Deciphering those Mysterious Celtic Languages….

I decided to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year by writing a little bit about the different branches of Celtic languages which are still spoken today. There are quite a few within Britain and one in the Amorican peninsula of France- that of Brittany- in which different dialects of Gaelic are spoken and written. “Written,” you say ? Yes, most are put to print and writing even though they can be primarily taught phonetically. This is due, in part, to the realization of languages in a modern context. I’m always supportive of preserving any language- including those of Native American Indians- and this is why I decided to bring up the subject. That, and a lifelong interest in studying languages makes the Gaelic tongues particularly interesting. In addition, without making a language accessible in a Roman alphabet format there is no feasible way to promote the continued usage of these languages outside of their respective native area.                           
There are two main branches of the Gaelic languages. One is Brythonic which pertains to Welsh, Cornish and Breton of which the latter is spoken only in the northwest part of France. Brythonic languages are also referred to as Cymric. The other branch is Goidelic who are the true Gaelic people and includes Irish Gaelic (also known as Erse), Scottish Gaelic and Manx. Scots Gaelic is so close to that of Erse that the two languages are often indistinguishable when spoken. Manx is spoken on the Isle of Man, which sits in the large bay separating England from Ireland. The island teems with English-speaking people and tourists today but you will find Manx Gaelic on road signs, spoken in pubs and taught along with English in schoolrooms. Cornish has close kinship with the Bretons across the water but is most often kept to events and festivities which occur in Brittany at regular intervals and celebrations.
A little known fact of the Gaelic Scots people is that they emigrated from Ireland to the Scottish Highlands and the western portions, originally from the 6th century, as a Christian colony (whom the Romans referred to as Scoti) and settled around the area of Argyll, founding a subkingdom known as Dalriada. Before that time, the mainland of Scotland was inhabited by the Picts and it was known as Pictland. The immigrants went about converting the mainlanders as more and more came over the water with further settling into the eastern portions of today’s Scotland. The Scoti became so prosperous and powerful that by the 9th century their King, Kenneth I MacAlpine, took claim to the throne of Pictland by combining the two and making Scotland one country. The rest is history, as they say. What little is known about the Pictish people, it has been speculated whether they were responsible for the monolithic monuments scattered throughout Scotland and it is obvious today that their culture was simply inundated and overwhelmed by the advanced civilization the Scoti people brought with them. Pictish language was not preserved in any form so its native form is lost, however, since it was pre-Celtic it may have shared some characteristics with the Scots immigrants. Many experts agree that Pictish was more likely affiliated with the Brythonic branch than to the Goidelic.
From the Dalriadic immigration until the raiding and settlements of the Norsemen in the 9th century, Ireland and Gaelic Scotland became culturally blended. Scandinavian influence was prevalent among the islands of the Hebrides, to the islands of Orkney and Shetland and to the greater part of Caithness. This caused a temporary cleavage between Scotland and Ireland; the Gaelic language, already enriched by Pictish words, absorbed Norse characteristics which are still discernible to the Irish people along with the difference in accent. When relations between Ireland and Scotland were gradually resumed in ecclesiastical and literary matters, the differences in language were not pronounced. As a consequence of the influence of the Colomban clergy, Gaelic became the official language of the Scottish court and it remained the ordinary speech of the kingdom until the reign of Malcolm III MacDuncan (surnamed Canmore= Kenmore) in the 11th century. Malcolm’s queen, Margaret Atheling, was not in sympathy with Celtic culture nor with the Columban church, which failed to agree with Rome on certain administrative matters and Gaelic came to be considered barbaric to the court. The use of English became prevalent throughout Scotland after harshly repressive measures were taken against the Highlanders by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, after the Jacobite rebellion of 1745. For a time, the teaching of Gaelic was forbidden in the schools of Scotland. English became predominant throughout the Gaelic-speaking area but the preference for Gaelic continued in the west and north, where it is still commonly spoken.
As a result, the differences between Erse and Gaelic are only dialectical by nature and the variations are not fundamental and can be ignored for the most part. Only in print and writing were they distinguishable, as Erse can be written in old Gaelic script which is indecipherable to most people of any language- spoken or written. It was written in the ogham alphabet which is composed of four sets of up to five simple straight line strokes vertically or diagonally against a horizontal line and is read from the bottom, upwards. The alphabet is composed of only the following Roman letter equivalents: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, L, M, N, O, Q, R, S, T, U, NG and Z. This Druidic script can still be found on ancient gravestones in Ireland but is no longer used. Scots Gaelic, on the other hand, is written in the Roman alphabet like most western languages. Both Gaelic languages have lost great amounts of inflection in nouns and verbs and borrowed largely from Latin and English. Additionally, in modern times, the archaic forms have been modified so that Gaelic is most similar to the way it is spoken in Scotland and Ireland at the present time.        
Now, the Welsh language, even though it is more ancient and more encompassing than that of Cornish or Breton (Breizh), has fought to hold its place as a literary language even more so than Erse. Across the United States there are many Welsh Societies who hold regular festivities involving their language, folk music, dance, cooking and traditions. I have been to many of the holiday festivities of the Colorado Welsh Society and have found that quite a few members are native Welsh who continue to keep up their culture even though their herds are beginning to thin. The BBC stepped in some years ago and built a language course which was also aired on American shores by PBS television stations to preserve the Welsh language so that it could be spoken wherever Welsh people lived and continued to celebrate their national holidays.
Monuments and funeral inscriptions in Wales date back as far as the 5th century and manuscripts which have been preserved date back from the 8th to the 10th century. As a result, a good part of their history, chronicled in the 6th century by the cynferdd which included Merlin and Taliesin, is largely folklore and the stories are rich in imagination, so well told often, that it is difficult to tell fact from fiction. Much of the tangible substance being that of bardic poetry and prose romance around the 12th century, the entire catalog is rich and fascinating. During the period of skirmishes between the Saxons and Welsh, bards (poets) were an important class in society and a large quantity of their work has been preserved and fueled by an unusual passion for music. Their strongest period in history appears to extend from the time of Gruffudd ab Cynan’s return from Ireland in 1080 to the death of Llewelyn ab Gruffudd in 1282. Welsh poets at that time were Meilyr and his son Gwalchmai, Owain Kyveiliog and Howel ab Owain Gwynedd (the last two being royal princes), Einion and Meilyr (sons of Gwalchmai), Dafydd Benvras, Llywarch ap Llewelyn, Cynddelw, Elidir Sais and Phylip Brydydd. A pinnacle in Welsh historical prose was William Morgan’s translation of the Bible which was published in 1588. It was later revised by Bishop Parry in 1620 and continues to be in use up to the present.
In 1893 the Gaelic League was established to promote the use of Erse as the official national language of Ireland. Two founders of this movement were Douglas Hyde and Reverend Eugene O’Growney and soon after its inception started publication of Irisleabhar na Gaehilge (Gaelic Journal) which was a monthly publication. When the publication was changed to weekly papers, the name was changed to Claidheamh Soluis (means, Sword of Light) and eventually made inroads before two decades had passed to a much wider acceptance of the language. More and more books in Erse began to be printed and taught in the primary schools, and the ban on teaching Irish history was also removed. Irish literary classics soon gained wide popularity and the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1921 brought the League into greater influence with the end result of Erse being taught in all schools in Ireland. Today, the Gaelic League has branches in England, the United States, Canada, South America and Australia.
The first book printed in Scots Gaelic was the first dictionary, compiled by Alasdair MacMhaighstir Alasdair, in 1741 and less than ten years later a collection of the same author’s verse Ais-eiridh na Seann Chanain Albannaich (The Rebirth of the Old Language of Scotland). A popular poet during this time was Duncan Ba`n MacIntyre who was published first in 1768 and further editions of his works continued to be published well into the 20th century. His descriptions of the Highlands are beloved and his Màiri bhàn òg is commonly accepted as the most beautiful of all Gaelic love songs. The controversial nature of Macpherson’s Ossian although discredited by English scholars for the validity of his claim that he translated the epic of Fingal from old manuscripts, still sparked an interest in Scots Gaelic and a trend toward keeping the language alive was set with the Jacobite rebellion hot on its heels. However, it wasn’t until 1940 when a small volume, Seventeen Poems for Sixpence, published in Edinburgh, set in motion a Gaelic renaissance with a plethora of 20th century poets and keep a tradition alive very much like one enjoyed in Ireland today.
Celtic art can be found throughout the British Isles and very well distinguished by the use of bronze primarily and occasionally silver and gold. Motifs include elliptical curves, divergent spirals and chevrons formed in high or low relief with the use of chased or engraved lines and dots on plates and often enameled with champleve’ in vivid reds, yellows, blues and green. Pottery was done in heavy form of oinerary urns, drinking vessels and cups, incense holders often imperfectly fired but of fine workmanship, nonetheless. Celtic art began in complex and intricate designs and then took on Christian religious symbols and is especially evident in the Book of Kells displayed at Trinity College in Dublin and the Lindisfarne Gospels which are now in the British Museum. Lots of examples of their sculpture in stone can be found in the incised cross slabs and monumental stones of Scotland with striking similarities to those of the Brythonic tribes from the south.     
Brittany retains quite a bit of the ancient Breton culture and traditions in specific areas and towns. This is most prevalent in Quimper and portions of Finistere- Land’s End- especially at the Parish Closes such as Guimiliau, Lampaul-G. and St-Thegonnec. Pays Bigouden also has the Breton culture firmly entrenched and you will find genuine costumes worn by locals at the Chateau Musée Bigouden. Festivals and pardons are still carried on there and in Quimper which include traditions such as traou mad (biscuits that are similar to Scots shortbreads), crêpes and cider along with Celtic music. Many tourists and true Celtic enthusiasts attend their festivals and traditional religious ceremonies each year. There are schools devoted to teaching the Breton language but they are few and exclusive, on the whole. Many native Bretons no longer speak the native language but the signs, ancient and modern, still abound.
In the southern portion of Brittany, at Carnac, a pre-Celtic site of stone megaliths, very much like the stone circles which exist throughout Britain, is well visited. Carnac is unique in that more than 3,000 stones are set up in long formations which could appear to be writings or code when seen from the air. The tallest stone which is referred to as giant Manio is nearly 22 feet high and was re-erected circa 1900 by Zacharie Le Rouzic overlooking the Kerlescan alignment. There isn’t another site quite like it in the world and there is, of course, a lot of folklore attached to the site.

