it at Christmas time because the houses decorate with fantastic Christmas themes and always have enormous Christmas trees. Hope you get the chance to tour the uk and visit these houses and our castles
The series covers a period of time from 1912- 30s. The column types are: Ionic, Doric and Corinthian. Wikipedia has this: Cheshire Cat - Wikipedia There is a suggestion that Carroll found inspiration for the name and expression of the Cheshire Cat in the 16th century sandstone carving of a grinning cat, on the west face of St Wilfrid's Church tower in Grappenhall, a village 4.9 mi (7.9 km) from his birthplace in Daresbury, Cheshire.
The houses are built where Dukes & Earls land is. It goes back to feudal Britain. It's mainly fortified Castles on the coasts. Rather than Estate houses. For protection from sea attacks.
I am lucky enough to have Blenheim Palace ten minutes drive away. An American once said to me that he considered it one of the best stately homes in Europe. Just because you are not fashionable doesn't mean you can't be fascinated with fashion in history.
Glad you enjoyed it Connor, we are very lucky. I think the Elizabethans didn't build their stately homes near the coast, with lawns going down to the beach,because they didn't really like going swimming. !
Yeah, i dont think the beach thing kicked in until 250+ years later. Thay being said. I wouldn't want a watwrfeont house today. I want it hidden away in a forest or something. Long roads and greenery before sand and beaches always.
Wentworth Woodhouse was seriously undermined during WW2 as an act of political spite and vandalism. The house was damaged almost to the point of collapse. The excavation was forced upon the owners as part of the war effort with the full knowledge that any coal produced would be sub-standard and of no practical use. Wentworth Woodhouse is actually two separate houses built side by side which disqualifies it as the largest. Most of the interior furnishings and fittings, including artwork, were sold to pay for its upkeep (I use the term upkeep loosely) by the local authority which eventually sold it back into private ownership for a nominal £1. The building is currently about ten years into a massive restoration program. The dark staining on old buildings is due to the industrial revolution. Parts of other cleaned buildings such as Buckingham Palace and St. Paul's Cathedral are preserved in this 'dirty' condition, in recognition of that. Even the dirt on our dirty buildings has historical significance.
You missed the point. Wentworth Woodhouse hasn't been restored yet. It has been neglected for many years. Fortunately, it is slowly being restored and has its own website where you can follow the restoration project.
I absolutely love Wentworth Woodhouse, it's just down the road from me in the tiny, beautiful village of Wentworth - which is amazing in itself...that such a huge, colossal building like Wentworth Woodhouse can be hidden away in a small village and not be seen from the road as you pass through! Secondly, it is two houses in one - the West Wing which was built first is grand in itself, but then the East Wing was built to compete as explained in the video. The East Wing is the front of the house now while the West Wing is merely "the back door!". What he didn't say in the video was that South Yorkshire was a major area for coal mining and in the 1940s, the government under the direction of Manny Shinwell, wanted to extract the coal from beneath Wentworth Woodhouse, much to the disagreement and protest of the public and many others. However the mining went ahead, literally up to the back door! It was this that was the cause of much of the structural damage which is being repaired today! This is probably what has caused the blackening of the building that you didn't like about the house - coal dust, pollution and general age of the building. If you want to read more about this, there is a book called Black Diamonds by Catherine Bailey which tells the story of Wentworth Woodhouse and its history...I would recommend you read that, it's very interesting. It was also around this time that Peter, 8th Earl Fitzwilliam was in a relationship with Kathleen Kennedy, JFK's younger sister. They were on their way to France when their plane crashed, killing them both instantly. Wentworth Woodhouse is such a huge, colossal building...it's only when you stand next to it that you appreciate its gargantuan size - it literally takes your breath away! Fun fact: Did you know that there are so many rooms in there that people used to lay a trail of string as they walked through the corridors so they could find their way back again? LOL! Also, did you know that the visit to Wentworth Woodhouse by King George V & Queen Mary was the basis for the story of Downton Abbey? Lots of fascinating and interesting things about Wentworth Woodhouse which makes it the No.1 place on the list for me. 😊 www.historichouses.org/the-history-of-wentworth-woodhouse/
I have visited Harewood House, Hardwicke Hall, Longleat, Blenheim, Chatsworth and Castle Howard and in my opinion out of these stately homes Chatsworth is the best one I have ever been to. It is set in a lovely part of Derbyshire and just down the road is Bakewell which is where Bakewell Puddings were invented which you can still buy in Bakewell. Most people now eat Bakewell tarts which are completely different.
Longleat is AMAZING, I love it! If you ever get here, connor, you should definitely visit. You asked about the beach, but that just wasn't fashionable then, certainly not when a lot of the houses were built. The thing in those days was land and showing it off! The latin above the raised portico at Wentworth Woodhouse means "Faith in my Glory".
Blackened public buildings were a very common sight in the 20th century, especially in areas where there had been heavy industry. The big clean-up seemed to occur in the 1970s. When I was young, I thought our town's impressive town hall was meant to be totally black and had always been that colour until the sand-blasters moved in and revealed the honey-coloured stone beneath the layers of 60 years of accumulated grime. Some buildings in the care of the National Trust e.g. Ormesby Hall near Middlesbrough, has been deliverately left with its external blackened stonework left uncleaned.
The main reason, although there are others, why UK stately homes are hardly ever built right next to the seaside, is the weather. The seaside in Britain tends to have harsher and more unpredictable weather conditions than inland areas, such as strong winds, storms, salt spray, erosion, flooding and landslides. These factors could damage the buildings and gardens of stately homes, as well as make them less comfortable and enjoyable for the owners and visitors. Moreover, the seaside climate could also affect the agricultural productivity of the estates, which was a major source of income for many stately home owners. Other factors are security, privacy and tradition.
These places have staggering art collections as well, which don't get a mention on this film. I've been to nearly all of these, and I'll tick off the last few soon. Osbourne House is another amazing one, and it is on the coast. It has its own private beach. Amazing place
I've been to Castle Howard because I live nearby. It is beautiful, there's a lake in the gardens that is home to Swans. My favourite part was the walled garden, but that's because I'm a sucker for a walled garden.
This video did not show the cascade at Chatsworth House. Do look that up, please, Connor. It is not a beachfront property, but it has a well-known 'waterfall type' of 'steps' with water cascading down it, plus a tall fountain* in the large pond at its base, (which I _think_ is gravity*-powered)😊
The giant neck collar is known as a "Ruff".It would have probably been quite uncomfortable,it was made of heavily starched and pleated linen. The comfort didn't really matter,the Ruff was expensive to buy(and maintain) so only those with lots of money could afford to wear them. It was a real status symbol. I sang with the Choir of The Chapel Royal,Hampton Court.We wore a small finer version of these,Ruffs for services,and yes they were very uncomfortable,and we were still wearing them in 1953 when I left the choir. I don't know if they are still wearing them, for the choirboys sake I hope not!
