tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50250036888163291422024-02-07T05:03:51.957+00:00Step into Ashdown's StoryThe history, myths and legends of a 17th century house.Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-32964770683308627322017-10-27T11:48:00.000+01:002017-10-27T11:48:09.944+01:00Debunking the Curse of the Cravens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Curses. They’re rather fun in fiction. As someone who has
written a book featuring a cursed pearl, I’m the first to admit that I like the
Gothic, spooky element of a curse story, especially as the nights draw in
towards Halloween and the ghosts start to gather.<o:p></o:p></div>
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However, I have a different attitude towards real-life
family curses. They make me feel pretty uncomfortable because these are real
people the curses refer to, not fictional ones. Someone might get hurt. And
really… Can they possibly stand up to the light of historical enquiry?<o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the biggest, spookiest and most notorious family
curse stories that pops up every so often (I <o:p></o:p></div>
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was reading about it again only
yesterday) is the so-called curse of the Craven family of Ashdown Park. When it
comes to family curses this has all the classic elements; a heartless nobleman
who gets a maidservant (or gypsy girl, depending on which version you read)
pregnant, casts her out and is cursed for his cruelty. The curse itself is
blood-curdling in its threat: That no son and heir to the title shall outlive his
mother. And it comes true, striking down
each generation of the family with death and destruction.<br />
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Except in one generation this doesn’t happen. Or maybe in two.
Or three… Well, you can see where I’m going with this. Can we talk the incidence of illness in any
given historical era? Or the dangers of war? Perhaps not, because that would
spoil the story... Well, I’m going to do it anyway because I'm a spoilsport.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What is the truth behind this apparent curse that no son of
the Craven family would outlive his mother? Well, first it’s a bit vague, isn’t
it? The Craven family has produced a
great many sons across all branches of the family over the years and plenty of
them have outlived their mothers. So for convenience sake the curse has been
interpreted as “no heir to the title shall outlive his mother” which is a lot
easier to check. And if you do check, you’ll find that there is no historical
basis for the story of the curse. Not one reference. The first mention of it is
in The News of the World in the 1980s.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Never mind. Let’s look at the actual detail behind this
claim because it could be true anyway.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If we start with William, First Earl of Craven, who was
supposed to have been the philandering <o:p></o:p></div>
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nobleman who brought this on the family,
he was born in 1608 and died in 1697. His mother Elizabeth died in 1624, so he
outlived her by quite a long chalk.<br />
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William was succeeded as 2<sup>nd</sup> Lord Craven by the
grandson of a cousin. This William was born in 1688 and died in 1711. His
mother, Margaret also died in 1711, but in April to William’s October. Foiled
again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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William the 3<sup>rd</sup> Baron and Fulwar the 4<sup>th</sup>
Baron were brothers. They died in 1739 and 1764 respectively. Their mother
Elizabeth died in 1704 before both of her sons.<o:p></o:p></div>
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William the 5<sup>th</sup> Baron died in 1769. There is no
record of when his mother died.<o:p></o:p></div>
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William 6<sup>th</sup> Baron died in 1791. His mother Mary
also died in 1791. William predeceased her by 2 months. At last we’re getting
somewhere!<o:p></o:p></div>
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William, 7<sup>th</sup> Baron and 1<sup>st</sup> Earl of the
2<sup>nd</sup> Creation was born in 1770 and died in 1825. His mother, the
“beautiful Lady Craven” was alive and causing scandal until three years later!<o:p></o:p></div>
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William 2<sup>nd</sup> Earl was born in 1809 and died in
1866. His mother, the actress Louisa Brunton, had died in 1860. Oops! After
only 2 generations the curse fails again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The second Earl’s heir was Viscount Uffington who was born
in 1838. He pre-deceased his father, never mind his mother, a not uncommon
occurrence. It was his brother George who went on to inherit the Craven
Earldom. Both sons were outlived by their mother Emily who died in 1901.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And it’s here that the story of the curse really kicks off
because it is the case that in the subsequent<b> </b>four generations the Dowager Countesses of Craven <b>have</b> outlived
the son and heir. Which all goes to prove…
Not very much in my opinion, especially as the 5<sup>th</sup> Earl was
badly wounded in the First World War which affected his health throughout the
rest of his life. However there are others who are more open to the idea than I
am and I’m sure they will carry on telling the tale of the wicked earl, the
pregnant maid/gypsy and the subsequent curse that has wreaked havoc for ten
generations. As for me, I’ll just keep looking for some historical evidence to
back up the tale and in the meantime wish the Earl of Craven (and his mother) a
long and happy life untroubled by these stories.</div>
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<br />Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-80998975661863680472017-08-06T11:24:00.002+01:002017-08-06T11:24:57.739+01:00The apples of Wyken Manor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Aficionados of Ashdown House and William Craven will already know that he was a man of wide-ranging interests. I had not previously realised, however, that one of them was horticulture. Last week I discovered that when he came back from the Netherlands after the Restoration of King Charles II in 1660 William Craven brought with him the seeds of an apple which he planted at Wyken Manor near Coventry. This grew to be the Wyken Pippin apple tree. On Thursday, wandering in the orchard at Stanton Park near Swindon, I found a Wyken Pippin tree and learned of its history. Apparently the fruit is creamy white, moderately firm, juicy, sweet and aromatic, which sounds delicious. At Stanton you can pick the pippin and other heritage apples, which is a rather lovely idea!</span>Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-72795641076934612662016-04-06T11:09:00.002+01:002016-04-06T11:09:47.040+01:00Seas of Blue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The first bluebells are starting to come out in the Ashdown woods. In a week, or perhaps two, there will be a carpet of blue beneath the trees, mingling with the yellow primroses and the white of the wild wood anemones.<br />
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Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-25515756272504929292016-03-16T11:01:00.003+00:002016-03-16T11:02:14.237+00:00Spring in the Wood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light and winter in the shade." <b>Charles Dickens, Great Expectations</b>.<br />
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Ashdown, the fairytale house, is waking from its winter sleep. It is spring in the woods, with snowdrops and primroses, and soon the house will be open again too.Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-8676244288623784382015-04-02T11:44:00.000+01:002015-04-02T11:44:25.816+01:00We Are Open!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today Ashdown House opens for the 2015 season! Opening hours are 2pm - 5pm every Wednesday and Saturday. The house is open by timed tour only at 2.15,3.15 and 4.15pm.<br />