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pays_traditionnel_de_Bretagne
www.visitisleofman.com
www.manxnatioalheritage.com
www.visitwales.com
www.brittanytourism.com
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
www.heritageireland.ie
www.historic-ireland.com
www.heritage-cornwall.co.uk

© 2012 Evelyn M. Wallace
All Rights Reserved by author
No quotes, copies or paraphrased usage without written consent

Duw fo’ch noddfa, nes cawn eto gwrdd,

The Castle Lady

Warwickshire Wonderlands, South, Part Two

In the west midlands area, the southern portion of Warwickshire is the true northern gateway to the Cotswolds which stretch further south in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire and follows the Cotswold Hills- a route peppered with magnificent formal gardens all the way from Warwick Castle tracing a southwest path to Cheltenham. If you avoid the M5 and M6 you’ll be rewarded with the sight of pretty unspoiled villages and great places to take in the gardens of various well-landscaped gardens from Hidcote Manor to Sudeley Castle. In the opposite direction, one reaches Shipston-on-Stour which is nearly the last of the county but certainly not the least extraordinary architecture. It is most famous for being the hometown of the world famous Bee Gees who even wrote a song with the name of their birth town in the lyrics. As a result you will hear the name Gibbs or Gibbes pop up occasionally. See if you can spot one reference to the name in these five great examples of their vernacular architecture. -The Castle Lady

Southeast of Stratford, between Wellsbourne and Kineton, Compton Verney is seated on 120 acres of parkland and was restored late in the 20th century after being derelict for many years while it changed ownership continually. Today, the former 18th century country mansion is a busy and event-filled award winning art gallery which gained new life with the help of the Compton Verney House Trust. Currently it houses six permanent collections and programmed events with continual temporary exhibitions and artists-in-residence. The grounds were originally landscaped by Capability Brown and have been undergoing a complete, faithful restoration for public use, restoring wildlife habitats by replanting and replacing crops with trees and grasslands. Upon arrival, visitors pass one of the lakes and cross a bridge, designed by Robert Adam, which is now adorned by four recently recovered sphinxes.
      The estate goes clear back to 1442 when the Verney family built a manor house near the original village Compton Murdac and then changed to Compton Verney half a century later. Richard Verney was granted a title as the 11th Baron Willoughby de Broke in 1695 after his elder brother’s line died out. His son rebuilt the original manor but fifty years later it was completely remodeled by Robert Adam along with Brown’s work on the grounds for the 14th Baron, John Peyto-Verney. Apparently the fortunes of the family faltered and by 1887 the house was rented to various people, sold in 1921 to the Leeds soap magnate Joseph Watson who never set foot in it and died in 1922. The house was sold several times more and then fatefully was requisitioned by the War Office during WWII. From that time on, it was never used as a residence again. 

 Every consideration was given to the historic importance of the mansion during consultations with English Heritage, Stratford District Council and the local Parish Council which resulted in a careful decade-long restoration of the core fabric of the building. With a new lease on life, the mansion has become a Grade 1 listed pleasure ground for architecture, garden and art lovers everywhere. Mansion and grounds have been used for on location films, photography and television shows and is often used for small conferences, dinners, receptions and wedding parties and a purpose built learning center offers a whole range of school group activities for hands-on painting, drawing, ceramics and silk-screen printing.
A contemporary extension provided an additional dimension and focus. The 18th century interior on the ground floor retains its original Georgian classical renaissance architecture which leads to progressively more abstract and flexible spaces on the upper floors where new galleries have been created. The galleries at Compton Verney are of an international standard enabling the hosting of loaned works of art from all over the world.

www.comptonverney.org.uk T-01926 645509

        
Twelve miles south of the former site of Fulbroke Castle and a short distance east of Brailes Castle, Compton Wynyates was recreated by Sir William Compton during the time of Henry VIII with some building materials derived from Fulbroke. The Compton family, who recommenced living on the premises in 1884 after 114 years of evacuation, were recorded as residing on the property in a manor house as early as 1204. Comptons were knights and squires of the county for nearly three centuries when Sir Edmund decided to build a new family home. Portions of that gingerbread brick mansion were reconstructed with two moats, similarly to those of the castle, which included Fulbroke’s 4-bay roof and bay window and still grace the Great Hall with a 16th century screens passage, linen scroll paneling combined with earlier carved panels and modern doors.
Compton Wynyates quadrangular courtyard configuration is seated, sixty feet square, in a secluded hollow of parkland just outside the village of the same name which nearly borders Oxfordshire. The parkland was established some time prior to its royal licensure in 1519 with 100 acres dedicated to the mansion property. Low hills which surround the home obscure its vista making it private from the public roadway to Banbury which runs southwest, very close by.
 
The southwest tower has a saddleback roof and can be seen when driving at relatively close range toward the main entrance porch that faces west. Another tower at the northeast angle along with the east range was added in the 18th century. The main house principal rooms are the Dining room (formerly a parlor) and Chapel which has a projected sanctuary- just east of the southwest tower. The plan is extensive with Great Hall in the south half of the east range- its screens and entrance on the opposing end, buttery and great kitchen further north. Outward projecting staircase turrets fill the remaining ranges and those additions which are built outside the courtyard plan. An irregularly serrated skyline is the result of the picturesque chimney shafts of which there are no less than forty and bring to mind the marvelous roofline of Chateau de Chambord in France and is, in fact, the most famous and attractive feature of the home. It has been surmised by a few experts that some of the chimneys originally came from Fulbroke Castle, as well, and there are two with decorative panels on the sides- one above the ante drawing-room ( of the chapel ) and the other of the southwest tower, with quatrefoil and trefoil panels and zigzag patterns.
The house as it appears today was completed by Sir William Compton who was directly in the King’s service as a young orphan and was paid handsomely, of course. Over the entrance to the mansion you’ll see the Royal Coat of Arms of Henry VII and VIII- the dragon and greyhound emblems respectively, along with Catherine of Aragon’s castle badge. The latter king was a frequent guest of the house during William’s time and they were lifelong friends. As a matter of fact, the Comptons opened their home to quite a few of England’s reigning sovereigns through the centuries. The royal bedroom retains Henry VIII’s arms to this day along with his first Queen’s- that of Aragon. Elizabeth I stayed there in 1572, James I in 1617 and Charles I toward the end of the 17th century. The ceiling bears the monograms of all the English monarchs who have slept in the room.
William left everything to his son Peter at the tender age of six years and he became a ward of Cardinal Wolsey but died at the very young age of twenty-two leaving a posthumous heir, his son Henry born on July 14, 1544. This grandson of William Compton became a baron at the age of 28 and carried on the legacy of wealth as the prodigious builder of Castle Ashby in Northamptonshire ( located between Northampton and Bedford) which became the seat of the Compton family and marginalized Compton Wynyates as the country home. Many years later, Henry’s son William tried to exchange the Warwickshire property for another, an inquiry to Queen Elizabeth I which was, apparently, silently denied. 
  Henry was created Earl of Northampton in 1618 and died twelve years later leaving great wealth because he married into the Spencer family ( Princess Diana’s family ) becoming the son-in-law of Sir John Spencer and husband to his daughter, Elizabeth. It has been speculated whether the ornate ceilings in the south range were commissioned by him along with redone windows, doorways and fireplaces. Henry’s grandson Spencer (William’s son) who became a loyal adherent of King Charles I was killed in battle at Hopton Heath in 1643 during the Civil War. Compton Wynyates was besieged and suffered quite a bit of damage with an unsuccessful attempt by James (son of Spencer and the 3rd Earl) and his brothers to attempt to recapture the house in 1645 from the Roundheads. Most of the property, ancient buildings, stables and the approach were practically demolished in the fight to regain possession. The church on the premises was completely demolished by the Parliamentarians and so reparation was initiated by James who made a full extent to both house and church which included mullioned and transomed windows throughout, mostly in the south range and the northeast tower was rebuilt. Nevertheless, portions of the house and church show signs of slighting by cannon fire from Cromwell. It was recorded that the Parlimentarians took 120 prisoners, £5000 (equivalent to £720,000 in 2008), 60 horses, 400 sheep, 160 head of cattle and 18 loads of plunder which were all the furnishings and interiors of the house. Cromwell himself took a bed which belonged in the royal bedroom for his own personal use.
Because there is a warren of small staircases, passages and concealed rooms- such as the Priest’s Room in the New Tower, which has no less than three covert staircases behind the paneling- a legend sprung up that Spencer’s widow remained in the attics tending to wounded Royalists and their soldiers who went undetected by Cromwell’s men. They stayed hidden until they could manage to escape. Most of the Comptons, however, fled into exile abroad for a time and did not return until the monarchy was restored. At that time, the 3rd Earl, James recovered the bed taken from the royal bedroom and it was replaced to its former location. During hard financial times in the mid-18th century the historic and now priceless bed was sold for £10 and has not been retraced to restore it. In the latter part of the 18th century when the house became unoccupied by the family, on account of reduced financial circumstances, the house fell into a neglectful state. The eighth Earl, Spencer, left to live abroad and ordered the house to be demolished. Fortunately, the steward of the house at that time, John Berrill, did not follow orders but had the windows boarded up to avoid window tax which was being levied at that time.
Compton Wynyates resurrection came about when Charles, the third Marquess of Northampton, revisited the mansion in 1867 and began to restore it. He commissioned Sir Digby Wyatt who rebuilt the main staircase and Gothicized the exterior starting with the windows. Replacement and restoration of the ornamental plaster ceilings were carried out throughout the interiors, as well. In addition, the moat was filled up with the exception of a narrow strip on the north side close to the gardens of which topiary were added along with lawns near the turn of the century by the 5th Marquess and Marchioness who were the first people to reside in the house since 1770. (After the ninth Earl, Charles, was given the rank of Marquess in 1812 the Comptons have descended from him since and have retained that title.) The home is currently fully occupied by the Comptons and it is not known if any arrangements for tours are made. If it’s possible you will be treated to marvelous plaster ceilings in the Dining Room, Chapel Drawing Room, the Royal Bedroom and the Ante Chapel has an oak and plaster screen. Tudor stone fireplaces are throughout the mansion and the open-well staircase by Digby Wyatt is a beautiful 19th century creation in wood with a plaster ceiling.
It’s possible you’ve seen much of this remarkable mansion because it was used on many occasions for film locations. To see a good portion of the house look up Disney’s film Candleshoe from 1977 which featured Helen Hayes, David Niven and Jodie Foster in a triple starred billing.
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O56976/photograph-national-photographic-record-and-survey/
   
Only a couple of miles north of Shipston-on-Stour, Honington Hall sits on fifteen of its own acres on the edge of wonderful Cotswold parkland opposite the Green with the River Stour running through. Half-timbered Magpie and Shoemaker’s Cottages greet visitors to the village. The estate started as a manor house owned by the Priory of Coventry- as one of several of the county- and continued until the Dissolution. Near the end of his life and reign, Henry VIII gifted the estate to Robert Gibbes, who in turn, sold the estate to a lawyer by the name of Sir Henry Parker late in the 17th century. Parker went on to become MP for Evesham and built the house which stands on the property today. It is unknown who the original architect was but later alterations and additions are attributed to several architects and amateurs with Charles Stanley, William Perritt and Thomas Roberts among the former rather than the latter. All of the changes were carried out in the mid-18th century. By that time the estate had been sold to Joseph Townsend by Parker’s grandson and he set out to make Honington a well-embellished Georgian manse.
  