Connor You're puzzled about the absence of moats. Moats were used around castles as defense (as you know). As the nation passed into more peaceful times, the next stage of development was the fortified manor. Stately homes were built when peace and prosperity paved the way for sumptuous palaces with little need for fortification, and any water features (usually diverted rivers, lakes and fountains) were purely ornamental, not defensive.
He got one thing wrong he said Blenheim Palace is the only residence with the word palace that is not a Royal Residence. There is also Lambeth Palace which is the Archbishop of Canterbury's residence.
I suspect the 'black' discolouring was from the pollution created by the Industrial Revolution and then the coal fires we all used to snuggle around during winter. Thankfully it's not a problem nowadays. Thanks Connor I enjoyed your reaction to this.
I've seen thrm do a clean up of the stone work. So im leaning towards a fungus or moss of some kind that turns up on stone in colnd and wet countries..
Mea Gloria Fides means My Glory is the Faith, Connor. Interesting review: I think I agree with your choices, too. I'm not sure I've been inside any of these, but like most historic things in the British Isles, they're ten a penny! I'd possibly have included the State Apartments at Alnwick Castle, which also featured in Downton Abbey; though as a castle I guess it may not have strictly met the criteria. Also Mountstewart on the Isle of Bute - I have been in both of these; not to say Brighton Pavilion. There are also many, lesser-known stately homes throughout the UK that are interesting to visit.
Interesting fact about Wentworth Woodhouse - Jane Austen was friends with the owner at the time she wrote her books. It's rumoured that she based Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy on the it's owner and Pemberley on this house. It was owned by the Fitzwilliam family, at the time. Wentworth and Woodhouse are also surnames of two of her other characters in the books Persuasion and Emma respectively. Wentworth Woodhouse's 606-foot façade is nearly twice as long as that of Buckingham Palace. In 1695, it was inherited by Thomas Watson-Wentworth, the 1st Marquess of Rockingham. The words above the Woodhouse entrance, ‘Mea Gloria Fides’, is Latin for ‘Faith is my Glory’, and was the Rockingham family motto. In 1641 about 60 family members and servants lived at Wentworth-a trifling number compared to the 1,000 staff employed at the house in 1841, among whom were a rat catcher and a state bed maker. The second Marquess of Rockingham, who lived at Wentworth in the second half of the 18th century, was twice Prime Minister, in 1765-66 and again in 1782, and tried to reduce the tax burden on American colonists, and later argued in favour of accepting the Independence of the United States.
I actually used to holiday in a mansion, i went for 15 years 2 weeks every year, no we not wealthy, it was working class people, it was wortley hall, parents spent 2 weeks drinking, the grounds so big, kids did our own thing, it was safe place, no where to go get harmed, the weeks we went on holiday, was the sme weeks that eveyone else took, summer holidays, so it was the same kids and parents every year, freindhips were made, the parents also form a commitee, where they would run competitions, through out the week, one for adults one for the kids, skittles, bowls, snooker table tennis fishing, i won the first ever comp for fishing, parents did the same with a few drinking comps included the yard of ale and the likes, thursday of the week was kids party, jelly ice cream and fancy dress competition, friday was the adults, fancy dress which we caould watch in the ball room, pretty adult themed, but we loved it. that was through the 70s, rooms had secret doors that was book case, with secret door at the end, there was one set of stairs no one would go up, it was drummed into us the devil lived up there, 10 years all us kids, never went up, till one day we did as we got older, it was laundry room. there was no on suit toliets, you had what was called the chamber maid, potty under the bed to have a wee through the night, the room down stairs was the elegant dinner hall, another food hall, the lounge, with piano books and thats where they played bingo every night, plus the TV room, the the bars, and the dance hall plus snooker rooms and other stuff, outside you had acres of grounds to explore, pet cemetary, fishing lake, fountains, then the hill at the back, we used to go round to the kitchens, steal the cardboard, use that like a sledge on the hill, after a few times down it got slick and you flew down had my first crush there watching some oldies will know, rich man poor man back in 70s in tv room. most of the parents have died now, only one or two left, but they kept in touch, only reason we stopped going, is, the era of that type of holiday was ending, they wanted to go more up market, all the parents got banned for making to much noise, we used to be out 2am in the morning, because we got told shine a light in a rabbits eyes you can pick it up, never happened, Wortley hall check it out
@@madyottoyotto3055 its all true, how do you condense 15 years into a small comment, but look at the pictures of wortley hall, it was used through the year for governemnt stuff, but 6 weeks of the year, it was holiday place, there was 4 wings where the bedrroms were, i can only remember one wing which was kier hardy, we had breakfast dinner and evening meal, which was a bell when service started, all us kids used to line up, to ring the bell which we did, i could go on for days
@@madyottoyotto3055 i remember being there in the 1976 heat waave in the UK, 2 weeks before we went, my brother got chicken pocks, who got that, the day we went on holiday me, lol i got the chicken pocks, i was lucky is was only on my body, but the minute i started to itch, as i could no take my top off in the heat wave, i was rushed up to the bathroom and detol bath, it worked i must say
@@seanmc1351 I didn't doubt the authenticity one bit. I truly am fascinated by places like this especially when the working man can get in on the action. I would love an opportunity like this there is lots of semi affordable mini mansions on air BnB plenty of rooms pools etc but they don't have the history or the architecture
Where's BOUGHTON HOUSE in Northamptonshire ? It's called the English Versailles. The shot of the guy on the motor cycle wasn't part of the TV filming ! It was real life on the day the narrator went there !
Longleat is so amazing..I've been there twice..Also random fact ..I live 5 minutes from Hampton Court Palace..all of our streets are named are named from Henry the 8th time..At the top of my road. We have the mount..which ht8 kept his ice store
I'll have to correct you about Cheshire. It's my native County! Although where I was born was moved in 1974 to the new County of Greater Manchester. My father came from the other end of the then County, and my mother's mother from just outside it. It's known for one of the world's biggest deposits of salt, and for the Cheshire cheese. Simon Jenkins, the author of One Thousand Best Churches, has also written One Thousand Best Country Houses. (Or a similar title.) It was at Burleigh House, while she was sitting under a tree, in 1558, that somebody told Eliizabeth I that she was now Queen. ( In 1952, up in a game-watching Lodge up a tree, that Elizabeth II was told that she was now Queen.) The Cecils are still important in English politics. Lord Burleigh's younger son started to live at Hatfield House, and either he or his descendants became Marquesses of Salisbury. A Marquess of Salisbury became Prime Minister 1895-1904, and the present Marquess is still a member of the House of Lords. There is a glorious Wilton House in Wiltshire. I've forgotten his title, but the present owner inherited it quite young. Apparently when he took a girlfriend home they often found it seriously intimidating. I suppose it's better than taking a girl to a small grotty flat...