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Here are a few of the highlights of a visit to this most unusual of NT properties (and yes we may be biased but we think it is fabulous!):<br />
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<b>The Landscape</b>. The Sarsen Field is the first thing you see on the left of the drive as you approach the car park. This is open to everyone to walk in and is a fascinating are of Special Scientific Interest where the huge, ancient sarsen stones lie amongst the grass as they have done for thousands of years. Legend says they are an army turned to stone by the magician Merlin.<br />
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High on the hill to the east is the weathercock. If you fancy a climb up onto the Downs this gives a<br />
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wonderful panoramic view of the park and the surrounding countryside.<br />
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<b>The woodland</b> dates back to when this was a medieval hunting ground and the deer still live here.<br />
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Landscaped in the 17th century, the woods are full of walks and glades where you can picnic and play and catch sight of the wildlife. The badgers have been digging up the area around the grand avenue for almost 1000 years! There are also hidden geocaches, a tree trail and our Pixie Path. In the fields behind the wood the Balleroy ponies graze.<br />
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To the west of the park lies <b>Alfred's Castle</b>, an Iron Age encampment. Smaller than Uffington and Liddington forts it nevertheless commands a wonderful view and at one time controlled the track south from the Ridgeway. Anglo Saxon weapons have been found here; legend states it was the place where King Alfred rallied his army before the Battle of Ashdown in 871 AD.<br />
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<b>The house. </b>A stunning 17th century hunting lodge, Ashdown is<br />
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well worth a view for the architecture alone. Of the interior, only the hall, grand staircase and roof terrace of the house are open to visitors because the rooms are privately let. However the wonderful<br />
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guided tour weaves the story of Ashdown and its owners over the three hundred and fifty years since it was built. From Queens and cavaliers to Victorian servants, the characters come alive!<br />
<br />
<b>We hope to see you soon!</b><br />
<br />Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-8199533120965558862015-03-23T13:34:00.001+00:002015-03-23T13:34:55.107+00:00The Antiquities of Ashbury<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikv-buHXqDEZ-cOmbVIhTWFqPy9c7dQj033_8_HRx82Jp74CTocyCQgEJ1Hh1Rv6Gz7QDJKV0N6EHFAU4Cx-7qutfFDSP4B-43FolD8reD1o3E8orWgE92oxk1xzW4u7P4DWp4tnWRuP6F/s1600/Ashbury1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikv-buHXqDEZ-cOmbVIhTWFqPy9c7dQj033_8_HRx82Jp74CTocyCQgEJ1Hh1Rv6Gz7QDJKV0N6EHFAU4Cx-7qutfFDSP4B-43FolD8reD1o3E8orWgE92oxk1xzW4u7P4DWp4tnWRuP6F/s1600/Ashbury1.jpg" height="187" width="320" /></a></div>
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One of the things I love about print on demand is that
antiquarian books that previously you could only access by visiting the British
Library are now available to own at a modest price. So it is that I am now the
proud owner of Henry Miller’s book: “Some Account of the Parish of Ashbury in
Berkshire etc” written in 1877. Henry Miller was a vicar and fellow of Magdalen
College, Oxford. His book is short, a mere 17 pages, but it is fascinating on
the history and folklore of the area and as a window into how the village was
seen in the Victorian era. For example he bemoans the use of Sarsen stone
and chalk in building because so many cottages are as a result dilapidated and
“worthless rubble.” How times have changed!</div>
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Miller traces the history of the parish from 400 years
before the Norman Conquest when it was first</div>
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mentioned as the boundary of the
lands of Kinewulf, King of the West Saxons who ruled from AD 688 to 757. It was
disputed land between the kingdoms of Wessex and Mercia for two centuries, the
site of battles and encampments along the Ridgeway. He explores the legends and
tales about Wayland’s Smithy, including the suggestion that it is the burial
site of King Bagseek of the Danes, killed at the Battle of Ashdown. However
Miller does not seem very interested in the rival theories over where the name
of Wayland’s Smithy came from, or the old (even in his time) arguments about
whether the name Ashdown is specific to this area or covered the whole area of
the Downs.<br />
<br />
He writes:<br />
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“To enliven a dull subject I may add that at a distance of
about two miles below the hill… among a clump of trees, there is a large stone
partly embedded in the ground…Weyland Smith hurled it from his forge at his
familiar imp when he was attempting to run off. From the tears the imp is
supposed to have shed, the spot is appropriately called “snivelling corner.”
Snivelling Corner still features on the OS maps today and I have always
wondered about the derivation of the name!</div>
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On the subject of Ashdown Park, Miller exercises some poetic
licence as to which member of the Craven family bought it, when and why, and
also gives some fanciful tales about the family. He does however fix the date
for the building of the Victorian extensions to 1850, which was within thirty
years of when he was writing. He also gives a tantalising glimpse into life in
that country house: “In the modern billiard-room is a large picture
representing one of the great coursing meetings held on the downs near the
house.” This is the original picture by Stephen Pearce or which there is a copy
at the top of the stairs. It was commissioned by a committee of coursers and
presented to the Second Earl of Craven in 1862.</div>
Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-20299479320240033332015-03-04T16:19:00.000+00:002015-03-04T16:19:40.514+00:00The Illustrious History of the Craven Mixture<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLB68soldP1bUuaGQxDROrz6EZVnPkEy2mGJPX__tI9DsZ34iuzzg-lBfSz-YohR9X1W9KTnt6trYQRSVFGve-IwPAymksynsiB6EVvMgByQZ2UD6nZDpYL5GxOGvWSvUUEVIPpqfnDI_u/s1600/craven+mixture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLB68soldP1bUuaGQxDROrz6EZVnPkEy2mGJPX__tI9DsZ34iuzzg-lBfSz-YohR9X1W9KTnt6trYQRSVFGve-IwPAymksynsiB6EVvMgByQZ2UD6nZDpYL5GxOGvWSvUUEVIPpqfnDI_u/s1600/craven+mixture.jpg" /></a></div>
Of all the unusual connections to Ashdown House, the Craven tobacco mixture and the Craven A cigarette must surely be one of the strangest and most intriguing.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">In its day the Craven Mixture, produced by the Carreras Tabacco Company, was world famous. The
antecedents of the Carreras Tobacco Company business stem back into the
eighteenth century (their products and advertising materials consistently bore
the legend 'Established 1788'), and forebears of the family were Spanish
apothecaries. The founder of the business was a Spanish nobleman, Don José
Carreras Ferrer, who served with distinction in the</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Peninsular War and later established
himself in London. He was a pioneer of cigar development and his son Don José
Joaquin specialised in blending both tobacco and snuff.</span><br />
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As
a supplier of tobacco to high society, Don José had many fashionable and