Upon approach you are greeted with a Wren-style gatehouse and a classical exterior at the end of a long and well drawn drive. Much of the success of the look of the house, overall, is in the rather unique façade which has twelve Roman emperor busts arranged between the windows framed with round-arched cornices. This work was carried out by William Jones, most likely, who was responsible for similar work in the interior of the Great Hall at Farnborough Hall (see below). They were executed so well they melt into the red brick like a well decorated cake ! The south front is a bit more picturesque with its colonnaded semi-hexagonal portico entrance and paneled chimney stacks on the hipped roof. The dual façade exterior- one side Georgian (east side) and the other classical- is complimented with a strictly classical garden house with a rebuilt colonnade and reclining statues along the northwest side of the house.
The elaborate Rococo interiors harken to Mawley Hall (at Cleobury Mortimer which stands at the Shropshire -Worcestershire border) and her magnificent staircase hall. Honington’s interiors will astound you with the mixture of classicism, Georgian features and the stretch to Rococo, making it all work magnificently together. The stairwell here, just off the Great Hall, forms a porte cochere to the adjacent Octagonal Saloon which is cream and robin’s egg blue creating a Rococo heaven with cherubs over classical portals and swirling patterned pier-glasses in plaster frames. Swags and festoons with depictions of the four seasons and elements, Aesop’s fables and cornucopias are fitted into the corner seams to soften the angles and a coffered half-domed ceiling hosts Acis and Galatea by Luca Giordano and rosettes with unique designs correspond with each panel of the room excepting those with windows which reveals the parkland valley. This was the work of an amateur architect, John Freeman of Henley along with other alterations and whose estimate stipulated £ 100 ‘ for a little carving, gilding and embellishment for the ladies’. A humble assessment if ever there was one and underpaid at that ! The room has been compared by Sach Sitwell as comparable to those of palatial quality such as Holkham and Houghton Hall in Norfolk but esthetically I believe it has exceeded them both in taste and beauty.
     
Rococo also rules in the Great Hall with a vivid yellow background. It is saved by the foaming white plasterwork which is miraculously fashioned with an ornamental panel in bas relief over the fireplace and a ceiling roundel explodes in a star pattern that vies with that of the Sun King’s pattern at the entrance of Linderhof in Bavaria. Elsewhere in the house, smaller rooms retreat back to Regency and Georgian with furnishings that compliment and colors which are beautiful but much more sedate. The sitting room, to the left of the Great Hall, once referred to as the Oak room is one such example with the marvelous exception of the door case which is decorated with two reclining cherubs on its pediment and winged sphinxes on the lintel.
Honington has appeared on film, as well, the most recent being Love in a Cold Climate, in the year 2000, among several others through the 20th century.
Currently owned by Benjamin Wiggin Esq. the son of Sir Charles Wiggin, who fought proud to maintain Honington properly, it is opened to the public by appointment in small groups. T- 01608 661434

    
Only six miles north of Banbury Farnborough Hall‘s winged courtyard is seated not far from Kineton Castle and Ettington Hall Hotel. The Holbech family still occupy the two-storied ruddy-colored stone house, owned and operated by the National Trust since 1960 and have been in residence for well over 300 years now. It was built by the family shortly after acquiring the estate in 1684 when William and Mary houses were in vogue but, as it stands today, is the result of a complete remodel in 1745 to 1750 after William Holbech came back from his Grand Tour and desired an appropriate setting for the sculptures and art he acquired on his trip. Renovations were most likely carried out by William Jones although the family insists that Sanderson Miller, who was quite local, was the only architect. 
Farnborough’s courtyard is approached by a circular driveway. You will see exteriors which were replaced with long Palladian sash windows and pediments added to doorways. Balustrades along the roofline are additions above the earlier classical west side of the house. The interior Rococo plasterwork was literally done by William Perrit and the Italianate stucco work by Francesco Vassalli which appears mostly cool in color but warm touches in furnishings and smatterings of color give the interiors an occupied look without being obtrusive or overdone, for the most part.
In a setting which is rather cloistered, the grounds were laid out to breathtaking effect with the lawn dipping down into the valley below to the lake. Above this edge, Sanderson Miller did a marvelous work in the Terrace Walk which is flanked by trees, temples, an obelisk and oval pavilion which has rich Rococo plasterwork decoration rivaling those of the house. A tour of the house interior starts at the entrance hall which displays the famous Roman busts within brackets and niches showing off the largest such collection in its original setting. The Rococo ceiling plasterwork is brilliant in its brevity. Two other rooms and the staircase are available to the public. A Georgian dining room replaced a courtyard of the earlier house and is stunning with outstandingly beautiful plasterwork on the ceiling and as frames around copies of Canaletto and Panini portraits. Unfortunately, most of the paintings of the family art collection were sold off in 1929. The plasterwork and busts continue in the staircase hall and evidence of the William-and-Mary period is evident here with profuse displays of fruit and foliage carried on through in the Drawing Room which culminates in a dazzling skylight above the staircase hall.

T- 01295 690002

Only a mile further north you’ll find Upton House which is also only a mile distant south from the battlefield of Edgehill, right on the Warwickshire border with Oxfordshire. Its use is very nearly the same as that of Compton Verney with an emphasis on modern arts patronage. This late 17th century William and Mary mansion is an important 18th century furnished art museum, popular for its extensive collection primarily and is viewed as such by the National Trust, as well. As architecture goes it is mostly just a larger version of Farnborough Hall stripped of embellishment with the interior refurbished in Art Deco of the 1930s but the superb terraced gardens here tell another story. This landscaped terraced adventureland has features that dare the tomboy in me, personally speaking.
Lawn stretches out in every direction from the house but the terraces lead out from the main lawn along the back of the house and descends deeply and suddenly into a deep valley and a veritable Eden of herbaceous borders, a nationally recognized collection of asters, an acre of vegetable gardens and a water garden on the lower level, laid out under the direction of the 2nd Viscount Lord Bearsted, with pools stocked with tropical and exotic fish. Just below on the west is the lake which was man-made in the style of Capability Brown- it was created by damming the river- the winding stone staircase and walks through the grounds make the gardens a definite highlight to an excursion here. In the center of the straight walk along the edge a small temple with Greek doric columns with a pediment is seated for those who want to take in the scene. Make sure to bring your best pair of walking shoes.
A portion of the gardens and a much earlier house dated back to the 12th century but Upton House, as it is today, was built in 1695 by Sir Rushout Cullen, an estate purchase of 7,000 from the Danvers family who had owned the property for 188 years! Rebuilt in the 20th century for the art collection, it was then bequeathed to the National Trust in 1948 and its interest as an historical entity has thrived more as an art gallery with a varied collection of paintings and much more, supplied primarily by Lord (1st Viscount) Bearsted who was a Trustee of the National Gallery and founder of the Shell Oil Company, which he named for his father’s passionate occupation as a East End importer of decorative sea shells. He and his sister Nellie Inonides were the principle contributors to the collection which includes old masters both English and Continental such as Tiepolo, Anthony Devis, Francesco Guardi, Jan Steen, Melchior de Hondecoeter, Thomas Gainsborough, Joshua Reynolds, Tintoretto, Rogier van der Weyden and even a Hieronymous Bosch tryptych titled Adoration of the Kings among the myriad of international paintings. 
Other exhibits, such as a unique red and silver art deco bathroom and a special collection of advertising posters for Shell Oil is located on the top floor along with memorabilia on motoring. As chairman of the company, Lord Bearsted commissioned many of those on display which were used for publicity from the period of 1921 to 1949. An extensive porcelain collection is also on exhibit which includes those of a large collection of Chelsea, also of Derby, Bow, Worcester and the French line Sèvres. At the entrance hall a set of four Brussels tapestries which illuminated the Emperor Maximilian I’s boar and stag hunts are on display. Three Stubbs masterpieces are on display in the dining room titled The Haymakers, The Labourers and The Reapers meant to be tributes to hard work and the Long Gallery contains Dutch masters highlighting Steen’s most charming work. More English portraits can be found in the Picture Room and the Picture Gallery, which was remodeled from a squash court displays a more varied collection which includes El Greco’s work.  
After the house was turned over to the National Trust a large endowment was given to keep the collection primarily along with the house and the condition was that the descendants would have perpetual tenancy at the house. After the third Viscount passed on in 1986 his daughter, Mrs R. Waley-Cohen stayed on for a couple of years and then moved the family to another property on the estate and then put up a large amount of items from the house for sale by public auction late in 1991. Christie’s led the auction which contained well over a thousand separate lots which included pictures, furniture, porcelain, silver, objects and carpets. These were items which were considered surplus to the art items which were stipulated to be kept and protected.
Facilities include: Free Car Park – 300 yards Garden Restaurant (run by the National Trust) Gift Shop Plant Sales Baby Changing Facilities Wheelchair Ramps Ground Floor Wheelchair Accessible Grounds partially wheelchair accessible

T-01295 670266

with accessability and kisses,

The Castle Lady

Valentine’s Day ?

 

here !

With a

who really care !

 

 

 

 

Will you

 

 ?