Cheshire is a county in North West England. Lewis Carroll the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was born in Daresbury, Cheshire which is where a lot of my ancestors were from and is about 7 miles from where I live.
Btw, as well as Chatsworth, the Duke of Devonshire's "hist'ric hice", another branch of the same family, (Cavendish) inherited and still owns a more modest but still beautiful 'pile' near Cartmel in N.W. England. It's called Holker Hall and the oldest bits date from the C16th.
The blacked outside walls of Wentworth Woodhouse are due to the fact that coal was found beneath the estate. Mining the coal created black dust which sadly then blackened some of the exterior. The coal itself was useless. It was just the labour government's hate for the aristocracy at the time in the country. They literally dug up the gardens virtually to the doors oft the house. So there you go. Wentworth Woodhouse is the largest house ever constructed in the UK at of 250,000 square feet
Conner castle Howard was nearly destroyed by a huge fire in 1940 , the family have spent the last 80 years restoring the house, but it’s still possible to see some of the damaged rooms. Hope you’ll be able to visit it one day, and if you win the mega American lottery you can make them an offer ( I’m sure a few hundred million will suffice)
These are country houses, so sit at the centre of large landed estates. But look up Bamburgh Castle, which is a stately home as well as a castle. The blackening on the outside of Wentworth Woodhouse is from the coalfields that surrounded it. The Fitzwilliams were mine owners, and they were surrounded by pit villages. Of all the places on the list, Wentworth is the one with the most unlucky past. Quick successive deaths in the family, crippling death duties, and a series of family tragedies (and the coal board strip mining almost up to the front door) led to it becoming a college for a time, and then falling into horrific disrepair - some sections of the building are unusable because they're unsafe. Fortunately it's in the hands of a charitable trust now, who are restoring the building, but it's a gargantuan job. As an idea, the repairs to the roof just over the state rooms cost over £5 million, and took two years.
Cheshire is a county. You wouldn't be sledding, I don't think they would be too keen-it's not common land, so you need permission. Winston Churchill was a direct descendant of the Duke of Marlborough, he was part of the top echelon of the aristocracy. Columns are Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. Beach front was strictly fisherman only, lol-the beach wasn't a thing until made fashionable by George lll well after all these houses were built. The discolouration is down to Rotherham was at the heart of the extremely sooty industrial revolution.
A house with lawns that run down to the sea - check out Plas Newydd on the Menai Straits in North Wales. It’s not on the scale of these - and the Straits are quite narrow - but it is beautiful.
A couple of reasons for not building on the coast. Firstly, you want your home to be situated in the middle of your vast estate to help show off your wealth. When the Queen comes to visit, all she will see for miles around is your land. A view of the sea is not a high priority. Also, the British coastline erodes as a fairly high speed, so it's more than likely if they had been built on the coast, they'd have fallen into the sea long ago.
Connor, I lived down the road from Castle Howard and it still takes my breath away when I drive past. If you want to see it in all its dramatic glory, watch the TV series and film versions of ‘Brideshead Revisited’ and Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece ‘Barry Lyndon’. Blenheim Palace is about to appear in the new Epic film ‘Napoleon’ directed by Ridley ‘Gladiator’ Scott. ENJOY!
You get black brickwork from 350 years of chimneys pumping out soot. It can be removed through sandblasting and other less intrusive techniques but without care there’s a danger of damaging the structures. Look at an old photo of the Royal Courts of Justice in London taken back in Victorian times and compare it to one of how it looks today. The difference is incredibly dramatic. 😊
The Titanic sank in 1912. Downtown Abbey starts with the sinking of the Titanic. The Downton Abbey timeline encompasses the years 1912 to 1928, including significant historical events like World War I, the Spanish Influenza pandemic, and social changes in England. The Downton Abbey series spans from 1912 to 1925, with the movies set in 1927 and 1928. The first internal combustion, petroleum fueled motorcycle was the Daimler Reitwagen. It was designed and built by the German inventors Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Bad Cannstatt, Germany, in 1885.
The National Trust Membership would be one of the most ecconomical ways to see some of the most beautiful properties in Britain. Winston Churchills mother was an American Heiress.
Mea Gloria Fides.....My Glory is the Faith. I lived only a mile away from Wentworth Woodhouse from 1984 to 1993. The village of Wentworth is like a time capsule and all property is owned by the estate and there is a many years long waiting list to become a tenant in the village.
I suppose you could describe Brighton Pavilion as a beachfront house, but most seaside buildings in the UK were castles intended for defence against invasion, not as family homes.
Chatsworth is my local! Well a few of them are actually as I live in Sheffield. The blackness on the building is pollution, in the Sheffield area it used to be very bad because of the steel industry here, many of the schools I went to we old Victorian buildings and when I was a kid these old buildings were sandblasted to bring them back to the golden sandstone colour.
The final one (which you didn't like) is being renovated, which means all the blackened stonework will be spray blasted, and no doubt the grounds improved as well.
I've never considered this before but it'spossible that the ruff wasn't just a fashion accessory but very practical as these houses were draughty as hell and very cold in Winter.
A lot of buildings became blackened during the Industrial Revolution when factories and steelworks belched out thick smoke and every home added to the air pollution with their coal burning fires. A lot of the public buildings such as the Houses of Parliament were thus affected, but they all clean up well with some TLC & £££ and look awesome when returned to their former glory.
The capitals of columns in classical architecture can be Ionic (the scrolly one), Doric (the plain one) and Corinthian (the flowery one). I think these are called "orders".
You make me laugh Connor. Cheshire is a county. I am a Cheshire girl. Alice in Wonderland was written here and one of my local churches as the Alice in Wonderland glass window panel. We think the author picked wild mushrooms as he was known to do and have with his eggs for breakfast 😂😂😂
Most of these stately homes are within one hours' drive from where I live. In fact the small city where I live in Yorkshire is home to many Halls, Priories. My college was actually a Stately home repurposed.
Several hundred years of coal smoke, in the heart of the industrial area of south Yorkshire, is the reason for the black staining. Castle Howard is the best, & it's also in North Yorkshire, which is much more open countryside.
The darkness on the exterior stonework is likely too be air pollution from the industrial revolution. I think your referring to architectural styles for columns, the three main types are Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. Each one more elaborate than the last.
If you want to see a construction site for a castle watch the series "How to build a castle"> Pretty sure I mentioned this before cause you keep saying you're interested in construction of mideival castles. The site has been under construction and only uses period tiils.
The location of the houses are chosen based on a suitable area that can house the main building and surrounding grounds needed for various practical and ornamental reasons but also it needs to be at the center of the estate it manages which is like a whole are which operates like a business, with the titled family running it and any surrounding towns or villages paying tax or rent.