distinguished customers, including George Grimston Craven, the 3rd Earl. George would frequent the Carreras store in Regent Street along with the rest of the rich and the fashionable. In 1860 Don José created the Craven Mixture especially for him. The blend spread in popularity throughout the world. It is no surprise that the
Victorian wing additions to Ashdown House included a smoking room. This fits
perfectly with the image of the 3<sup>rd</sup> Earl and his friends retiring
after dinner to smoke their Craven Mixture!<br />
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The concept of the smoking room was quite a specific Victorian idea. Amongst other purposes, it was intended to restrict the smell of smoke to one room of the house since the smoke was considered to ruin the furnishings. Smoking rooms were frequently decorated in velvet - velvet drapes, velvet upholstery even velvet smoking jackets - as it was thought to absorb the smell. Smoking rooms also contributed to gender segregations since they were seen very much male preserves whilst the ladies spent the after dinner period in the drawing room. It would be interesting to know how the smoking room at Ashdown was decorated but whilst we have photographs of the drawing room none of the interior of the wings appear to exist.<br />
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Some
of Don José's other tobacco brands also became world famous, including Guards' Mixture and<br />
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Hankey's Mixture. Over one thousand brands of cigar could be bought from
Carreras, together with snuffs, cigarettes,<span class="apple-converted-space"> pipes and</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> all the usual requisites of the trade. </span></span>After
World War I Carreras developed the first machine made, cork tipped cigarettes
and named them Craven A, a brand that also became a huge success and is still sold
around the world today. When the renovations to the house took place in 2012 quite a few packets of Craven A were discovered, left by builders who had worked on the house in the past century.</div>
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Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-68394710000273934432015-02-24T15:41:00.000+00:002015-02-24T15:41:08.244+00:00On the Edge of the Wood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjftOPnW7WiKrOay576MemusnIWQOcPBWgEAoZ5vS3nnD-l1flfVlj_T-eoKMOUzXzifYPCINpyouGlyZUVwf6GSL9JyaKjSibD62C6ATG1Dqx_7Qm1iiqP0fc5nWZp-GqTiNIDKBUv36RY/s1600/Spring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjftOPnW7WiKrOay576MemusnIWQOcPBWgEAoZ5vS3nnD-l1flfVlj_T-eoKMOUzXzifYPCINpyouGlyZUVwf6GSL9JyaKjSibD62C6ATG1Dqx_7Qm1iiqP0fc5nWZp-GqTiNIDKBUv36RY/s1600/Spring.jpg" height="210" width="320" /></a></div>
On a stormy day like today you can hear the wind roaring in the trees as soon as you step into the Ashdown woods. Although the eastern flank of the wood is protected from gales, if you cross the main avenue and head west towards the edge of the trees you enter a wilder place altogether. Here, as you follow the path around the edge of the 13th century park pale, you catch a view of the house lying to the south, looking deceptively peaceful in the sunshine.<br />
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Once you climb the stile, however, and head out<br />
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across the paddock towards Alfred's Castle Iron Age fort, the wind hits you with the strength to catch your breath and steal it away. Here the grass is grazed short by the Balleroy ponies. It's fortunate they are from Scottish Highland stock or they would be shivering out here on the exposed western flank of the hillside. Alfred's Castle might not be as huge or impressive as the forts at Uffington or Barbury or a dozen other places along the Ridgeway but this was a strategic point for the rulers that controlled this land, a vantage point giving the view south as well as northward to the old straight track. The sarsen stones of the ramparts - those that are left and are not buried beneath Ashdown House - peep through the rough grass. It's a place with an ancient feel to it that has never been worn away.<br />
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When I stand on the edge of Alfred's Castle I'm always reminded of the poem <a href="http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/173678" target="_blank">On Wenlock Edge by A E Housman</a>, a different wood and a different county but a similar sensation of the past melding into the present. Alfred's Castle is a place where you can stand and dream - until the wind buffets you back towards the wood again and the trees close around you and offer shelter.<br />
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Do you have a favourite place where the past and present meet and where you go to stand and dream?<br />
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Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-64291843333103035022014-07-02T09:42:00.001+01:002014-07-02T09:42:26.078+01:00The Who's Who of Ashdown House<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38uh5NzO50yaPqBb4rBv9G-Y0txj1VnjpU57r-8Vpg1htopgWoEeS43OYpc1DuRRha-Nm5zqZz0AKweE2FV1a728y8ndUowVuewaK3QUAlE150rVlTJzo-SpxdVsyv1JqvxtWLI7VL7-D/s1600/Elizabeth+the+Winter+Queen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38uh5NzO50yaPqBb4rBv9G-Y0txj1VnjpU57r-8Vpg1htopgWoEeS43OYpc1DuRRha-Nm5zqZz0AKweE2FV1a728y8ndUowVuewaK3QUAlE150rVlTJzo-SpxdVsyv1JqvxtWLI7VL7-D/s1600/Elizabeth+the+Winter+Queen.jpg" height="200" width="160" /></a></div>
One of the highlights of a visit to Ashdown House is the opportunity to view the portrait collection that adorns the walls of the hallway and stair. The portraits are a small part of the collection that Elizabeth the Winter Queen bequeathed to William Craven on her death. If every picture tells a story then these have a whole host of tales to tell. They are members of Elizabeth's family and her court, the people who formed an important part of her daily life, each with a story of their own.<br />
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The hallway itself is dominated by a large picture of William Craven, painted in<br />
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full armour, flanked by Frederick of Bohemia on the left and Elizabeth on the right. Also featured in the hall are Elizabeth's daughter Princess Louise Hollandine (pictured), the artist of two of the paintings in the collection, and her cousin Mary, Princess Royal, the daughter of Charles I. Mary married the Dutch ruler William of Orange and went to live in The Hague with her mother Henrietta Maria in the 1640s. To complete this family ensemble, there is also a portrait of Mary's mother-in-law Amelia, who was at one time Elizabeth of Bohemia's lady in waiting!<br />
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The first flight of steps introduces us to three of Elizabeth and Frederick's sons; Charles Louis, the heir to Frederick's princedom, the dashing Prince Rupert of the Rhine (pictured), whose life Craven saved in battle, and Edward, who made an advantageous marriage to one of the richest women in France. There is also an early portrait of their cousin Charles II, painted when he was only nineteen.<br />
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On the first landing are portraits of three of Elizabeth and Frederick's daughters; Elizabeth, the eldest, the "philosophical princess," a great scholar, Henrietta Maria, the tragic bride of Prince Sigismund of Transylvania, and Sophie,the mother of King George I, "the best queen we never had."<br />
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As you climb higher you pass soldiers and statesmen, Prince Christian of Anhalt, Elizabeth's cousin, who rode into battle with her glove as his talisman, and Frances Coke, the runaway bride.<br />
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The huge painting on the second landing of Prince Rupert, Colonel Murray and Colonel Russell is a story in itself, painted by William Dobson, court painter to Charles I, and richly decorated with symbols of loyalty. I've blogged about the Dobson painting before - like all the others in the collection it is well worth a view. Come and take a tour of Ashdown and step into the history of the house and the people connected to it!<br />