 

Warwickshire Wonderlands, South, Part One

Warwickshire is graced with lovely Tudor Mansions, a few which went on to become or were replaced by Tudor Revival mansions during renaissance and modern eras in England. Charlecote Park and Packwood House, merely a few miles apart (and not far from Warwick) are two prime examples in the same class as Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire and Wightwick Manor at Wolverhampton, Staffordshire. Cotswold homes are typified here in the many abodes in or near Stratford-upon-Avon and most often are timber-framed black and whites because wood was the primary building material in the Midlands. Cotswold stone which is unique to the heart of England was used for many ordinary abodes all the way to magnificent edifices and even today they are the most charming buildings of England because of its longstanding popularity and widespread use. One visit throughout the west Midlands will charm you off your feet and entice you to return. - The Castle Lady


If you head north of Warwick to Leek Wooten you are sure to want to visit Guy’s Cliffe House which is a delightful, partially restored, ruined mansion with an interesting historical past and a bright future ahead. The late medieval origins of the remains are in the form of a chantry along with rock-carved stables and storehouses dating from 1423. As the name suggests, Guy of Warwick established a hermitage here, where he retired after his duel with Colebrand. The Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene, which still exists intact and contains a large statue depicting Guy of Warwick, was built along with the other buildings during the time of Henry VI. Later in the 15th century the chapel was rebuilt. Two centuries before, Piers Gaveston had sought refuge in the town and was apprehended and hung at Blacklow Hill.
From the period of the Dissolution, the estate passed into the private use of Sir Edward Flammock who married into the estate of the Percy family. Guy’s Cliffe House was built in the local red sandstone in the early part of the 18th century and then sold to Samuel Greatheed in 1751, a West India merchant, who held a chair as member of Parliament representing Coventry from 1747-61. Greatheed built additions to the house from 1757 and was built upon continually in various styles from Elizabethan revival- with interesting medieval features- to a Palladian seven bay façade, along the south, with two storeys and an attic. Additions continued clear into the 20th century and housed an extensive art collection.
Restoration which has been carried out thus far is surprisingly recent. The house was established as a Boys Home by the 20th century and was cherished by many an orphan of the second World War during the time that Paul Field was master of Guy’s Cliffe. It was sold, nevertheless, in 1947 to be converted to a hotel at some point. In 1955 a purchase by Aldwyn Porter led to the opportunity for Freemasons to lease the chapel saving that portion of the estate, which is in excellent condition. However, Mr. Porter also stripped the interior of the house and eleven years later the roof caved in and it was abandoned. Reparations were planned at some point after 1966 but were thwarted after the house was rented for the filming of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (The Last Vampyre) in 1992. During filming a fire scene went out of control and much of the interior was destroyed.
After an insurance claim was made, English Heritage was able to carry out a very extensive renovation of the stone remnants saving the basic structures that make the house unique, although some features were removed and not replaced. The house is still undergoing intensive internal repair and has been for many years. Among the Friends of Guy’s Cliffe House (a club dedicated to the preservation of the house and property) Roy Robinson, who was one of the saved orphans taken in during WWII and the last resident, died late last year after many years of dedication in doing hands on restoration to the property. Roy was a key spokesperson to helping others carry out faithful repair according to his recollections of the layout during his residence. According to an account written by Dave Taylor, his contribution was immense while research was carried out to visualize the ruined sections and piece them back faithfully. His tribute to Roy on his web site dedicated to the house is very touching. Currently, Guy’s Cliffe is on English Heritage’s list as a grade II building.
A book written by Terry Roberts, Recollections of a Country Mansion, published in 2011, can be obtained at www.guyscliffehouse.org.uk/book to find out more of the historical information and see many photos of the transition back from dereliction.
      
A former timber-framed farmhouse, Packwood House became a splendid Tudor revival mansion in the 20th century at the behest of Graham Baron Ash who inherited the property from his Birmingham industrialist father, Alfred Ash. North of Beaudesert Castle it is seated just outside Lapworth near Solihull on 113 acres of yew gardens, herbaceous borders and the remains of what once was the surrounding Forest of Arden. The additions made through the centuries by the Featherstone (orig. Fetherston) family, carried on from the building of the original house in the mid-16th century clear into the late 19th century, were mostly stripped away by Graham Ash. He took over the property in 1925 and spent more than two decades recreating the original Tudor character of the house and included a large collection of 16th and 17th century furniture- some of which was obtained from the Baddesley Clinton house including a good portion of their tapestries. The collection is such a prime evocation of domestic Tudor it is apparent that Ash took his role as antiquarian quite seriously. You will not see a trace of the Georgian or Victorian era on the premises.
When you enter the property through the gateposts and onto the private drive you will find a proportionately laid out garden plan around an immense Elizabethan home which is extraordinarily picturesque. Aesthetically, the estate matches the fastidious nature of Ash with beautiful results. Wood and tapestry dominate the interior and an entrance passage which leads to the hall is very unique down to the floor pattern which was another acquisition from Wales’ Lymore Park. What didn’t work for Lymore is impressive at Packwood. From the hall through a gallery you enter another Great Hall converted from a barn which appears to be another wing to the house. The fireplace in this hall came from Stratford and is supposed to be associated with John Shakespeare, William’s father, and evidence of his single term as High Sheriff of Stratford are displayed here on the roof in the form of heraldic shields and standards! From there, a stone staircase leads to bedrooms which were named for the many visitors both royal and parliamentary. The latter harboring a large four-poster bed which was occupied by Col. Henry Ireton prior to his engagement for battle at Edgehill in 1642! You can see part of the original house on the ground floor dining room, drawing room and study which contain a large number of imported paintings with flame-stitch hangings in the dining room. 

The house is most famous for its extensive Yew Garden which contains more than a hundred trees laid out in 17th century by John Fetherston, who was a lawyer. Seated adjacent to the house and facing the gateway, it is themed as The Sermon on the Mount with twelve very large trees termed the Apostles, four in the center as the Evangelists, a spiraled path leads up to a hummock named the Mount and a single yew atop known as the Master. From this vantage point it is possible to have a panoramic view of Packwood and the estate. The remaining trees are the Multitude surrounding the area and were planted in the 19th century replacing an orchard.
Closer to the house, a Jacobean fountain court and sunken gardens add a sumptuous appearance which is unusual to English gardens. Jellicoe praised the gardens with gushing words and rightfully so because the contribution to the overall appearance of the grounds is breathtaking. It has been owned by the National Trust since 1941 and is available for tours from April to November.
T- 01564 782024
  
Two miles away at Knowle, Baddesley Clinton Hall is described as a 500 year old Elizabethan moated manor house but the architecture defies the staid appearance which is common for most houses of its era. It is believed to have originated in the 13th century by Thomas de Clinton but the first recorded history of ownership was to John Brome in 1438, a vice treasurer of England. His son Nicholas is responsible for the east range bridged entrance which is now a stone edifice with round arches. Most likely what he built was more like a castle, originally, because it was reputed to be battlemented with a drawbridge at that time. Nicholas’ daughter inherited the house in 1517 upon his death and married Sir Edward Ferrers who was the High Sheriff of Warwickshire in 1500. The hall remained Ferrers property up to 1940 when it passed to a close relative, Thomas Walker, who changed his name to Ferrers. Thomas’ son sold the entire estate to the National Trust in 1980 and is now open to the public for tours which include a beautiful great hall, parlor and library showing off original 16th century carvings and furnishings alongside Victorian accessories of actual inhabitants.
Most of the mansion’s unique appearance is due to Henry Ferrers who was born mid-16th century and died in 1633. His additions to the house are legendary and are a direct result of the courtyard appearance of the house although it is modified dramatically. He built the great hall which is now rebuilt in brick and the frontage of the east range was extended in Elizabethan style. All of the heraldry and stained glass were his work. Later work occurred in the 19th century which included rebuilding of the chapel and overall refurbishment of the house and interior renovations in the mid-20th century when the first floor outside the chapel was altered considerably.
Today, the north range old Great Hall is gone due to its removal. To the north and north east you’ll see demarcations in the forecourt where medieval ranges once stood. All were dismantled in the 18th century. Many of the interior features are also credited to Squire Henry and include wood paneling and fireplace mantels and he opened the house to Jesuits creating many hiding places, priest’s holes and secret passages for their concealment. Henry’s son also recreated the house in the Great Parlor with a wonderful Jacobean window and a barrel-vaulted ceiling.
The interiors were primarily under the direction of Rebecca Ferrers who showed a predilection for medieval revival during the Victorian period. They are both eclectic and tasteful, a tricky combination. Her story of involvement with Baddesley Clinton Hall is a very entertaining one- if it seems a bit far-fetched. She lived with her aunt, Lady Chatterton and was approached for marriage by a wealthy young man by the name of Edward Dering. He asked the aunt for Rebecca’s hand and was misunderstood by Lady Chatterton who accepted his proposal and he was stuck. Rebecca, in turn, accepted a proposal by the wealthy Marmion Ferrers and became the Lady of Baddesley Clinton Hall. After two years Rebecca invited the Derings to share the house and Edward ended up paying off mortgages and expenses on the house. It sounds a little indiscreet but there was no problem. The quartet co-habited quite nicely as both couples were devout Catholics and Baddesley became a hotbed of literary, artistic and religious activity. You’ll find Rebecca’s self-portrait hanging in the drawing room which she painted in 1885, the year she finally was able to marry Dering.
T-01564 783294

It is legendary that Shakespeare was caught poaching deer at Charlecote Park, near Wellsbourne, but some accounts purport that it was simply by accident that he pursued a deer into the park when he was out hunting with his merry band of playwrights and actors. Wherever the truth may lay it is certain that this 185 acre estate is well stocked with red and fallow deer and has been as long as the Lucys have been Lords and Ladys of the mansion. That goes clear back to 1247 and a portion of the house is still occupied by Sir Edmund Fairfax-Lucy who is an artist and designed the forecourt garden at the beginning of the 21st century. A part of the brick mansion that exists today was built anew from 1551-59 and the Lucys received Queen Elizabeth I at the estate in 1572. With the house heavily restored in Tudor style, the only remaining feature is the original gatehouse which is depicted in most paintings of the mansion and well photographed, inside and out. Cupola-capped turrets are repeated inside the courtyard mirroring the gatehouse and making this a distinguishing feature of this Elizabethan beauty.