Hl Connor, motorbikes were round in the late 1800s and were used in the 1st WW. Many of these houses are very near me, the reason they were not built on the coast is simple. Castles were there for protection and many on the coast. The final house Wentworth land abutts my garden. Deer roam it has many dams, if you want to know more of the family l recomend a book called black diamonds. The black is due to coal fires and industry in the region, the family owned many coal mines. The house is indeed at this Moment unjoing renovation this includes cleaning and replacing the facade. Also it should be said the houses were country homes and the family would also have large houses in London. Nice work if you can get it, yes the Cheshire cat is a breed from Cheshire like the man cat is from the Isle of man.
The black on the outside of the houses are from pollution over the years. Most of it came from the machine aga. It's like having a patina on silver. It's everywhere in England and would cost a fortune to power wash off. There are some places like grave yards with mausoleums that are completely black. It wasn't just the factories that burnt coal, but all the houses did it in the fireplaces. You build with what you have and England used most of their wood to build ships therefore they built with stone. Durring the Tudor time they built with wood but most of that was lost from the great fire of London. That was a turning point in world history because we all learned not to build our cities out of wood. I have a huge interest in history and it looks like you might be turning down that path. I hope you take the time to look up the differant types of columns.
Sir Winston Churchill's father, Lord Randolph Churchill, was the second son of the 7th Duke of Marlborough and, for a time, was Chancellor of the Exchequer. Winston Churchill was therefore the grandson of a Duke. His mother, btw, was Jennie Jerome, an American. At Wentworth Woodhouse, mea gloria fides means 'faith is my glory'. The blackening of the latter's stonework is due to many decades of coal smoke.
Connor as pointed out elsewhere despite being an island nation the dream was to have bucolic estate in the English countryside. If want what are talking about google Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, which was owned by Queen Victoria and designed by her husband Prince Albert as it is a beautiful house with rolling lawns down to the blue seas of the Solent.
Three things to consider when building a mansion. You want extensive grounds for your lawns and gardens that are not easily achievable close to the coast. Saltwater and storms would increase maintenance. These mansions date from the 1500s and in that time coastal erosion has destroyed some coastal areas for miles inland.
The number 1 house Wentworth Woodhouse Rotherham England. I’m from Rotherham and Volunteer with a Folly on the Estate. The reason it was stained black:- Pollution: Rotherham was an Industrial Town with Iron and Steelworks along with coal mines. When I was a kid everything in Rotherham was black. Smoking chimneys from domestic coal fires adding to the air - so full of soot that we used to joke about having to chew the air before breathing it!
Now the house has been been fully cleaned, open to the public and looks amazing. You need to stand in front of it to get a sense of the size of the place.
It was home to Lord Rockingham who was a supporter of American Independence. His friend Benjamin Franklin stayed there in 1771. Both men were Fellows of the Royal Society (of Science). Rockingham agreed to become Prime Minister in 1782 on the condition that he be allowed to set America free.
Several American Cites and Counties were named for him, including for example Rockingham County North Carolina.
Also from rotherham was about to tell him the same thing but you beat me to it haha
I live 5 minutes away from Wentworth Woodhouse and spent most of my childhood there as family members worked there over many years.
Wentworth Woodhouse as we know it today was built in front of the smaller original house during a family feud over who should have inherited it. William Wentworth died childless and it was expected that his nephew Thomas Wentworth would inherit the house and fortune, however it was passed to his cousin Thomas Watson instead. This was the cause of the family feud and Thomas bought Wentworth Castle and significantly extended it to compete with the Woodhouse however Watson couldn’t compete with the extended bigger and better and Woodhouse that we know today.
@@twistedsister2568 Good info, but i'm fairly confident they mentioned all of that in the video🤭
I stayed at Wentworth Woodhouse about 1978 when it was being used by the Lady Mabel college for a church activity. My bedroom was on the left side named the 'Bedlam' wing. I found the name amusing!
The classical column orders are: Doric, Tuscan, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite.
Following the rules of classical architecture, the order not only determines the capital at the top of the column, but the base of the column as well as the entablature above.
Interesting fact about Chatsworth: the windows are gilded (covered with gold leaf). I saw a documentary a few years ago on it, soon after they had been re-gilded. The Duke explained that although it cost a lot, in the long run it was cheaper given how much it would cost to repaint the windows over the lifetime of the gilding.
Hi Connor, motorcycles predate the Titanic, even the Isle of Man TT started 7 years before the Titanic sank.
Five actually
@@monkeytennis8861 I was including the very first race, held in 1905 alongside the second car race.
Chatsworth in Derbyshire is stunning. Visited many times. It ticks all the boxes - exterior, interior and the gardens, which are all beautiful. The interior decor is incredible and uses vibrant, rich colours in the wall paintings, carpets, etc which gives it a warmer feel than some other stately homes I have seen. I have also visited Castle Howard which is also very grand and impressive, but has a cooler feel with a lot of marble flooring. Chatsworth is my favourite, and there are also other places to visit close by - Haddon Hall, Bakewell and Buxton. All within easy reach of Manchester.
I think Connor’s dream job would be in charge of the lawns in one of these stately homes. 😂👍🏻
Yep, he's grass mad🤫😂
Connor... Titanic sailed (& sank) in 1912... They had bikes, motorbikes, cars and big ships (which didn't all sink !!) So... Yes, why not have bikes ?! (Afterall, during WWI, there were even biplanes !!)
And Electric Cars..
Thank you for reacting to this video Connor. I’m fortunate to have visited most of these houses several times with Hardwick, Chatsworth and Wentworth Woodhouse all being less than an hour’s drive from my house.
The closest is just a 20 minute drive away and so I’m happy to say I volunteer at Wentworth Woodhouse on a regular basis. This house sits in the middle of what was to become, not long after the house was completed, the Yorkshire coal seam which powered the Industrial Revolution and so, what you see is the historic remains of centuries of smog from hundreds of factories and thousands of houses burning coal in and around the nearby towns and villages. Up until WW2, the family’s great wealth came from their ownership of a number of these nearby coal mines and that legacy can still be seen in the blackened surface of this great building (btw note the Corinthian columns). Therefore, it’s likely that the building will remain in its ‘industrial revolution state’ for some time yet. Also, ‘Mea Gloria Fides’ simply translates as ‘My Glorious Faith’. I could go on and tell you about the connection the house and it’s owners have with the English civil war, with the American war of independence and the connection to JFK but I’ll let you do your own research if you’re interested.
Chatsworth has the most spectacular setting of all these houses, the most beautiful 105 acre garden and the Cavendish family who own the house (and who used to own Hardwick Hall) are the family who bred the modern banana that we all eat today - the Cavendish banana. The house, along with Castle Howard, probably put on the two best Christmas displays of any house in the country! No expense is spared and these houses are full with visitors throughout the darkest times of the year!