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<br />Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-33425004124348079422014-03-14T12:49:00.003+00:002014-03-14T12:49:59.823+00:00The Mystery of the "lost King."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqdPfj9BkpUB5SdE9NpAkvxV_blT5CGZEP9hyOmzwnn2TFCdbDTrGjtf7Z_yO5zXRxXL94d9vqAXquRr2YzCZ48kY0Vo-UDLkMwUTRNzLRHCRynTxAuAD5aT49EoY5iTfFB9_jAnFhtjfq/s1600/Frederick+of+Bohemia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqdPfj9BkpUB5SdE9NpAkvxV_blT5CGZEP9hyOmzwnn2TFCdbDTrGjtf7Z_yO5zXRxXL94d9vqAXquRr2YzCZ48kY0Vo-UDLkMwUTRNzLRHCRynTxAuAD5aT49EoY5iTfFB9_jAnFhtjfq/s1600/Frederick+of+Bohemia.jpg" height="320" width="253" /></a></div>
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First it was King Richard III who was discovered under a car
park in Leicester. Then part of King Alfred’s pelvis (or possibly that of his
son Edward) was found in a box in a museum in Winchester. There is a sudden
interest in “lost” kings.</div>
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Here at Ashdown we have a connection to two “lost kings,” Alfred himself, who fought at the Battle of Ashdown, and also the unfortunate Frederick, King of Bohemia.</div>
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There is something intriguing about the idea that the burial
place of a historical figure is not known. In the case of Richard III the
contested nature of his reputation gave the discovery of his burial site an
extra dimension. Perhaps that is why it seems no one has gone looking for
Frederick of Bohemia; his was a tragic and unsuccessful role in a bigger
history. Perhaps it was felt he was best forgotten.</div>
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Frederick was born in 1596, and from 1614 ruled over the
County Palatinate of the Rhine, a historical territory of the Holy Roman
Empire. Frederick married Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of King James I in 1613
and they made their home in Heidelberg where Frederick transformed the castle
and its gardens into a palace worthy of the daughter of a king. In 1618 the
kingdom of Bohemia rebelled against its catholic ruler and invited Frederick to
take the throne. Perceiving it to be his holy duty, Frederick did so, putting
himself in opposition to the Holy Roman Empire and losing his throne a scant
year and four days later at the Battle of the White Mountain. He, Elizabeth and
their young family forced to flee into exile in Holland.</div>
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In 1632 Frederick had his best chance of regaining his
ancestral Palatine lands. The Swedish King Gustavus</div>
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Adolphus had entered the
Thirty Years War with significant success. In January 1632 Frederick travelled
to Mainz to join the Swedish king’s forces. William Craven of Ashdown went with him and
shortly after his arrival fought alongside the Swedish forces at the taking of
Kreuznach Castle. This was the famous occasion on which Gustavus praised Craven
for his courage in battle. Sadly Gustavus had less of a good opinion of
Frederick’s abilities and refused to give him a command. Instead, Frederick went to visit his
Palatinate lands, which had been devastated during the ongoing conflict, with
towns burned and ruined.<br />
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It was still Frederick’s hope that the Swedes would take the
rest of the German lands from the forces of the Holy Roman Emperor and that
after this he would be restored as ruler of the Palatine. In November Gustavus
Adolphus won the decisive victory at Lutzen, but it was at the cost of his own
life. Frederick wrote to Elizabeth telling her that he would be coming to fetch
her now that his German lands would be restored to him. Alas it never happened.
On November 19<sup>th</sup> 1632 Frederick died of plague in Mainz in Germany.</div>
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It was another sixteen years before Charles Louis,
Frederick’s heir, finally succeeded to the Palatinate. In 1632 he was only 15
and his uncle, the Duke of Simmern, was appointed administrator of the Palatine
lands on his behalf. Meanwhile Elizabeth corresponded with her brother Charles
I about a suitable place for Frederick to be buried. His embalmed body lay in
Mainz for many months before it was taken to the town of Frankenthal and
interred.</div>
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Peace did not last long.
In 1635 Frankenthal was threatened by enemy troops and the Duke of
Simmern felt it would be wise to move Frederick’s body for fear it might be dug
up and desecrated. Simmern fled to Metz, in France, taking Frederick’s coffin
with him. From there the intention was to take him to Sedan for reburial in the
mausoleum of his uncle, the Duke de Bouillon.
With an increase in hostilities, however, it was deemed to dangerous to
travel.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Reports vary as to what happened next. Some historians
suggest that Simmern arranged for Frederick’s burial secretly in Metz. Others
suggest that he finally took the body to Sedan in September 1637. However when
the mausoleum at Sedan was opened in the early 20<sup>th</sup> century,
Frederick’s body was not there. Where Frederick’s tomb is we do not know.
Elizabeth made no reference to her husband's burial in any of her correspondence and thus preserved the mystery of the final
resting place of this “lost king.”</span>Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-52734520634386204952014-02-13T10:08:00.000+00:002014-02-13T10:08:34.031+00:00Welcome to the 2014 season at Ashdown House<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPOC1URDpteJk3rfDmyhnZ6uGiQR_YrWO8Tps7_nl_b58-CoP5rkw9e-ID6H5b6RakpYub-9BZ3XVUhIIkIxNH-39jDs7jbVw2UGUyuRYrfLWqY6zcr3YQnEwykkaHTPs-103okfQSyAu/s1600/Ashdown+New+Picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWPOC1URDpteJk3rfDmyhnZ6uGiQR_YrWO8Tps7_nl_b58-CoP5rkw9e-ID6H5b6RakpYub-9BZ3XVUhIIkIxNH-39jDs7jbVw2UGUyuRYrfLWqY6zcr3YQnEwykkaHTPs-103okfQSyAu/s1600/Ashdown+New+Picture.jpg" height="199" width="320" /></a></div>
The Ashdown House blog will re-open next month in preparation for the new season, which starts on 2nd April. We'll be featuring new photographs and new articles for 2014 including stories from our visitors and guest blogs. A very Happy Spring to everyone!Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-11108617020173462362013-11-05T17:05:00.002+00:002013-11-05T17:05:56.636+00:00Remember, Remember the 5th of November!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dJupUokwCZKhpd60xzOrwQ355txLX-0XFVXKU7X3w8EjTvXciTJdPjQlTdPlIAJECZ4T0Aq1dYjzbsxsJlhQl6wCzjfY6sDdi9z9SuzJEaKeqcyzeGcJBHGXT_BI8Ceu5ZE4Ibhd_t-e/s1600/guy+fawkes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dJupUokwCZKhpd60xzOrwQ355txLX-0XFVXKU7X3w8EjTvXciTJdPjQlTdPlIAJECZ4T0Aq1dYjzbsxsJlhQl6wCzjfY6sDdi9z9SuzJEaKeqcyzeGcJBHGXT_BI8Ceu5ZE4Ibhd_t-e/s1600/guy+fawkes.jpg" /></a></div>
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By virtue of its connection to Elizabeth of Bohemia, Ashdown House has a link to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 and the 5<sup>th</sup> November Guy Fawkes’ celebrations. Coombe Abbey, the main family seat of the Cravens, has a far greater connection, being the house in which Elizabeth was living at the time of the Gunpowder Plot.</div>
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It was the intention of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 conspirators to kill King James I and his eldest son and heir, Prince Henry, plus all the nobility sitting in the House of Lords and all the members of parliament sitting in the House of Commons. They wanted to put a Catholic monarch on the throne. The plot was thwarted when Henry Parker, 4<sup>th</sup> Lord Monteagle, received an anonymous letter warning him not to attend parliament:</div>