However, Shakespeare would not recognize the mansion today because it was extended by George Hammond Lucy so extensively, over four decades, starting in 1823. He added a new west front beyond the hall facing directly onto the Avon which flows by the entire length of the estate. Formal parterre gardens of the 18th century line this front with a colorful variety of flowers along the north and west, courtesy of Capability Brown, of course. Along the north is a well kept croquet lawn with colorful bordering, northeast leads to woodland gardens and an orangery which is run by the National Trust as a restaurant. Along the south, the River Dene runs into the River Avon traversing a beautiful stepped waterfall. Beyond the basic borders of the house the park goes on for miles with footpaths laid down by Capability Brown and picnic benches are prolific throughout. Don’t be surprised by the wildlife that abounds.
Much of the interiors are decidedly Victorian with the Great Hall in earth tones, barrel-vaulted ceiling and walls filled with family portraits, dining room and library with period wallpaper, armorial glass and sideboard carved in 1858 by Willcox of Warwick. It goes on with a billiard room graced with a Batoni of George Lucy II and drawing room laced with ebony where Queen Elizabeth I stayed. All the state rooms have elaborate plaster ceilings and wood paneling. Upstairs you’ll see two guest bedrooms with Victorian furnishings along with a dressing room, one, the Ebony showing off its splendid view of the courtyard and gatehouse and Nelson and Lady Hamilton’s Beckford bed, originally from Fonthill in Wiltshire. Much of the service wing can be toured which is extensive and displayed with usual thorough attention to detail we have come to expect of the National Trust. A display of a collection of horse-drawn carriages is available to view on the premises, as well.

Close to Kenilworth and seated in 690 acres next to the River Avon, Stoneleigh Abbey was originated by Cistercians in 1154 and fragments of that period remain in the rear courtyard of the house. The 14th century gatehouse, which is a magnificent and rare example of its kind, was built by the 16th Abbot, Robert de Hockele in 1346. Otherwise, this extraordinary classical ruined restoration was the work of Francis Smith of Warwick commenced in 1720 for Edward, the 3rd Lord Leigh and has played host to royalty on many occasions, since. If the outward appearance of the manse is a little unconventional I would have my readers know that this is the result of patching rather than a complete restoration. It was a controversial type of restoration at the time (mid-20th century) and it is still so today. Many people don’t care for the mottled look to a classical faade but from a distance it gives the mansion a texture which makes it more interesting to view. That is my opinion and preference which always leans to medieval.
As the seat of the Leigh family from 1561, Stoneleigh became a homecoming after sitting nearly derelict for twenty years after a fire in 1960. A preservation trust was arranged and they now live in a portion of the house as direct descendants of Sir Thomas Leigh (c.1504-1571). It has been said that the abbey matched a description of Sotherton in Jane Austen’s novel Mansfield Park. The building was not destroyed during the dissolution but was surrendered by the last abbot to the Crown and it was then granted to Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk in 1538. Interestingly, the estate was sold to Sir Roland Hill and Sir Thomas Leigh, jointly in 1561. The fifteen-bay West Wing is considered a dominate feature of the house and is the part that Francis was responsible for creating. It has nine large state rooms on the first floor alone, including Queen Victoria’s Bedroom, and they are still in use for events which are carried out in abundance. The second floor was hit the hardest by the fire and has been undergoing the finishing touches of restoration carried out by Kit Martin and recreating much of the floor into apartments. Each state room accommodates different numbers of guests providing a lot of flexibility for its use as an events venue and is licensed for just about any occasion you can name.

Most picturesque of the exteriors are the conservatory side along with the riverside gardens and the castellated stone gate entrance to the stables, courtyard and banqueting hall. All these add to the character and beauty of the estate before one ever enters to view the extraordinary interiors. Further work carried out includes beautiful plaster work by John Wright in the chapel in 1744 and the wood paneled Long Corridor built on designs by C.S. Smith in 1837 graced with stained glass designed by Willement. Some portions of the West Wing were spared damage such as marvelous staircase hall, saloon, gilt hall and the vaulted hall but all have been well restored saving plasterwork, columns, stained glass and arched ceilings.     
www.stoneleighabbey.org   

         01926 858535

If you take a specific scenic footpath from Stoneleigh to the Church of St. John the Baptist at Baginton Village, you will arrive near the west front of what was once Baginton Hall where Sir William Bromley builthis new mansionin 1618 after he discarded the old castle. The new home was not far from the church. The village, hall and first church were associated with three families which held property for long periods of time. These were the Ensors/Herthills, Bagots and the Bromleys. Today you will only see a shell of a formerly splendid classical mansion that was visited by Queen Anne, early in the 18th century, who planted a cedar tree on the east lawn. The hall was described as a country gentlemen’s home which held valuable family portraits, artifacts, books and letters written by royal hands.
The mansion fell victim to two horrible fires hundreds of years apart. The first fire occurred in 1706. At that time it was the home of Mr. William Bromley who was a member of the House of Commons. News of the problem was sent to him while attending his official duties and he did not convey the news to his colleagues until after the conclusions. Upon his intimation of the disaster a vote was immediately dispatched by Parliament for a considerable sum of money to be supplied for restoration which was completed in 1714. How’s that for camaraderie ? The new design by Francis Smith of Warwick was executed in a rather unique but definite classical style.
The frontage of Baginton was remodeled with voussoirs to the multi-bayed faade while the ground floor wings were entirely rebuilt with belvederes on either side of the main block. In addition it was castellated along the roofline giving an appearance of battlements. The original staircase was replaced by a grand oak escalier which served the main building. A conservatory was added, library and a drawing room in the north wing only the the latter of which was saved in the second fire along with a painting of the original hall among the salvage. On the west side of the mansion an inscription was placed that read, “Dii patrii, servate domum 1714″ and the terrace entrance motto Pheonix Resurgens (Phoenix Rises Again) was placed upon completion of the restoration and rebuilding.
In October of 1889 Mr W. Sugden Armytage rented the home with his wife and seven children on the premises. At the outbreak of the second fire all were conveyed to nearby houses or taken outside the house quite quickly and were saved. At that time it was the home of Mr. Bromley Davenport, the Bromley Warwickshire seat, and the damage to the interior structure of the house was devastating and almost complete. However, much effort was made to save furnishings, art, pictures, valuable books and nearly everything that was of value by volunteers who worked feverishly to rescue a large portion of the removable interiors.
After all efforts had been made by the fire brigades to quench the fire, who dealt with the steep incline between the water source and getting the pump to get up to a speed quickly enough to put a strong stream of water through the hose to the house, most of the house had already been lost. Lieutenant Thomas, who was the fire captain. stated, “Had it been possible to have got the water earlier, without having to pump it up that hill- never mind the distance- I believe the brigade could have prevented the fire getting past the first storey.”
www.baginton-village.org.uk

  

Ragley Hall and Coughton Court are neighbors in the vicinity of Alcester, on the southwestern border of the county, less than three miles apart, with Ragley in a southern direction and Coughton Court to the north, the two are vastly different in their respective architecture. If you head up north on the A435 you’ll find Coughton Court on a vast estate surrounded by 25 acres of gardens.
As a Tudor stately home, Coughton Court is a beautiful specimen which has been the ancestral home of the Throckmorton family almost from the beginning of the 15th century after Robert de Throckmorton married into the Spiney family. The interiors contain artifacts which relate directly to royal and religious history leaving impressions upon visitors long after the gates close behind them. It remains an actual home and the current Throckmortons have certainly had their trials concerning the house in more recent years but it hardly shows. In summer of 2007, a short decade after a special walk and bog garden was built for guests on the estate, a massive flood swept through the entire property devastating the house and lands for months. Returning the estate and mansion back to its former glory was a crowning achievement for this illustrious Catholic family after all the historical trials they have experienced through the centuries. Their recusant tenacity and fortitude is a testament to their strong faith and the return of magnificence to their home is a true inspiration for us all.
During the Georgian period the mansion was Gothicized by John Carter who was very popular for such work at that time. The faade has a centered and battlemented Henrician tower, originally the Coughton gatehouse and the entrance was a carriage passageway which has fan vaulting, installed in the 1780s. You will see the original Tudor portion alongside the additions and the effect is remarkably harmonious. The interior tour includes many historical and royal artifacts and possessions. 
In the Little Drawing Room a 17th century veneered cabinet conceals a secret mirrored altar for Mass and a chair exists that was made from wood of the bed Richard III slept in before the Battle of Bosworth. A special tailored coat made in 1811 for Sir John Throckmorton may not appear to be more extraordinary than any other Newbury coat, however, it was made on a wager that it could not be made in less than 24 hours. It was, in fact, made in 13 hours and 20 minutes winning the wager and quite an amazing achievement considering that the materials had to be sheered off two sheep, spun, spooled, warped, loomed, woven, burred, milled, rowed, dyed, dried, sheered, pressed and tailored in that time! This prize is displayed along with such personal possessions as a chemise worn by Mary Queen of Scots at the time of her execution, a garter ribbon of Prince Charles Edward Stuart (otherwise known as Bonnie Prince Charlie) and a glove belonging to James III along with a lock of his hair and an elaborate velvet cape embroidered in gold by Queen Catherine of Aragon and her ladies-in-waiting.
The post-Reformation period was a time of historical intrigue in this house and the Throckmorton family were very involved at that time. One of the family was a member of Parliament and the family were related to the first English Cardinal to be appointed at the Vatican, Charles Januarius Acton, being the brother of Lady Elizabeth Throckmorton. When you tour the staircase off the gatehouse entrance you will find it is lined with family portraits and right off of the main drawing room. It was in that very room where the entire family waited to find out the outcome of the Gunpowder Plot in which they were intrinsically involved.
A narrow spiral staircase leads to the Tower Room where a priest’s hole was rediscovered in 1910 after being nearly forgotten. It was expertly designed by Nicholas Owen with a decoy compartment below the floor and hidden with a special hide making it almost undetectable. It still contained a mattress, rope ladder and folding leather altar. The Tower Room also has a painting called Tabul Eliensis depicting Ely Abbey where many Catholics were captured during recusant times. The family arms of the many Catholic families who were imprisoned for their faith during Elizabeth I’s reign were also found. These were kept hidden in the Catholic network and displayed in secret at Mass.