I fully recommend at least a full day to visit any one of these houses to take in the grandeur and often irreplaceable artworks that grace these beautiful homes. Let me know when you’re visiting Wentworth Woodhouse and I’ll give you a personal tour.
Many of these estates have been in families for many generations. Seasides were only considered fashionable from the early 19th century.
When these houses were built NOBODY went to the coast. That didn't happen till much later when Queen Victoria's son who became Edward VII started to go to Brighton in the later 19th Century that made Coastal Resorts popular. These large stately houses were more used to see shooting fox hunting and other outside activities.
George IV created the seaside resort of Brighton long before Edward VII was born
Yeah the Brighton pavilion would beg to differ with op.
I live about 10 minutes from Hardwick Hall and enjoy visiting the house and walking in the wonderful grounds. Within a few yards of the hall is Hardwick old Hall which Bess also built to replace her fathers medieval manor house but even before that was finished she started on the new hall. The old hall is now a ruin managed by English Heritage. I'm also lucky to live close to Chatsworth House and going there around sunrise in autumn to photograph the red deer stags fighting is such a privilege
Yeah im from Durham City so not far either and it's a lovely place for sure.
The house you liked so much, #2, Castle Howard, is about 30 minutes drive from York.
The reason why these houses were not by the coast was most likely because the land was important to raise deer, food, and generally sustain the household from local labour...possibly based on riches from industry of the time.
The blackening is from historic and modern pollution. Eg. Exhaust fumes
Hi Connor, I love your reactions to our amazing British stately homes. I live close to Harewood house (no.10) and Castle Howard (no.2) and as a family we are very lucky to visit these regularly throughout the year. We particularly enjoy it at Christmas time because the houses decorate with fantastic Christmas themes and always have enormous Christmas trees. Hope you get the chance to tour the uk and visit these houses and our castles
The series covers a period of time from 1912- 30s. The column types are: Ionic, Doric and Corinthian. Wikipedia has this:
Cheshire Cat - Wikipedia
There is a suggestion that Carroll found inspiration for the name and expression of the Cheshire Cat in the 16th century sandstone carving of a grinning cat, on the west face of St Wilfrid's Church tower in Grappenhall, a village 4.9 mi (7.9 km) from his birthplace in Daresbury, Cheshire.
Hi Connor, although before this time you really should find the TH-cam feature on the castle being rebuilt in France with only original methods.
I do so enjoy your reactions and you have great comments too from your viewers. Nice head space when life becomes to much. Thank you.
The houses are built where Dukes & Earls land is. It goes back to feudal Britain. It's mainly fortified Castles on the coasts. Rather than Estate houses. For protection from sea attacks.
Hey Connor, the three column capitals you were asking about are Doric (the simplest one), Ionic (the scrolls) and Corinthian, the most elaborate.
I am lucky enough to have Blenheim Palace ten minutes drive away. An American once said to me that he considered it one of the best stately homes in Europe. Just because you are not fashionable doesn't mean you can't be fascinated with fashion in history.
Glad you enjoyed it Connor, we are very lucky. I think the Elizabethans didn't build their stately homes near the coast, with lawns going down to the beach,because they didn't really like going swimming. !
Yeah, i dont think the beach thing kicked in until 250+ years later. Thay being said. I wouldn't want a watwrfeont house today. I want it hidden away in a forest or something. Long roads and greenery before sand and beaches always.
Wentworth Woodhouse was seriously undermined during WW2 as an act of political spite and vandalism. The house was damaged almost to the point of collapse. The excavation was forced upon the owners as part of the war effort with the full knowledge that any coal produced would be sub-standard and of no practical use. Wentworth Woodhouse is actually two separate houses built side by side which disqualifies it as the largest. Most of the interior furnishings and fittings, including artwork, were sold to pay for its upkeep (I use the term upkeep loosely) by the local authority which eventually sold it back into private ownership for a nominal £1. The building is currently about ten years into a massive restoration program. The dark staining on old buildings is due to the industrial revolution. Parts of other cleaned buildings such as Buckingham Palace and St. Paul's Cathedral are preserved in this 'dirty' condition, in recognition of that. Even the dirt on our dirty buildings has historical significance.
You missed the point. Wentworth Woodhouse hasn't been restored yet. It has been neglected for many years. Fortunately, it is slowly being restored and has its own website where you can follow the restoration project.
I absolutely love Wentworth Woodhouse, it's just down the road from me in the tiny, beautiful village of Wentworth - which is amazing in itself...that such a huge, colossal building like Wentworth Woodhouse can be hidden away in a small village and not be seen from the road as you pass through!
Secondly, it is two houses in one - the West Wing which was built first is grand in itself, but then the East Wing was built to compete as explained in the video. The East Wing is the front of the house now while the West Wing is merely "the back door!".
What he didn't say in the video was that South Yorkshire was a major area for coal mining and in the 1940s, the government under the direction of Manny Shinwell, wanted to extract the coal from beneath Wentworth Woodhouse, much to the disagreement and protest of the public and many others. However the mining went ahead, literally up to the back door! It was this that was the cause of much of the structural damage which is being repaired today! This is probably what has caused the blackening of the building that you didn't like about the house - coal dust, pollution and general age of the building. If you want to read more about this, there is a book called Black Diamonds by Catherine Bailey which tells the story of Wentworth Woodhouse and its history...I would recommend you read that, it's very interesting.
It was also around this time that Peter, 8th Earl Fitzwilliam was in a relationship with Kathleen Kennedy, JFK's younger sister. They were on their way to France when their plane crashed, killing them both instantly.
Wentworth Woodhouse is such a huge, colossal building...it's only when you stand next to it that you appreciate its gargantuan size - it literally takes your breath away! Fun fact: Did you know that there are so many rooms in there that people used to lay a trail of string as they walked through the corridors so they could find their way back again? LOL!
Also, did you know that the visit to Wentworth Woodhouse by King George V & Queen Mary was the basis for the story of Downton Abbey?
Lots of fascinating and interesting things about Wentworth Woodhouse which makes it the No.1 place on the list for me. 😊
www.historichouses.org/the-history-of-wentworth-woodhouse/
I have visited Harewood House, Hardwicke Hall, Longleat, Blenheim, Chatsworth and Castle Howard and in my opinion out of these stately homes Chatsworth is the best one I have ever been to. It is set in a lovely part of Derbyshire and just down the road is Bakewell which is where Bakewell Puddings were invented which you can still buy in Bakewell. Most people now eat Bakewell tarts which are completely different.
Longleat is AMAZING, I love it! If you ever get here, connor, you should definitely visit. You asked about the beach, but that just wasn't fashionable then, certainly not when a lot of the houses were built. The thing in those days was land and showing it off! The latin above the raised portico at Wentworth Woodhouse means "Faith in my Glory".