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“My lord out of the love i beare to some of youere frends i have a caer of youer preseruacion therfor i would advyse yowe as yowe tender youer lyf to devys some excuse to shift of youer attendance at this parleament for god and man hath concurred to punishe the wickednes of this tyme… for thowghe theare be no appearance of anni stir yet i saye they shall receyve a terrible blowe this parleament and yet they shall not seie who hurts them…”</div>
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Monteagle was married to the sister of one of the Gunpowder Plotters, Thomas Tresham. Monteagle took the letter to Robert Cecil, who informed the King. The king ordered a search of the cellars at the Palace of Westminster. The plot was discovered and Monteagle became the hero who saved Parliament. He was rewarded to the sum of £700 a year - £500 in cash and £200 in the value of land donated to him. He invested the money in business ventures in Virginia.</div>
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One of the lesser-known aspects of the Gunpowder Plot is what the plotters intended to happen if they had</div>
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actually succeeded. Their aim was to put James I’s daughter Elizabeth on the throne as a catholic figurehead. In 1605 the nine-year-old Elizabeth was living at Coombe Abbey in Warwickshire. Lord and Lady Harington, staunch Protestants, had been charged with "the keeping and education" of the young Princess, as was the wont with royal children in those days. At Coombe, Elizabeth was taught amongst other things, French and Italian, music and dancing. King James did not approve of the education of women, stating that: "to make women learned and foxes tame had the same effect - to make them more cunning." However I think we may assume that by most people's standards Elizabeth was very well educated.<br />
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In late October 1605 strange rumours of a plot to overthrow the monarchy were circulating in Warwickshire, which was a stronghold of Catholicism. Lord Harington was warned of a threat to the princess and Elizabeth was taken for her own safety to the city of Coventry, for it was suspected that she might be seized should a rebellion take place. She was lodged in the city with an armed guard. Later, after the gunpowder plotters had been arrested and tortured, it emerged that it had been their intention to kidnap "the person of the Lady Elizabeth, the king's daughter, in Warwickshire, and presently proclaim her queen." The plan had been to seize her from Coombe Abbey and carry her off to Ashby St Legers, a Catholic safe house and the home of Lady Catesby, mother of one of the conspirators.</div>
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It is said that when Elizabeth heard of the plot she said: “What a Queen I should have been by this means! I had rather been with my royal father in the Parliament House than wear his crown on such condition.”</div>
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For the blog post about other houses connected to the Gunpowder Plot, click here:</div>
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<a href="http://ashdownhouse.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/houses-of-gunpowder-plot.html">http://ashdownhouse.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/houses-of-gunpowder-plot.html</a></div>
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Happy November 5th!<br /><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">
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Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-44482126197638117732013-11-01T14:28:00.000+00:002013-11-01T14:28:34.746+00:00St Hubert's Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPpUGdyhn8E5ZOKv5oKlrR7_-h7-af1WifrMd3p9YSis7-DWS_D28ZoeDP7rvxKq8cwQ_i18JP2OyVNiTS-EQ2kZxZ5Zc4SyEK7YijRfF_Z9hihlGK4EgeclXXdcGCvilgiqCq1FPmA9-/s1600/Hubert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPpUGdyhn8E5ZOKv5oKlrR7_-h7-af1WifrMd3p9YSis7-DWS_D28ZoeDP7rvxKq8cwQ_i18JP2OyVNiTS-EQ2kZxZ5Zc4SyEK7YijRfF_Z9hihlGK4EgeclXXdcGCvilgiqCq1FPmA9-/s200/Hubert.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
It's a busy week for anniversaries at Ashdown House. On Sunday it is St Hubert's Day. Hubert was born in about 656AD and was the first Bishop of Liege. He is the patron saint of hunters, mathematicians, opticians and metalworkers. Interesting mix! He features in full bishop's regalia in the picture to the left which was taken in the Craven Chapel at Ashbury Church.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPrGaMVQyYNqFDTt_YTBb0bTAzNmAtSWZG3nGRQIJhYHAK9aMou9QQI7i3RWzF88ASibNLMBuLdYRGEyrUZWhu21EVMrl1yET1vwivOTyxv5d7zxG4yLJpcjF8aykY8_A_oBADm5KtUFqI/s1600/Ashdown+Chapel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPrGaMVQyYNqFDTt_YTBb0bTAzNmAtSWZG3nGRQIJhYHAK9aMou9QQI7i3RWzF88ASibNLMBuLdYRGEyrUZWhu21EVMrl1yET1vwivOTyxv5d7zxG4yLJpcjF8aykY8_A_oBADm5KtUFqI/s200/Ashdown+Chapel.jpg" width="150" /></a>During the Victorian and Edwardian period, Ashdown House had its own chapel and private choir (which is another, fascinating story). The chapel was located in Ashdown village and was dedicated to St Hubert as the most appropriate saint for a hunting lodge. Choosing St Hubert as Ashdown's patron saint also underlined the importance that the 3rd Earl of Craven and his Countess placed on hunting, which was one of their great passions. They lived permanently at Ashdown and kept a pack of hounds in the kennels there.<br />
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The chapel was demolished in the early 20th century and rather curiously was divided into two parts which became the church halls in two local villages. Half of the chapel is pictured to the right!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqy7MlTKHihh0Ivr0pc7Z-6xeoSw9G_kdxRlb2IcPOE7_ucY2CWML6pGEuVrVeCbCqPcSFxS6yXM9_IINWa9t_l1PvRxZ0iIhTvGiQLpyGjfi9Li6jx1oslW_QJWE1DqzNWgyNPBt9n1zj/s1600/Full+double+window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqy7MlTKHihh0Ivr0pc7Z-6xeoSw9G_kdxRlb2IcPOE7_ucY2CWML6pGEuVrVeCbCqPcSFxS6yXM9_IINWa9t_l1PvRxZ0iIhTvGiQLpyGjfi9Li6jx1oslW_QJWE1DqzNWgyNPBt9n1zj/s200/Full+double+window.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
The Craven Chapel in Ashbury Parish Church is also dedicated to St Hubert. It contains a beautiful stained glass window of a hunting scene, pictured left, as well as various memorials associated with the Craven family.<br />
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Next week here on the blog we are also celebrating Guy Fawkes Night via The Winter Queen and her links to the gunpowder plot. Check back on the 5th for the whole story!Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-72848675887149159972013-10-24T13:56:00.000+01:002013-10-24T13:56:14.347+01:00The Ashdown Parterre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUdWzNVjGVgsRuZStyIIOQCaJUBRhSNDdauVO7KVUDQsoZwFQ21z6ACtvchLv_H8Vv3b4zJl6smG5QGV0u2k9wjrztLh71lo6BlYpV3brkPIEeb9yIm4-9kPVprzKwWrhaHgFfKGHDPas7/s1600/Ashdown+Parterre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUdWzNVjGVgsRuZStyIIOQCaJUBRhSNDdauVO7KVUDQsoZwFQ21z6ACtvchLv_H8Vv3b4zJl6smG5QGV0u2k9wjrztLh71lo6BlYpV3brkPIEeb9yIm4-9kPVprzKwWrhaHgFfKGHDPas7/s320/Ashdown+Parterre.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">The letter P, in the A - Z of Ashdown, stands for the parterre. The current
Ashdown House parterre of box and gravel, laid out in S scrolls in the 17th
century style, was created in the 1950s when the house came into
the care of the NT.</span> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
previous elaborate Victorian parterre had been destroyed during the war and the
rationale for choosing a 17th century parterre design was that since the 19th
century additions to the house had been demolished and it had been taken back
to its original 17th century style, it made sense to match this with a
17th century garden. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">When the
house was built it had gardens on the north and south side rather than to the
west, as can be seen in the engraving by Kip from the early 18th century.