Another staircase leads to the roof which imparts magnificent views of the gardens and the family Roman Catholic church which may be visited, as well. An extraordinary walled garden was opened by Alan Titchmarsh in 1996 and neighbor to color-themed gardens referred to as the Tsunami Noni sculpture in the quiet pool garden. Most of the award-winning gardens were created by Christina Williams, daughter of the current family heiress, Clare McLaren-Throckmorton, in 1991. They encompass a bog garden, vegetable garden, walled garden, orchard and a riverside walk and Rose Labyrinth Garden. The latter mentioned brought Coughton Court the Award of Garden Excellence from World Federation of Rose Societies. These all had to be reinstated after the flood and took nearly two years to bring back to its former brilliance. You can see the gardens with this link. http://www.throckmortonfamily.com/daffodils.html A shop and restaurant are available.
01789 762435 info line
www.coughtoncourt.co.uk
  

As one of the earliest and most beautiful Palladian houses in England, Ragley Hall can be said to be virtually unchanged from its inception. Commissioned by Francis Seymour in the 17th century, it was designed in 1680 by Sir Christopher Wren’s associate, Robert Hooke, originally. From that time, clear into the mid-18th century the greatest English architects built onto the hall minimizing the original exterior by a large margin. James Gibbs was responsible for the remarkable interior which has been well restored clear up to the present without any drastic alterations of any kind. The Great Hall is Gibbs masterpiece, while Wyatt finished the exterior frontage that leads straight into the hall with a portico and a magnificent stone fer à cheval stairway entrance, referred to as late-Georgian Baroque.
The estate is seated in a 400-acre deer park (part of encompassing 6,500 acres of farmland, forest, sawmill and rental property) and the hall grounds consist of 27 acres of gardens, shrubs and trees amid sweeping lawns and breathtaking vistas of the entire estate which takes in a man-made lake dating from 1625, a cricket mound and adventure playgrounds with a maze. All belongs to the Marquess and Marchioness of Hertford and has been the seat of the Conway Seymour family since building commenced 322 years ago. The current heir of the mansion has stated that when his father, Hugh Edward Conway Seymour, took over the property in 1940 the house was primarily in use as a hospital (during the war) and only a small portion of the house was left in reserve for the family to use. Today, Henry Jocelyn Seymour, the 9th Marquess of Hertford, carries on the tradition of restoration and has lived in the home from 1997 after inheriting the property late in 1991.   

Four grand features dominate the Rococo interiors reception and state rooms with the plaster credited to the Italian craftsmen Artari brothers, an exquisite trompe-l’oeil mural by Graham Rust which covers the entirety of the South Staircase Hall completed in 1983, the two storey high ceiling of the Great Hall and its genius plasterwork designed by James Gibbs in 1750 and the Adamic Red Saloon which has been restored exactly as it was originally designed by Wyatt in 1780 with rose silk damask lining the walls, original Louis XVI furniture, painted ceiling, Georgian paneling and baroque fireplace. Other rooms are equally as breathtaking and include the music room in various shades of sky, an orange breakfast room (how apropos!) with Rococo ornamentation, and the state dining room in a warm yellow with a dark wood banquet table and matching chairs. This room is often used for corporate events as the house and estate are let for weddings quite often with ceremonies carried out in the rose garden.
The north staircase hall has panels designed by Hoppner and other artists to frame portraits of which there seems to be few. There is a good reason for the lack. The Victorian Seymour family amassed a collection of paintings which was classed as one of England’s greatest art collections comprising hundreds of items. They passed to the possession of Richard Wallace who was actually an illegitimate son of the 4th Marquess and lived in Paris at the time. His own collection is now housed in London along with the Hertford heirlooms at the Hertford House in Manchester Square and is known and visited as the Wallace Collection along with 5,470 works of national and international art. However, the Green Drawing Room at Ragley displays historical Seymour portraits by Reynolds also commissioned by Francis Seymour and houses two Chinese Chippendale mirrors. Make sure you take in the Prince Regent’s bedroom and the library.
Ragley’s magnificent gardens, in addition to the aforementioned rose garden include a spring bulb bank and alpine garden which grace a more contemporary vista when you tour the immediate grounds. There is an area devoted to the Jerwood sculptures which are very modern and expertly placed throughout the gardens and the Woodland Walk. Additionally, working stables along with 19th century carriages can be visited which also give information of the Jerwood collection, Adventure Playground for children and the picturesque lakeside picnic area shows off much of what Capability Brown created back in the 18th century.
www.ragleyhall.blogspot.com for current events
 T-01789 762090

The Castle Lady

with blissful boxes of valentine kisses !

Zone and Exercise

Back in 1983 when dieting, for me, was a bad word (the letters d i e glared me in the face !) I found that during my monthly female cycle I would gain and lose no less than five pounds and was rather alarmed at the circumstance. It didn’t just make me uncomfortable but I felt that people could visibly see the difference because I could see the difference. It never occurred to me that it could be hormonal in nature because so many women complained about a similar problem. The catch was that many of them were either much older than myself or seemed to have other physical problems which were exacerbating their respective situations. Being basically healthy and active, otherwise, it seemed to me that I needed to get to the root of the problem.
I read several books and decided to look into a low-sodium diet even though it seemed better suited to people of the geriatric crowd. Many of my co-workers cajoled and clucked over my self-made diet which wasn’t really a diet in the strictest sense of the word but when some started to remark rather shockingly, “You look….. healthy!” I knew I was onto something and kept right up with my regimen. Well, the effect was exactly what I wanted. I noticed a marked difference in my periods within half a year which no longer made my weight fluctuate so erratically. In addition, I dropped two dress sizes within a year. I was jazzed. Furthermore, I felt it was an easy diet since checking to see how much sodium items contained was so easy. I never felt even once that I was being deprived and I never missed the excessive amounts of salt. After awhile I knew if there was too much sodium or salt contained in any food because actual table salt made my mouth burn. Extreme? Yes, but it worked.

In 1998 I began to experience some new problems with my menses which seemed unusual and I consulted doctors who considered my juvenile-like cramping as par for the course. First, they said it was nothing. When I continued to experience some embarrassing situations one female doctor prescribed Aleve during my periods and sent me on my way. All I knew for sure was that instead of my hormones waning it was more like they were raging- like a teenager would experience. I checked out the Zone Diet because it claimed one thing that appealed to me. Dr. Sears, the inventor of the diet and an MIT researcher, promised that it would balance my hormone and insulin levels. My instincts told me that was the key to solving my problem.

I have never looked back and I changed one thing in particular. I stopped worrying about sodium. The Zone food pyramid is exactly the opposite of the USDA Food pyramid and with dramatic results. It puts fats on a short list replacing most of them with monounsaturated fats, keeps proteins, dairy, fruits and vegetables as the primary largest food source and replaces most breads, grains, starches and pasta with plain and simple H2O (Water). Most people will say, “Zone Diet? Don’t you have to eat pre-packaged meals and nothing else like all those other weight-loss plans in magazines?” It’s about as far from those expensive deals as it could possibly be and it also gives you the opportunity to have pre-packaged meals when convenience is an issue.
Before anyone starts buying products I would urge them to do one important thing first. Buy the book by Barry Sears, titled, Enter The Zone. The explanation of how the non-diet works is laid out in a little over 200 pages and you’ll never have to wonder what exactly it is you’re doing. It simplifies the world of losing weight down to some sound principles and helps you get control over your appetite, weight and your body. Basically, the diet puts your metabolism back in balance and is very helpful to people dealing with all kinds of ailments such as heart disease, diabetes, PMS, chronic fatigue, depression and cancer and even helps alleviate the more painful symptoms of diseases such as MS, HIV and other autoimmune issues.

This plan has been embraced by high-performance athletes- such as the team Garmin-Cervélo at the 2011 Tour de France, many Hollywood actors and celebrities also endorse the products and plan even though they are not paid to be spokespersons. The Zone basically sells itself to anyone who earnestly uses its principles and sticks to the plan. Today they are calling it the Neo-Paleolithic diet but what kept me on the diet, besides my determination was the basic zone principle: Even if you eat one meal or snack that strays from the plan you’re only one meal away from getting back in the zone.
The Zone is a food plan for those who have never been able to stick to a diet and especially great for those who refuse to go on a diet. Check it out because it’ll change the way you feel about food forever and you’ll still love to eat. What could be better than that ? I highly recommend buying any of the cookbooks. You learn more about the portion control part of this plan that way and the variety and level of the cuisine is phenomenal !
Even though Dr. Sears does not stress exercise in any way I feel that working out has also been a life saver for me in the form of fast walking, yoga and doing occasional sprints which involve such things as quick runs, tossing a basketball around for ten minutes or sweeping a fifty feet square space. These were not random exercise choices but diligently and carefully selected after years- 28 to be exact- of searching out viable choices which could be fit into my busy travel and work schedule. During my college years, which I started seven years into my original career, walking was all I could fit in and very early in the morning. I added yoga a little later as a stretch routine and found it was much more than stretching. I added sprints after reading a ground-breaking book written by Covert Bailey titled Smart Exercise. Covert is the Fit or Fat guru who had a show on PBS by the same name in the early 90s. The entire book is a goldmine of information about how to get the most out of exercise but I would especially impress the sections about how muscles work and the information about wind sprints in the training section. Once again, it’s not a long book at 282 pages but the information is essential to understanding how to get the most out of a fitness and exercise routine. It also explains in easy and fun terms why exercise works in reducing your actual weight- not your water retention or food energy which is essential to helping you lose weight.

Erté : Godfather of Art Deco

Although many will argue that Roman deTirtoff, known to the French by his initials RT, was so much more than an artist, his place in the annals of Art Deco is legendary- right down to his actual signature. He was one of the most talented artists of his time and excelled in every single medium he entered which included fashion design, jewelry-making, graphic arts, costuming and stage set design for films, theatre and opera. His talents even expanded into interior designing and he is best recognized for an image known as Symphony in Black which depicts a model dressed entirely in black and holding an equally thin chien teni en lisière which has been reproduced countless times. This Russian-born prodigy, whose actual full name was Roman Petrovich Tyrtov, was born on November 23rd 1892 to a distinguished family in Saint Petersburg who traced their roots all the way back to 1548. His father, Pyoter Ivanovich Tyrtov, served his country as a naval admiral in the Russian fleet and Erté was expected to also enter into the navy because his father had come from a long line of naval officers but Roman had other aspirations and did not hesitate to leave for Paris in 1907 when the opportunity arose. He lived for a year in Paris and discovered his calling through his admiration for Beardsley by the time he was required to return to his homeland. He eventually moved to Paris by 1910 and pursued a career as a designer. He assumed his adopted name to avoid disgracing his family and for a period of two years worked for various other artists one of whom was Paul Poiret beginning in 1913. By 1915 he landed a big contract with Harper’s Bazaar magazine which helped to launch his career as a costume and stage designer. Over the years he invented two hundred covers for the magazine and his illustrations also appeared in publications such as Illustrated London News, Cosmopolitan, Ladies’ Home Journal and Vogue.
His fashion designs also gained him immense respect and were the more elegant of the period which he competed in during the flapper era. His earliest work in fashion was for the French dancer Gaby Deslys who died young in 1920. His ultra slim, delicate-figured and sophisticated drawings are easily recognized by those inside the industry and much of his work is still imitated and remains an influence into the 21st century. He was responsible for much of the costumes, set and even program designs of the Ziegfeld Follies of 1923 and even longer involvement in a similar vein for the Folies Bergere and George White’s Scandals. Further Broadway work was done for the French Chanteuse Irene Bordoni.
In 1920 he designed the set and costumes for the film Restless Sex, a film financed by W. Randolph Hearst and starred Marion Davies. Louis B. Mayer, of MGM, lured Erté back to Hollywood in 1925 to design the sets and costumes for the silent film Paris and because of complex issues involving the script for Paris he was assigned work to other films to keep him busy in Hollywood. He designed sets for Ben-Hur, The Mystic, Time, The Comedian and Dance Madness.
When Art Deco became popular again in the Sixties it revitalized his career which had continued from his Hollywood days and had expanded into ballets and revues. The resurgence made it possible for him to reprint into limited editions, bronze and wearable art and his collections can be found in museums worldwide which includes the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and an enormous collection is housed at Museum 1999 in Tokyo. Sadly, Romain de Tirtoff died in April of 1990 at the advanced age of 97 but his longevity and prodigious energy will live on in his many works which impacted several generations. To read more about him you can check the link below and you can see quite a few of his works online.