Blackened public buildings were a very common sight in the 20th century, especially in areas where there had been heavy industry. The big clean-up seemed to occur in the 1970s.
When I was young, I thought our town's impressive town hall was meant to be totally black and had always been that colour until the sand-blasters moved in and revealed the honey-coloured stone beneath the layers of 60 years of accumulated grime.
Some buildings in the care of the National Trust e.g. Ormesby Hall near Middlesbrough, has been deliverately left with its external blackened stonework left uncleaned.
17.46: You having a moment, there, Connor?
The main reason, although there are others, why UK stately homes are hardly ever built right next to the seaside, is the weather. The seaside in Britain tends to have harsher and more unpredictable weather conditions than inland areas, such as strong winds, storms, salt spray, erosion, flooding and landslides. These factors could damage the buildings and gardens of stately homes, as well as make them less comfortable and enjoyable for the owners and visitors. Moreover, the seaside climate could also affect the agricultural productivity of the estates, which was a major source of income for many stately home owners. Other factors are security, privacy and tradition.
Stunning and all the grounds surrounding the homes are just idylic 😊.
These places have staggering art collections as well, which don't get a mention on this film. I've been to nearly all of these, and I'll tick off the last few soon. Osbourne House is another amazing one, and it is on the coast. It has its own private beach. Amazing place
I've been to Castle Howard because I live nearby. It is beautiful, there's a lake in the gardens that is home to Swans. My favourite part was the walled garden, but that's because I'm a sucker for a walled garden.
This video did not show the cascade at Chatsworth House. Do look that up, please, Connor.
It is not a beachfront property, but it has a well-known 'waterfall type' of 'steps' with water cascading down it, plus a tall fountain* in the large pond at its base, (which I _think_ is gravity*-powered)😊
The giant neck collar is known as a "Ruff".It would have probably been quite uncomfortable,it was made of heavily starched and pleated linen. The comfort didn't really matter,the Ruff was expensive to buy(and maintain) so only those with lots of money could afford to wear them.
It was a real status symbol.
I sang with the Choir of The Chapel Royal,Hampton Court.We wore a small finer version of these,Ruffs for services,and yes they were very uncomfortable,and we were still wearing them in 1953 when I left the choir.
I don't know if they are still wearing them, for the choirboys sake I hope not!
Connor
You're puzzled about the absence of moats. Moats were used around castles as defense (as you know).
As the nation passed into more peaceful times, the next stage of development was the fortified manor.
Stately homes were built when peace and prosperity paved the way for sumptuous palaces with little need for fortification, and any water features (usually diverted rivers, lakes and fountains) were purely ornamental, not defensive.
Try Lancelot ' Capability ' Brown next. England's greatest landscape gardner/designer. You'll love the grass😂
"Why are none of them waterfront ones?"
Because then it'd be a "beachfront" house not a country one Connor 🤦🏼♂️😂
He got one thing wrong he said Blenheim Palace is the only residence with the word palace that is not a Royal Residence. There is also Lambeth Palace which is the Archbishop of Canterbury's residence.
I suspect the 'black' discolouring was from the pollution created by the Industrial Revolution and then the coal fires we all used to snuggle around during winter. Thankfully it's not a problem nowadays. Thanks Connor I enjoyed your reaction to this.
I've seen thrm do a clean up of the stone work. So im leaning towards a fungus or moss of some kind that turns up on stone in colnd and wet countries..
Mea Gloria Fides means My Glory is the Faith, Connor. Interesting review: I think I agree with your choices, too. I'm not sure I've been inside any of these, but like most historic things in the British Isles, they're ten a penny! I'd possibly have included the State Apartments at Alnwick Castle, which also featured in Downton Abbey; though as a castle I guess it may not have strictly met the criteria. Also Mountstewart on the Isle of Bute - I have been in both of these; not to say Brighton Pavilion. There are also many, lesser-known stately homes throughout the UK that are interesting to visit.
Interesting fact about Wentworth Woodhouse - Jane Austen was friends with the owner at the time she wrote her books. It's rumoured that she based Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy on the it's owner and Pemberley on this house. It was owned by the Fitzwilliam family, at the time. Wentworth and Woodhouse are also surnames of two of her other characters in the books Persuasion and Emma respectively. Wentworth Woodhouse's 606-foot façade is nearly twice as long as that of Buckingham Palace. In 1695, it was inherited by Thomas Watson-Wentworth, the 1st Marquess of Rockingham. The words above the Woodhouse entrance, ‘Mea Gloria Fides’, is Latin for ‘Faith is my Glory’, and was the Rockingham family motto. In 1641 about 60 family members and servants lived at Wentworth-a trifling number compared to the 1,000 staff employed at the house in 1841, among whom were a rat catcher and a state bed maker. The second Marquess of Rockingham, who lived at Wentworth in the second half of the 18th century, was twice Prime Minister, in 1765-66 and again in 1782, and tried to reduce the tax burden on American colonists, and later argued in favour of accepting the Independence of the United States.
I actually used to holiday in a mansion, i went for 15 years 2 weeks every year, no we not wealthy, it was working class people, it was wortley hall, parents spent 2 weeks drinking, the grounds so big, kids did our own thing, it was safe place, no where to go get harmed, the weeks we went on holiday, was the sme weeks that eveyone else took, summer holidays, so it was the same kids and parents every year, freindhips were made, the parents also form a commitee, where they would run competitions, through out the week, one for adults one for the kids, skittles, bowls, snooker table tennis fishing, i won the first ever comp for fishing, parents did the same with a few drinking comps included the yard of ale and the likes, thursday of the week was kids party, jelly ice cream and fancy dress competition, friday was the adults, fancy dress which we caould watch in the ball room, pretty adult themed, but we loved it.
that was through the 70s,
rooms had secret doors that was book case, with secret door at the end, there was one set of stairs no one would go up, it was drummed into us the devil lived up there, 10 years all us kids, never went up, till one day we did as we got older, it was laundry room. there was no on suit toliets, you had what was called the chamber maid, potty under the bed to have a wee through the night, the room down stairs was the elegant dinner hall, another food hall, the lounge, with piano books and thats where they played bingo every night, plus the TV room, the the bars, and the dance hall plus snooker rooms and other stuff, outside you had acres of grounds to explore, pet cemetary, fishing lake, fountains, then the hill at the back, we used to go round to the kitchens, steal the cardboard, use that like a sledge on the hill, after a few times down it got slick and you flew down had my first crush there watching some oldies will know, rich man poor man back in 70s in tv room. most of the parents have died now, only one or two left, but they kept in touch, only reason we stopped going, is, the era of that type of holiday was ending, they wanted to go more up market, all the parents got banned for making to much noise, we used to be out 2am in the morning, because we got told shine a light in a rabbits eyes you can pick it up, never happened,
Wortley hall check it out
Awesome story's
@@madyottoyotto3055 its all true, how do you condense 15 years into a small comment, but look at the pictures of wortley hall, it was used through the year for governemnt stuff, but 6 weeks of the year, it was holiday place, there was 4 wings where the bedrroms were, i can only remember one wing which was kier hardy, we had breakfast dinner and evening meal, which was a bell when service started, all us kids used to line up, to ring the bell which we did, i could go on for days
@@madyottoyotto3055 i remember being there in the 1976 heat waave in the UK, 2 weeks before we went, my brother got chicken pocks, who got that, the day we went on holiday me, lol i got the chicken pocks, i was lucky is was only on my body, but the minute i started to itch, as i could no take my top off in the heat wave, i was rushed up to the bathroom and detol bath, it worked i must say
@@seanmc1351
I didn't doubt the authenticity one bit.