Whilst it's not possible to see the detail of these they were very plain. The
hunting lodge was considered in the 17th century to be a masculine style
of building and a plain box and gravel parterre was a masculine style of garden
to match. So the parterre we have today, whilst not identical to
the original, is in keeping with the 17th century style of the house
and contemporary garden design.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;">In the
mid-Victorian period the Cravens did much work to their</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcdKoNRIGQU44Rw62VMPSH31DVvWgDh4yOub4uB6PL-iWxLTffE5Hw7aG2uuWQAcHlVylnp4hVu68BOsnrCTPtaMBfiDL-J2ZD3u-bnYHEqikAPpGeVljw2XsbhctupQvz-CC33xcNQiT/s1600/Victorian+Parterre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcdKoNRIGQU44Rw62VMPSH31DVvWgDh4yOub4uB6PL-iWxLTffE5Hw7aG2uuWQAcHlVylnp4hVu68BOsnrCTPtaMBfiDL-J2ZD3u-bnYHEqikAPpGeVljw2XsbhctupQvz-CC33xcNQiT/s200/Victorian+Parterre.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
houses at Ashdown and
Coombe Abbey, including a major garden restyling at both properties. At Coombe
this work was carried out in 1860 by the architect and garden designer William
Eden Nesfield. It's likely that he also worked on the Ashdown alterations. His
father William Andrews Nesfield was an eminent garden designer who
specialised in parterres so it is tempting to speculate that he had an input
into the new garden at Ashdown. The Italianate style parterre was very
fashionable in this era with intricate flowerbeds, colourful herbaceous
borders featuring exotic species, fountains and paths of coloured glass.
We have detailed photographs of this parterre garden so know exactly what it
looked like.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-2454617089454938782013-10-04T11:11:00.000+01:002013-10-04T11:11:07.373+01:00O for an Octagonal Cupola!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixVeCLJly5U4P87jID9eTSb_zqALM32R7vmDM6NmtxWVGX3nQ5frsDNALDZumxSyo4YtiJIA2NGyo3P0cs4cUZWHZezlqjhYt18VlrMd2Umw1w7Iq1_gJ7VchFUhG6IZa8rzCI5WoB7nzX/s1600/ash58_54_1_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixVeCLJly5U4P87jID9eTSb_zqALM32R7vmDM6NmtxWVGX3nQ5frsDNALDZumxSyo4YtiJIA2NGyo3P0cs4cUZWHZezlqjhYt18VlrMd2Umw1w7Iq1_gJ7VchFUhG6IZa8rzCI5WoB7nzX/s320/ash58_54_1_1.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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“O” is for the octagonal cupola on Ashdown’s roof. A cupola
is defined as “a small, often dome-like structure on top of a building.” As at
Ashdown, it usually crowns a larger roof and in Ashdown’s case is built as a
“lantern” of timber and glass. This style is a classic of Restoration
architecture and can be seen elsewhere, at Belton House in Lincolnshire and at
Kingston Lacy in Dorset. This photograph shows the Ashdown cupola as it was
before last year’s restoration project.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0NaEUnyfMC-DwpwnrGhyphenhyphenuBPToIwGVG9T8LRbJIqBC8hc1gFm642gJ2LpK_RiC9kPGcFA5UJuOhCswN5hxm1xprsGqHuUiVe8547CQL8blw6p7zjWlgW4ynnuUHfsGSRQeooT7s2af5jd/s1600/Early+20th+century+cupola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0NaEUnyfMC-DwpwnrGhyphenhyphenuBPToIwGVG9T8LRbJIqBC8hc1gFm642gJ2LpK_RiC9kPGcFA5UJuOhCswN5hxm1xprsGqHuUiVe8547CQL8blw6p7zjWlgW4ynnuUHfsGSRQeooT7s2af5jd/s320/Early+20th+century+cupola.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Kyp drawing of Ashdown that dates from the early 18<sup>th</sup>
century suggests that the original octagonal cupola featured wooden panels in
the lantern as well as panes of glass. Certainly we know that the style of the
cupola has changed over the 350 years of its existence; successive renovations
at times reduced it to four panels, increased it again to eight, displayed
trompe l’oeil panels and sometimes replaced the plain glass with coloured
panes. This photograph, taken from one of the interpretation panels in the Information Centre, dates from the early 20<sup>th</sup> century and shows
restoration work taking place on the cupola and roof.</div>
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The lantern style of the cupola, with so much glass, allows
lots of light into the stairway below. In the 19<sup>th</sup> century there was
a lamp lit in the cupola at night, giving Ashdown its name of “the lighthouse
of the Downs.” More than one traveller of the track from Lambourn across the
top of the Downs used it to navigate by.</div>
Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-90246649355621202942013-08-15T10:52:00.001+01:002013-08-15T10:56:25.299+01:00N For North<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2aeJUAk_sS86Pxyid3_XNQF3acbNNu0OmBz8GRpZPwJvY_Zl11_EhoMJdU1f-s89lzIucagfgE3msGlEx0tj1FQVQOJ-npL3tSOlanox2EIzguBPCwtktG4T7WhQpXNBFS4i52ubKABY/s1600/North+Avenue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2aeJUAk_sS86Pxyid3_XNQF3acbNNu0OmBz8GRpZPwJvY_Zl11_EhoMJdU1f-s89lzIucagfgE3msGlEx0tj1FQVQOJ-npL3tSOlanox2EIzguBPCwtktG4T7WhQpXNBFS4i52ubKABY/s400/North+Avenue.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
In the A - Z of Ashdown we are now at N. N is for the North Avenue, a mile long ride that cuts through both Hailey and Middle Woods and ends in a haha by an ancient holloway. The current design of the woods, with its avenues of trees, rides and glades, was created in the 18th century. At that time picturesque little lodge buildings, now lost, were built halfway along the North Avenue to frame the view.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKnLyCudDjWf-V8Y05aCuOfV9ol39JfpnGfTq2dIGVkmcd-B6PIF01xgJF7Xyadxd67tI3Cxdw0iOMsfuFWC4h_FUgdRvFV0lMjWqd9LoiANcCdYYqR1Xfm-7lhF8GHBeI-0JsmDpjEmo/s1600/Ashdown+Kyp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKnLyCudDjWf-V8Y05aCuOfV9ol39JfpnGfTq2dIGVkmcd-B6PIF01xgJF7Xyadxd67tI3Cxdw0iOMsfuFWC4h_FUgdRvFV0lMjWqd9LoiANcCdYYqR1Xfm-7lhF8GHBeI-0JsmDpjEmo/s400/Ashdown+Kyp.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
When the house was originally built the hunting forest was more thickly wooded and the rides were not as formalised. You can see a stylised version of what it looked like in this engraving by Kyp from the early 18th century. The North Avenue contains an ancient badger sett, at least 700 years old, and along the western edge of the wood are two oak trees dating from the 17th century.<br />
<br />
<br />Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-57425580784489266802013-07-25T15:01:00.000+01:002013-07-25T15:02:31.151+01:00The medieval hunting lodge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmifSAKjZ2J2Dwq5jIcLGTo1NTe_0kJN_Dp-zt99v3Xujcbp-zTwmZWk5TSU0TgTy3PGVe-8Muqbh7k9Kzcm1JUMDGygjjT-qECNl5LkTcQuI1OtTUccnp0mmg-jk1z-P3Vmnq_u6yByT/s1600/medieval+M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmifSAKjZ2J2Dwq5jIcLGTo1NTe_0kJN_Dp-zt99v3Xujcbp-zTwmZWk5TSU0TgTy3PGVe-8Muqbh7k9Kzcm1JUMDGygjjT-qECNl5LkTcQuI1OtTUccnp0mmg-jk1z-P3Vmnq_u6yByT/s1600/medieval+M.jpg" /></a></div>