Riding, Alan “Erte, a Master of Fashion, Stage and Art Deco Design, is Dead at 97″ New York Times 22 April 1990
(http://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/22/obituaries/erte-a-master-of-fashion-stage-and-art-deco-design-is-dead-at-97.html)

With pirouetting kisses,

The Castle Lady

Everybody wish my Mom a happy birthday!

Computing: A Hacker’s Dictionary

Eleven years ago, after having been improperly introduced to the world of computers a few years prior and not yet introduced to the internet but only the world of intranet, I found this enlightening, tongue-in-cheek dictionary designed to help people lighten up about the world of P.C.s and internet devices which seem to have a mind of their own. This delightfully funny, slim paperback dictionary written by Henry Beard ( of National Lampoon fame) and Roy McKie will give you enough fodder to continue computing long after you have given up the fight and surrendered to technology’s mercy. Some of the jokes are now outdated and must be explained- hence, my notes. Here are the definition entries which are my top ten favorites:

WYSIWYG Acronym for What You See Is What You Get, a term used to describe the display of data on a screen exactly as it will appear when printed out, not to be confused with the far more common type of display known as NYSINYD (Now You See It, Now You Don’t).

Mnemonic An acronym, rhyme or other memory aid. Ironically, there is no known recollection-enhancing device that has ever helped anyone remember how to spell “mnemonic.” (Evelyn’s note: pronounced as nemonic)

Jewel Box A clear plastic container used to protect a CD holding a computer program or other data from damage so it can wreak the havoc it was designed to create when it is ultimately loaded into your computer.

Language A written or spoken communication system, either an artificial computer language like COBOL, FORTRAN or Pascal that can be learned but cannot be spoken or a natural language like Thai, Russian or Japanese that can be spoken but cannot be learned.

Information superhighway
Popular buzzword for a proposed government-funded upgrade of existing telecommunications networks that would ultimately permit everyone in the U.S. to instantly exchange hate literature, baseless rumors, crackpot theories, quack cures, fad diets, campaign lies, doctored photos, Hollywood dirt, chain letters, Ponzi schemes, racial slurs, sectarian insults, and off-color jokes. (Evelyn’s note: doctored = photo shopped)

I-Beam pointer A mouse pointer shaped like a capital “I” used in word-processing systems, which in different programs and varying situations changes into an arrow, a hand, an hourglass or wristwatch, a set of crosshairs, a pen, a pistol, a dynamite plunger, a skull and crossbones, a cutlass, a parrot, a coffin, a mirror, a crucifix, a braided rope of garlic bulbs and a stake. (Evelyn’s note: Some web sites still like to modify your cursor with their theme. Go figure.)

Fuzzy Logic Reasoning system in which True and False are terms with relative and shifting values rather than absolutes, widely used throughout the computer industry in promotional literature, performance data, system specifications, stock offerings, troubleshooting manuals and former web masters. (Evelyn’s note: Okay, I added that last one. Ha.)

Floppy disk A rigid, square, removable data storage medium that no one who has ever read a computer manual is surprised to discover is neither floppy nor disk-shaped. (Evelyn’s note: This term was used also for a predecessor square-disk with a non-used portion which hung out in a rather floppy manner!)

Data What blue-sky guesstimates, off-the-top-of-the-head figures, and seat-of-the-pants calculations become as soon as they are entered into a computer.

Pascal Programming language named after the 17th century French mathematician Blaise Pascal, who invented the first ink-proof pocket-protector for quill pens and a revolutionary form of headgear consisting of a beret with a movable propeller on top.

Happy computing!
The Castle Lady

Walden Winter Wisdom

Often when I face a winter in Denver as snow-y as this one has been- and very early on at that !- I think about how Thoreau described winters in Walden and various later writings. I’ve underlined many quotes in his non-fiction book but sometimes just reading his descriptive prose is enough to warm my bones without heat. The following is a small sampling:

…Though winter is represented in the almanac as an old man, facing the wind and sleet, and drawing his cloak about him, we rather think of him as a merry wood-chopper and warm-blooded youth, as blithe as summer. The unexplored grandeur of the storm keeps up the spirits of the traveler. It does not trifle with us but has a sweet earnestness. In winter we lead a more inward life. Our hearts are warm and merry, like cottages under drifts, whose windows and doors are half concealed but from whose chimneys the smoke cheerfully ascends…

…for a man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone.

“I am monarch of all I survey,
My right there is none to dispute.”

After a still winter night I awoke with the impression that some question had been put to me which I had been endeavoring in vain to answer in my sleep, as what- how- when- where? But there was dawning Nature, in whom all creatures live, looking in at my broad windows with serene and satisfied face and no question on her lips.

Ice is an interesting subject for contemplation. 

…a hundred…men, with overseers…came…every day to get ice. They divided it into cakes…sledded to shore…hauled off to an ice platform…onto a stack…and there placed evenly side by side and row upon row, as if they formed the solid base of an obelisk designed to pierce the clouds. They stacked up the cakes thus in the open air in a pile thirty-five feet high on one side and six or seven rods square, putting hay between the outside layers to exclude the air; for when the wind, though never so cold, finds a passage through, it will wear large cavities, leaving slight supports or studs, only here and there and finally topple it down. At first it looked like a vast blue fort or Valhalla; but when they began to tuck the coarse meadow hay into the crevices and this became covered with rime and icicles, it looked like a venerable moss-grown and hoary ruin, built of azure-tinted marble, the abode of Winter, that old man we see in the almanac- his shanty, as if he had a design to estivate with us.

Hibernatorially,

Warwickshire’s Wonderful Medieval Walls and Watchtowers South, Part Four

South Warwickshire has two distinct areas- southeast and southwest and most of the castles are in ruins or vanished. However, impressively sized former castle sites are legendary in England and this county has many of them. Medieval historical sites help us see how military strategies were developed by studying placement incorporated with the unique formations of each and every castle and its terrain. We are fortunate to have at least a few drawings of these castles but, sadly, they are few. Castles such as Warwick and Kenilworth are rare treasures. - The Castle Lady
 
A short distance northeast of Kenilworth Castle and five miles southwest of Caludon’s ruins, Baginton Castle’s low-lying brick foundations sit just outside the border of Coventry. Inside the ground-level platform (a square bailey with a wide ditch) seated in a rather bare forest on the elevated banks of the River Sowe, you’ll discover the ruins of a moated, fortified 14th century manor- the former site of a motte and bailey originally built by the de Derlye family. The future King Henry IV set out from this castle after a night of being entertained to meet Thomas de Mowbray, the Duke of Norfolk in battle to settle differences. King Richard II intervened at some point between Caludon and Baginton Castles and exiled them both.
The once-fortified remains are those which were rebuilt by Sir William Bagot in 1397 and is sometimes referred to as Bagot’s Castle. The tower was built inside the platform on the eastern edge with walls one and a half meters thick. Three other structures east of the tower were revealed in the 1960s to be 13th and 14th century edifices associated with the castle. Baginton has the distinction of being the castle where Harry Hotspur (otherwise known as Henry Percy) was taken prisoner after his defeat by King Henry IV at the Battle of Shrewsbury in 1403. Richard Beauchamp bought the castle in 1417 and it remained his property until 1471 when he presented it to the Dean of St Mary’s Collegiate Church at Warwick. From that point it changed hands several times then fell into ruins by mid-17th century. What you will see today are the lower portions of a tower which was leveled in the 18th and 19th centuries and sits on the eastern edge of the flattened motte. An existing vaulted undercroft on the site is in a state of collapse alongside vestiges of the tower with a spiral stair turret and a garderobe also in ruins.
Baginton town is the site of the Roman Fort Lunt established circa 64 A.D. which was rediscovered in the 1930s and then opened in 1960s to the public after extensive archaeological work and partial reconstruction made it possible to view. An aircraft factory existed here during WWII and now the city is home to Coventry’s Airport alongside Midland Air Museum. The oldest oak tree in Warwickshire resides at Baginton and is around 300 to 350 years old with a pub as namesake also nearby.
The castle is fenced off and a footpath from the church runs close by where the ruins can be seen quite well.

Near the village of Brandon and just north of Wolston, Brandon Castle is not far away from Baginton to the east, showing off low-lying stone concentric enclosure remains along with a few stone ruins of the small rectangular Norman keep, off of the River Avon. It started out life as a motte and bailey built by Geoffrey de Clinton in the 12th century and was later built in stone by the de Verdon family early in the 13th century. The site looks curious with two rectangular baileys accompanying the relatively low motte seated in the middle. All are surrounded by a shallow moat which is fed by the Avon. It was besieged and slighted by the garrison of Kenilworth Castle in 1265 which was the time of the first civil war in England. The site is visible from the paths off of the A428 but upon closer inspection you will see results of an excavation carried out in 1947.  

 
A stopover to Rugby, on the eastern border, will be of interest not just to Rugby enthusiasts but also those of cathedral architecture and buildings designed by William Butterfield, a 19th century architect whose modern buildings proliferate within the city. Famous landmarks associated with several English writers abound there and those who are fascinated by engineering feats of the 20th century will be interested to know that the jet engine was invented here by Frank Whittle who developed the first prototype at the British Thomson-Houston works in the mid-20th century. 
The invention of the game of Rugby is credited to William Webb Ellis and his statue is the most visited monument in Rugby where it stands outside Rugby School. The other two statues are of Rupert Brooke and Thomas Hughes- the former a poet who hailed from Rugby and Thomas Hughes wrote Tom Brown’s Schooldays. A book based on his life as a student there and a dramatization of the novel was filmed on location at the school in 2004. Founded in 1567 with money left by Lawrence Sheriff who was born in Rugby and then moved to London, thereby gaining a fortune, the school was originally intended to be for the locals. Over time and with prestige it became the top private co-educational boarding institution in England. There is a Rugby School Museum which has audio visual displays about the town and the school but the Rugby Football Museum in town has memorabilia, a factory where rugby balls are made by hand and more information about the history of the game. The town has six union teams which includes Rugby Welsh and an F.C. which was once two teams and now simply Rugby Town F.C.
   