I truly am fascinated by places like this especially when the working man can get in on the action.
I would love an opportunity like this there is lots of semi affordable mini mansions on air BnB plenty of rooms pools etc but they don't have the history or the architecture
I love chatsworth, an incredible building, fascinating history, love visiting there.
Where's BOUGHTON HOUSE in Northamptonshire ? It's called the English Versailles.
The shot of the guy on the motor cycle wasn't part of the TV filming ! It was real life on the day the narrator went there !
Lots of possible rivals, Stowe, Hatfield House, Alnwick Castle, Woburn Abbey, Audley End etc
Wentworth Wodehouse is in the middle of coalmining country, hence all the staining by coal fires and their smoke.
Chatsworth house is up the road from me, and the grounds and gardens and stream are beautiful. Loads of lush green grass 😄
Great vid Connor.
Cheshire is a massive part of England, where the fictional cat hung out!
Longleat is so amazing..I've been there twice..Also random fact ..I live 5 minutes from Hampton Court Palace..all of our streets are named are named from Henry the 8th time..At the top of my road. We have the mount..which ht8 kept his ice store
I'll have to correct you about Cheshire. It's my native County! Although where I was born was moved in 1974 to the new County of Greater Manchester. My father came from the other end of the then County, and my mother's mother from just outside it.
It's known for one of the world's biggest deposits of salt, and for the Cheshire cheese.
Simon Jenkins, the author of One Thousand Best Churches, has also written One Thousand Best Country Houses. (Or a similar title.)
It was at Burleigh House, while she was sitting under a tree, in 1558, that somebody told Eliizabeth I that she was now Queen. ( In 1952, up in a game-watching Lodge up a tree, that Elizabeth II was told that she was now Queen.)
The Cecils are still important in English politics. Lord Burleigh's younger son started to live at Hatfield House, and either he or his descendants became Marquesses of Salisbury. A Marquess of Salisbury became Prime Minister 1895-1904, and the present Marquess is still a member of the House of Lords.
There is a glorious Wilton House in Wiltshire. I've forgotten his title, but the present owner inherited it quite young. Apparently when he took a girlfriend home they often found it seriously intimidating. I suppose it's better than taking a girl to a small grotty flat...
Cheshire is a county in North West England. Lewis Carroll the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was born in Daresbury, Cheshire which is where a lot of my ancestors were from and is about 7 miles from where I live.
Btw, as well as Chatsworth, the Duke of Devonshire's "hist'ric hice", another branch of the same family, (Cavendish) inherited and still owns a more modest but still beautiful 'pile' near Cartmel in N.W. England. It's called Holker Hall and the oldest bits date from the C16th.
The blacked outside walls of Wentworth Woodhouse are due to the fact that coal was found beneath the estate. Mining the coal created black dust which sadly then blackened some of the exterior. The coal itself was useless. It was just the labour government's hate for the aristocracy at the time in the country. They literally dug up the gardens virtually to the doors oft the house. So there you go.
Wentworth Woodhouse is the largest house ever constructed in the UK at of 250,000 square feet
Conner castle Howard was nearly destroyed by a huge fire in 1940 , the family have spent the last 80 years restoring the house, but it’s still possible to see some of the damaged rooms. Hope you’ll be able to visit it one day, and if you win the mega American lottery you can make them an offer ( I’m sure a few hundred million will suffice)
These are country houses, so sit at the centre of large landed estates. But look up Bamburgh Castle, which is a stately home as well as a castle.
The blackening on the outside of Wentworth Woodhouse is from the coalfields that surrounded it. The Fitzwilliams were mine owners, and they were surrounded by pit villages. Of all the places on the list, Wentworth is the one with the most unlucky past. Quick successive deaths in the family, crippling death duties, and a series of family tragedies (and the coal board strip mining almost up to the front door) led to it becoming a college for a time, and then falling into horrific disrepair - some sections of the building are unusable because they're unsafe.
Fortunately it's in the hands of a charitable trust now, who are restoring the building, but it's a gargantuan job. As an idea, the repairs to the roof just over the state rooms cost over £5 million, and took two years.
Cheshire is a county. You wouldn't be sledding, I don't think they would be too keen-it's not common land, so you need permission. Winston Churchill was a direct descendant of the Duke of Marlborough, he was part of the top echelon of the aristocracy. Columns are Doric, Ionic and Corinthian.
Beach front was strictly fisherman only, lol-the beach wasn't a thing until made fashionable by George lll well after all these houses were built.
The discolouration is down to Rotherham was at the heart of the extremely sooty industrial revolution.
The column tops are: Ionic (plane), Doric (scroll-like) and Corinth (fancy)
A house with lawns that run down to the sea - check out Plas Newydd on the Menai Straits in North Wales.
It’s not on the scale of these - and the Straits are quite narrow - but it is beautiful.
A couple of reasons for not building on the coast. Firstly, you want your home to be situated in the middle of your vast estate to help show off your wealth. When the Queen comes to visit, all she will see for miles around is your land. A view of the sea is not a high priority. Also, the British coastline erodes as a fairly high speed, so it's more than likely if they had been built on the coast, they'd have fallen into the sea long ago.
The ruff around the neck was to let people know what your head would look like on a dish .
Connor, I lived down the road from Castle Howard and it still takes my breath away when I drive past. If you want to see it in all its dramatic glory, watch the TV series and film versions of ‘Brideshead Revisited’ and Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece ‘Barry Lyndon’.
Blenheim Palace is about to appear in the new Epic film ‘Napoleon’ directed by Ridley ‘Gladiator’ Scott. ENJOY!
You get black brickwork from 350 years of chimneys pumping out soot. It can be removed through sandblasting and other less intrusive techniques but without care there’s a danger of damaging the structures. Look at an old photo of the Royal Courts of Justice in London taken back in Victorian times and compare it to one of how it looks today. The difference is incredibly dramatic. 😊
Castle Howard was used as the country pile in Brideshead Revisited in the late 1970s.