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We've reached M in the A - Z of Ashdown. M is for the medieval hunting lodge that stood on the site long before the current house was built.</div>
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The pre-Restoration history of Ashdown Park is fascinating. The name Ashdown is an ancient one. It is first mentioned in
a chronicle of 777AD when King Offa of Mercia advanced as far west as the nearby village of Ashbury
in his battles against the West Saxons. It is, as previously mentioned, also a strong contender for the site
of King Alfred’s Battle of Ashdown of 871AD when he defeated the Vikings. </div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #333333; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">In 953AD the manor of Ashbury including the lands that were
then known as Aysshen Park came into the possession of Glastonbury Abbey. They remained part of the Abbey’s lands
until the Dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII in 1539. We know that
there was a house built for the Abbot in Ashbury as early as the 13<sup>th</sup>
century and that Ashbury Manor was built in 1488 as a guesthouse for travellers
and pilgrims from Glastonbury to Canterbury. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">At the same time, Ashdown Park was being developed as a
hunting ground for the abbey. The King granted the abbot a licence of free
warren at Ashbury in 1330 and also a licence to hunt which meant that he could both breed and hunt game on the site.</span></div>
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Documentary evidence tells us that by 1204, Ashdown<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> Upper Wood
was surrounded by a park pale, a high ditch and bank to keep the deer inside.
You can still see the remains of the park pale in the fields to this day.
Inside medieval deer parks there were areas of woodland, spinneys and lawns or grassy
clearings, very similar in fact to the way that Upper Wood still looks today.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt;">There was also a hunting lodge. We don’t know
what it would have looked like. Most medieval hunting</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6uEI4SpjGxzToR6IhxYKgY-7Hglozsi6Uk3xvdgNZ7ZFMx7UNx_GA4uD04vuHDDOYxBMuFLx07TFd4oRbawmcvk-Cw8pcj7vL1UjujTQqcAL1nRWoMiGrRTXemaagnICZXnvJkWv57Zzq/s1600/Thetford_Warren_Lodge_-_geograph.org.uk_-_2377164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6uEI4SpjGxzToR6IhxYKgY-7Hglozsi6Uk3xvdgNZ7ZFMx7UNx_GA4uD04vuHDDOYxBMuFLx07TFd4oRbawmcvk-Cw8pcj7vL1UjujTQqcAL1nRWoMiGrRTXemaagnICZXnvJkWv57Zzq/s320/Thetford_Warren_Lodge_-_geograph.org.uk_-_2377164.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
lodges of this sort are
lost to us now; either they fell into ruin or they became part of larger
buildings. This picture is of a 14<sup>th</sup> century
hunting lodge in East Anglia that belonged to an abbey so it gives us an idea
of what the Ashdown hunting lodge might have looked like. It would have been a
substantial building that demonstrated the wealth and social standing of its
owner – exactly like the current Ashdown House. Ashdown Park would have been a
target for armed poachers so the lodge would need to be <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt;">defensible. It would also have provided accommodation for the abbot’s gamekeeper and also possibly for hunting parties.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 12pt;">One final question remains. Where was the Ashdown hunting lodge located? Hunting lodges were often on the highest part of the hunting ground, which would have put it at the top of Upper Wood. However, English Heritage records suggest that there was an earlier building on the site of the current Ashdown House, which is another alternative. The farmhouse in Ashdown village, which dates from 1617, also incorporates a medieval core so that is a third possibility. It is another Ashdown mystery. </span><br />
Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-62509496142906170232013-07-01T11:22:00.002+01:002013-07-01T11:22:25.453+01:00Ashdown in a Golden Light!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB4D1JOJrDfdJt7FVtb0JxGZT4bU-X3FAMpM-uKh_XeopV3QEFbdJ9zaupkKP0Yyf_FETp_IL4X-n3jltqrD6SyDbU4a3JQ3DlM2A1x6_yNLxBQRpj7XpF-nQySvwQekK7eZhe1BJsNJsW/s800/Buttercups.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB4D1JOJrDfdJt7FVtb0JxGZT4bU-X3FAMpM-uKh_XeopV3QEFbdJ9zaupkKP0Yyf_FETp_IL4X-n3jltqrD6SyDbU4a3JQ3DlM2A1x6_yNLxBQRpj7XpF-nQySvwQekK7eZhe1BJsNJsW/s400/Buttercups.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
We liked this photograph of Ashdown so much we wanted to share it on the blog. It was taken yesterday evening along the North Avenue.Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-40845779348945053422013-06-26T13:25:00.003+01:002013-06-26T13:27:09.085+01:00An Actress in the Family<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5KSVSbm3lc3Du4MSGCmFMX5h91yagaPsspa-dyvmU2zSqT5mEn8CYC_wWMX191QAMPeqm2mu26CTqWDxA2pJrJDxkJo7JhscFrD504xnmVYyl1SQTIaLD-QTvwAW_NVcLTeOX4BR_7dzf/s1600/L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5KSVSbm3lc3Du4MSGCmFMX5h91yagaPsspa-dyvmU2zSqT5mEn8CYC_wWMX191QAMPeqm2mu26CTqWDxA2pJrJDxkJo7JhscFrD504xnmVYyl1SQTIaLD-QTvwAW_NVcLTeOX4BR_7dzf/s200/L.jpg" width="175" /></a></div>
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In the A-Z of Ashdown we have reached L. L is for Louisa. Louisa Brunton is one of the fascinating
characters in the Craven family. Born between 1782 and 1785, Louisa was the
daughter of a grocer turned actor and theatrical impresario. For part of his
career her father John Brunton was manager of the theatre at Brighton where the Prince of
Wales was his patron. <span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Louisa’s brother John was also an actor and theatre
manager, and two of her sisters, Elizabeth and Anne, became actresses. They were a theatrical dynasty.</span></span></div>
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The youngest of John Brunton’s six daughters, Louisa made
her stage debut on <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">5th October 1803
at Covent Garden, playing Lady Townley in the 'Provoked Husband' opposite John
Kemble as Lord Townley. She followed this role with that of Beatrice in Much
Ado About Nothing. The “Theatrical Inquisitor” for November 1803 described her
as “extremely handsome and striking” with features expressive of archness and
vivacity. One critic predicted a glittering future for her and gushed that she was both beautiful and gifted. Other gossip-writers agreed on her charm and the
perfection of her face and figure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Many other roles
followed between 1803 and December 1807. It is interesting to note that from the start the respectable
antecedents of Louisa and her family were emphasised in all the newspaper reports and biographies. She was from a