Moving further west and located west of Warwick town, Beaudesert Castle is a magnificently sized earthwork on an elongated hill which overlooks a Norman parish church and the Forest of Arden. This ancient Briton ringwork with two baileys is seated on the other side of the River Alne above the town of Henley-in-Arden. At one time it had a stone keep and curtain wall but now shows almost no evidence of the stonework. It was brought to the royal attention of Empress Maud when Thurston de Montfort obtained permission to hold a market there circa 1140 and was seized by the King after Simon de Montfort’s defeat at Evesham. The castle was spared destruction but it fell into ruins after the de Montfort line died out in 1369. Originally, the land was given to Thurstan de Montfort by his great-uncle Henry de Newburgh, Earl of Warwick, who most likely built a motte and bailey upon the ringwork. Thurston’s grandson Peter is supposed to have put up the wall of the inner bailey. His fortifications may have been incomplete when, in April of 1262, Henry III issued an order to stop him. Peter was killed in 1265, the town was burned and most likely the castle as well.
Two reconstruction models of the castle exist. One is at the Henley-in-Arden Heritage Centre which looks like a typical concentric castle with twin baileys and a large four-corner towered keep among other features and the Timeteam’s model appears more like a late-medieval hall with an oval curtain wall, only two mural towers and no apparent gateway entrance! Whichever you choose as the most likely configuration, an aerial view provides us with an appreciation of the ramparts which preceded the Norman invasion.
The remaining earthworks of today reveal much about the castle’s construction because they do not appear to have been altered. The northeast end is an oval which measures approximately 77 by 54 meters with a height of 10 meters above the ditch with a triangular edge of ridge. Two baileys separated by a ditch are still visible on the south west adjacent from there and were most likely never walled in stone. The entrance which is still indicated by a footpath exists on the south end of the outer bailey. One stone on the site, retrieved in the 19th century during an excavation, is a capstone from a doorway which indicated it was from the 13th or 14th century.
Lord Bergavenny held the castle from 1376 to 1410 followed by the Boteillers of Sudeley until it was sold to Edward IV in 1477. Whether or not it was retained by the Earls of Warwick during the late medieval period is not known but it is speculated whether the Bergavennys and Boteillers were only tenant Lords for the Earls. Restoration was last carried out in 1411 according to records which cited repair to the porch of the hall but in a survey carried out in 1547 the castle was not mentioned and it was most likely in ruins by that time.

http://www.henley-in-arden-heritage.co.uk

Also in the southwest portion of the county and three miles distance from Redditch are three different Studley Castles, each one very different and each tells its own story. All are more or less on the same large property near Studley on four and a half acres with formal gardens. (Studley) Old Castle, the earthworks of a circular motte and bailey attributed to William Corbucion, most likely built by 1135-40 occupies a portion of the property and is an ancient scheduled monument. Its size is nearly identical to that of Beaudesert, if a bit smaller in width with a rampart formation which also forms a V configuration but the actual motte was flattened sometime during the 17th century and may have been much reduced at some period because the height is only four meters above the surrounding ground level. Excavations carried out in 1867 uncovered pottery which dated from the 12th and 13th centuries.
Very close by and adjacent to the historic church, the L-plan Castle Cottages which are very charming are now referred to as The Old Castle. This formerly moated manor was originally built by Thomas Atwood and was called Corpsons, after the family name of Corbucion. It is a 16th century timber-framed Georgian and Tudor house seated above a ringwork of ramparts and approached off Castle Road by a long sweeping driveway to the parking area and along the landscaped garden area adorned with topiary, shrubs, walkways, flower beds and lined with a variety of trees. As a grade II listed building, complete restoration was undertaken and offered up for sale in recent years by the present owners. A detailed web site offers a beautifully decorated, oak-paneled seven bedroom house along with two self-contained and separate duplex apartments. The Old Castle now is seated with an encompassing driveway and outlying pastures.
Studley Castle Hotel is located on the east side of the large property off Hardwick Lane and I will tell you more in my forthcoming entry Warwickshire’s Wonderful Hotels.

Directions: From junction 3 of the M42 motorway at the roundabout take the first exit on to the A435 signposted Redditch and Evesham. Continue along the A435 in the direction of Evesham, passing through Mappleborough Green and on into the center of Studley. At the roundabout continue straight across and turn left into Bell Lane and left onto Castle Road. Follow the signs for the Parish Church and The Old Castle is immediately before hand.

A few miles south of Warwick, Fulbroke Castle which was a fortified manor built by John, Duke of Bedford (and brother of Henry V) in 1428 is completely vanished at the site it once occupied. The original manor held by the Count of Meulan in 1086 passed through many hands through the centuries but always reverted to the Crown and overlordship of the Earls of Warwick. The field at Fulbroke, which is referred to as Castle Hill in the present day, is on the south side of a brook near Lower Fulbrook Farm. By 1478 the formerly beautiful castle was ruinous but the final denouement for Fulbroke came with the dismantling of portions by Sir William Compton, the park keeper early in the 16th century, who received permission from Henry VIII to use portions of the castle for his new house of Compton Wynyates. As a result, the great hall of his Tudor mansion located twelve miles south, still has a roof and bay window from Fulbroke. The rest of the castle was most likely carried off brick by brick for other construction in the town. Even though the manor no longer existed, the park which enclosed the parcel of land continued to be passed on through the centuries among whom Richard Neville and John Dudley were recipients. In 1658 the manor parkland came into possession of Richard Lucy and the estate remained in their possession clear up to the mid-20th century when it was owned by Sir Henry Fairfax-Lucy.
Excavations of 1985 revealed brick foundations and plowing turned up similar brick along with stones, glazed tiles and pottery in an area which used less than an acre of land. A clearly delineated parch mark showing individual rooms and corridors placed around a central courtyard were also traced.
Elsewhere in the town, the remains of two moats existed behind the court farmhouse. One, measured at 90 paces square with a moat on three sides was the site of a manor house documented in 1324 and 1392. It possessed a hall with a solar and chapel among other medieval additions including a kitchen and a gatehouse with lodgings above it and a stable at ground level. The gatehouse was recreated later by Joan, Lady Bergavenny which was more expensively built late in the 14th century. Just north, another moat enclosed a bailey at half the previously mentioned size with steep ramparts up to fifteen feet high and a dried up moat along its south side along with a trench which carried water off of the site. In 1841 a discovery of a steelyard weight which sported four coats-of-arms with lion rampants was found near the larger moated site and it was determined to date from the reign of Henry III.

  
Southeast of Stratford-on-Avon and Wellesbourne, approximately eight miles, you’ll find Kineton Castle ( pron. kine (as in kind) ton, like ‘ton of bricks’) situated close to the River Dene. Its village is part of the district of Stratford-on-Avon not far away from the Fosse Way (an old Roman road) and the battlefield of Edgehill. It is ten miles equidistant between Banbury (of Banbury Cross fame !) Warwick Town and Stratford-upon-Avon close to the border of Northamptonshire.
Kineton was initially referred to in the year 969 when the Saxon King Edgar (called by the French le Pacifique) granted land in this area to a trusted member of his council. Later, in the Domesday Book of 1086, the village was referred to as Kington and the castle was documented as a motte-and-bailey known as King John’s Castle because King John held local court sessions there. It was most likely never rebuilt in stone. The motte is located northwest in the village at the foot of Pittern Hill where, in the 13th century, Stephen de Segrave held a market each Tuesday at his manor which included St Peter’s and St. Paul’s Eve. Held through the centuries, it was closed down along with the market house by 1840 and a school was built on the same site. An 18th century stone windmill remains but there is very little to see of the castle other than the motte.
During the Civil War, Kineton was looted several times by Prince Rupert and some members of the Royalist army. On the heels of the defeat of Sir James Ramsay, the Parliamentarians took a drumming at the Battle of Edgehill on 23rd of October in 1642 and were pursued off the field and Rupert’s army attacked the baggage train of Parliament within the village of Kineton. Curiously, only a year later, in July of 1643, King Charles I met with Queen Henrietta Maria at the battlefield. Radway Tower is an 18th century monument built there which commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Edgehill and is a hotel today known as The Castle Inn. A signposted walk that runs a good twenty miles long-the Edgehill to Edgcote trail -includes three battlefields which includes Edgehill. You’ll see picture and information boards along the way.
www.kineton.org.uk

In the furthermost southern region, three miles east of Shipston-on-Stour, Brailes Castle motte atop Castle Hill became a prehistoric burial ground before a motte and bailey was built there. A short jaunt from the George Hotel, it can be reached by a footpath. Nothing of the castle remains of this early 12th century castle except for the motte. In medieval times this was the third largest village in Warwickshire and it stands among several hills with the village divided by Upper Brailes, which is the second-highest point in Warwickshire at Highwall Coppice and Lower Brailes. This was the home of a 13th century painter of illuminated manuscripts, by the name of William de Brailes and he was one of only two whose name has actually been made of record. The parish church of Saint George is referred to by the locals as Cathedral of the Feldon which has been found to have a 12th century foundation. It has been added to and altered throughout the centuries with the south aisle the oldest known portion and the north with so many alterations that the original appearance is very obscure. The bell tower should be visited as its most remarkable feature at 120 feet in height and its phenomenal features and sound. If you visit Brailes on the first Monday of May you can participate in the annual Three Hills Walk which gives you a chance to see the rural aspect of Brailes in all its glory.
http://www.theaa.com/walks/walking-over-the-hill-at-brailes

Served up with a cup of cheer,

The Castle Lady

Promise Yourself…

The following is a set of New Year’s Resolutions. If everyone made such an effort to be a better person many of our long-suffered social ills would resolve themselves. Take it upon yourself to make the person inside your head a better person. This is the greatest gift you can give to the world and many people will thank you…
- I guarantee it.

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something special about them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best and expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

Have a wonderful year ahead and remember that the future depends on what you make of it
not  just what happens.

Hugs and Kiss to Everybody,

The Castle Lady