The Titanic sank in 1912. Downtown Abbey starts with the sinking of the Titanic.
The Downton Abbey timeline encompasses the years 1912 to 1928, including significant historical events like World War I, the Spanish Influenza pandemic, and social changes in England. The Downton Abbey series spans from 1912 to 1925, with the movies set in 1927 and 1928.
The first internal combustion, petroleum fueled motorcycle was the Daimler Reitwagen. It was designed and built by the German inventors Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Bad Cannstatt, Germany, in 1885.
The National Trust Membership would be one of the most ecconomical ways to see some of the most beautiful properties in Britain. Winston Churchills mother was an American Heiress.
Mea Gloria Fides.....My Glory is the Faith. I lived only a mile away from Wentworth Woodhouse from 1984 to 1993. The village of Wentworth is like a time capsule and all property is owned by the estate and there is a many years long waiting list to become a tenant in the village.
I suppose you could describe Brighton Pavilion as a beachfront house, but most seaside buildings in the UK were castles intended for defence against invasion, not as family homes.
You would like Queen Victorias Osborne House on the Isle of Wight-that is beach front. Most of the coastal ones are castles
Hi Conner. The large lace collar is called a ruff.
Chatsworth is my local! Well a few of them are actually as I live in Sheffield. The blackness on the building is pollution, in the Sheffield area it used to be very bad because of the steel industry here, many of the schools I went to we old Victorian buildings and when I was a kid these old buildings were sandblasted to bring them back to the golden sandstone colour.
Bleinhem is my favourite for the palace and especially the grounds beautiful,where Winston Churchill grew up
The image with the motor cycle was from a film, not the series. The films are set after the series.
The final one (which you didn't like) is being renovated, which means all the blackened stonework will be spray blasted, and no doubt the grounds improved as well.
Mrs Gloria fides means my glory faith or faith to my glory lol love the videos keep it up 👍🏻 x
I've never considered this before but it'spossible that the ruff wasn't just a fashion accessory but very practical as these houses were draughty as hell and very cold in Winter.
A lot of buildings became blackened during the Industrial Revolution when factories and steelworks belched out thick smoke and every home added to the air pollution with their coal burning fires. A lot of the public buildings such as the Houses of Parliament were thus affected, but they all clean up well with some TLC & £££ and look awesome when returned to their former glory.
The capitals of columns in classical architecture can be Ionic (the scrolly one), Doric (the plain one) and Corinthian (the flowery one). I think these are called "orders".
You make me laugh Connor. Cheshire is a county. I am a Cheshire girl. Alice in Wonderland was written here and one of my local churches as the Alice in Wonderland glass window panel. We think the author picked wild mushrooms as he was known to do and have with his eggs for breakfast 😂😂😂
I have been lucky enough to visit Chatsworth House which is just stunning. I even got chased by chickens in the grounds 😂!
Most of these stately homes are within one hours' drive from where I live. In fact the small city where I live in Yorkshire is home to many Halls, Priories. My college was actually a Stately home repurposed.
Chatsworth used to have the tallest gravity reliant water fountain in the world. It is my favourite country house in Europe.
Several hundred years of coal smoke, in the heart of the industrial area of south Yorkshire, is the reason for the black staining. Castle Howard is the best, & it's also in North Yorkshire, which is much more open countryside.
The darkness on the exterior stonework is likely too be air pollution from the industrial revolution. I think your referring to architectural styles for columns, the three main types are Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. Each one more elaborate than the last.
Been to Castle Howard and its beautiful. Not been harewood although on my doorstep in leeds.
I have been to Chatsworth house in Derbyshire and it was amazing the inside WOW just beautiful.
"Mea gloria fides" => "Faith is my Glory"
I knew those years of high school Latin would pay off eventually.
Excelsior Motor Company began the manufacture of their motorbikes in the 1890s, by the time we get to the teens, they weren't uncommon.
If you want to see a construction site for a castle watch the series "How to build a castle"> Pretty sure I mentioned this before cause you keep saying you're interested in construction of mideival castles. The site has been under construction and only uses period tiils.
The location of the houses are chosen based on a suitable area that can house the main building and surrounding grounds needed for various practical and ornamental reasons but also it needs to be at the center of the estate it manages which is like a whole are which operates like a business, with the titled family running it and any surrounding towns or villages paying tax or rent.
Hl Connor, motorbikes were round in the late 1800s and were used in the 1st WW. Many of these houses are very near me, the reason they were not built on the coast is simple. Castles were there for protection and many on the coast. The final house Wentworth land abutts my garden. Deer roam it has many dams, if you want to know more of the family l recomend a book called black diamonds. The black is due to coal fires and industry in the region, the family owned many coal mines. The house is indeed at this Moment unjoing renovation this includes cleaning and replacing the facade. Also it should be said the houses were country homes and the family would also have large houses in London. Nice work if you can get it, yes the Cheshire cat is a breed from Cheshire like the man cat is from the Isle of man.
Keeping those piles of bricks warm when they were built must have been hard and expensive.
The black on the outside of the houses are from pollution over the years. Most of it came from the machine aga. It's like having a patina on silver. It's everywhere in England and would cost a fortune to power wash off. There are some places like grave yards with mausoleums that are completely black. It wasn't just the factories that burnt coal, but all the houses did it in the fireplaces. You build with what you have and England used most of their wood to build ships therefore they built with stone. Durring the Tudor time they built with wood but most of that was lost from the great fire of London. That was a turning point in world history because we all learned not to build our cities out of wood. I have a huge interest in history and it looks like you might be turning down that path. I hope you take the time to look up the differant types of columns.
Winston Churchill's Mother was American.She was Jennie Jerome,she was born in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn in 1854.
I've never been to any of these! My personal preference is to go to smaller grand homes, that are still interesting and seem more personal.
These are a small selection of these fabulous houses there being in excess of 5,500 such estates about the UK just incredible
Sir Winston Churchill's father, Lord Randolph Churchill, was the second son of the 7th Duke of Marlborough and, for a time, was Chancellor of the Exchequer. Winston Churchill was therefore the grandson of a Duke. His mother, btw, was Jennie Jerome, an American. At Wentworth Woodhouse, mea gloria fides means 'faith is my glory'. The blackening of the latter's stonework is due to many decades of coal smoke.
Connor as pointed out elsewhere despite being an island nation the dream was to have bucolic estate in the English countryside. If want what are talking about google Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, which was owned by Queen Victoria and designed by her husband Prince Albert as it is a beautiful house with rolling lawns down to the blue seas of the Solent.
I agree with you. Castle Howard is the most stunning!
'' My glory is my faith'.
I have visited most of these houses, Castle Howard and Chatsworth are my favourites.
Downton starts in 1912 but spans a few decades.
I watched a ghost hunting show that went to wentworth house, it’s apparently very haunted.