professional theatrical family. She was not a courtesan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Louisa's last
performance was as Clara Sedley in Reynolds's comedy 'The Rage.'<span class="apple-converted-space"> In 1805, William, 7<sup>th</sup></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjusmFQv_yq2AMdfLi_Rl-ltIZuKcysJ5BM4d1F2H7wPSBfkshPPeTQDElnm3YNvhaysAjJeimrUaxej3J6pKxM0lqN8hAhR-5CWIeeKJ2GkRQLZ1OJ0YjEavk22eJHjJj92vxMsjPOejzZ/s1600/Louisa+Brunton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjusmFQv_yq2AMdfLi_Rl-ltIZuKcysJ5BM4d1F2H7wPSBfkshPPeTQDElnm3YNvhaysAjJeimrUaxej3J6pKxM0lqN8hAhR-5CWIeeKJ2GkRQLZ1OJ0YjEavk22eJHjJj92vxMsjPOejzZ/s200/Louisa+Brunton.jpg" width="125" /></a></div>
Baron and 1<sup>st</sup>
Earl of Craven of the 2<sup>nd</sup> Creation had become one of Louisa’s
admirers. In 1807 Mrs Calvert wrote in her diary: “She is certainly a very
handsome woman but I don’t think her looks pleasing. She has prodigious fine
black eyes, but she rolls them about too much. Lord Craven is supposed to be
very much in love with her and many think he will marry her.” He did; they were
married on 12<sup>th</sup> December 1807. The marriage took place at the Earl’s
London town house in Charles Street, Berkeley Square. The groom was
thirty-seven and the bride’s age was given as twenty-five. Louisa left the stage behind. The Earl and Countess of Craven went to live at
the earl’s estate of Hamstead Marshall in Berkshire, christening several of
their children in the church there. <o:p></o:p><br />
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">With the family connections between the Cravens and Jane Austen, it was only natural that Louisa Craven should be an avid reader of Jane Austen's work. </span></span><span style="background-color: white;">In 1816 she was recorded as being a great admirer
of </span><i>Emma</i><span style="background-color: white;"> but apparently did not think it the equal of </span><i>Pride
and Prejudice</i><span style="background-color: white;">.</span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">The earl, like his forebears, was keen on field sports and
horse racing. He was also a founder member of the Royal Yacht Squadron and in
1809 named his yacht Louisa. It was in Cowes that he died in 1825, aged 55.
Louisa became the Dowager Countess with an income of £15 000 a year. She
continued to live at Hamstead Marshall whilst her eldest son, the 2<sup>nd</sup>
Earl, chose Ashdown as his main seat. The family was close with the earl and
his brothers Frederick Keppel and George and sister Louisa frequently visiting
their mother at Hamstead.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMKiTeWFgnG2aGsc10gcuNNjX2H_qs6B4Jp9NAuZwyGPjnYxiq5m-hLmsPNePOgvNTSXwnqPDAYFOSykENg6vXGbfVg0UJQ4MvO6jEoKQpADfYgZ3SEA3DcR46Kir76ujRzq84uvn7K-7/s1600/Hamstead+Lodge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMKiTeWFgnG2aGsc10gcuNNjX2H_qs6B4Jp9NAuZwyGPjnYxiq5m-hLmsPNePOgvNTSXwnqPDAYFOSykENg6vXGbfVg0UJQ4MvO6jEoKQpADfYgZ3SEA3DcR46Kir76ujRzq84uvn7K-7/s1600/Hamstead+Lodge.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">The original grand “palace” at Hamstead Marshall had burned
down in 1718 and Hamstead Lodge developed as a hunting lodge in its place, probably from one of the original 17th century buildings on the estate. </span></span><span style="background-color: white;">During Louisa’s
occupancy this house was remodelled in the Regency style and it was later extended again. Having left the ranks of
the middle classes to join the aristocracy, Louisa seems to have been intent on
maintaining a grand style. Perhaps her theatrical experience stood her in good stead for the role of great lady. She employed a liveried butler and attended church
in a coach and four complete with postillions. She had a French cook. One
of Louisa Craven’s main interests was garden design and she had a whole army of
gardeners and a park-keeper in her household. The gardens at Hamstead Marshall became renowned for their beauty.</span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Louisa Craven died in 1860 at the age of 79. Her funeral took
place at Coombe Abbey and she was buried in the Craven family vault at Binley. However
there was a memorial service for her at Hamstead Marshall and it was here that
she was particularly remembered as a generous benefactor to the church and the village
school, and for the dances and suppers she held for villagers and tenants.</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"> She had become the perfect epitome of a grand aristocratic lady.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I am indebted to Deirdre Le Faye for the information on Jane Austen's Emma and to Penelope Stokes for the detail of Louisa Craven's life at Hamstead Marshall. Penny's book, Craven Country, is available <a href="http://www.hamsteadmarshall.net/history/cc.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-68382245923482581152013-06-07T11:10:00.001+01:002013-06-07T11:10:12.440+01:00Talk on the History of Ashdown ParkAdvance notice that there will be a fundraising talk for Ashbury Village Hall on "The History of Ashdown<br />
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Park and the Craven Family" on 22nd June at 7.30pm. The talk will take place in the village hall and there will be an exhibition of pictures and artefacts from the house as well. Supper is included in the £6 ticket price. It's a bargain! Contact 01793 710800 for tickets.Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-73766714785045348672013-05-23T12:43:00.001+01:002013-05-23T12:43:39.806+01:00The Craven State Chariot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUeqP3x0su3nQ4m73LELpdDeDMHJd09UoDXHjT3hU7VCaP829Ka8aMXwSsaVSjzA94j96CRWa7GTvNMz-Ysdl0inoks0cJnD1LzL_Q0RBmhtBMVOo27G2814TpiwvYa5aR1haAEIJMA4n/s1600/craven+state+chariot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUeqP3x0su3nQ4m73LELpdDeDMHJd09UoDXHjT3hU7VCaP829Ka8aMXwSsaVSjzA94j96CRWa7GTvNMz-Ysdl0inoks0cJnD1LzL_Q0RBmhtBMVOo27G2814TpiwvYa5aR1haAEIJMA4n/s1600/craven+state+chariot.jpg" /></a></div>
A couple of weeks ago I visited our National Trust colleagues at Arlington Court and went to the <b><a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/arlington-court/things-to-see-and-do/carriage-museum/" target="_blank">National Carriage Collection</a></b>. One of the stars of this wonderful museum is the Craven state chariot and it was great to be able to see the carriage in real life. I am indebted to Katy Dainton at Arlington for the following information.<br />
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"This chariot is one of the most important carriages in the collection. Not only
is it in original un-restored condition, but also it is an example of the work
of Hooper & Co., one of the very finest <st1:place w:st="on">London</st1:place> coachbuilders of the 19th century. It
has silver-plated furniture including axle caps and stock hoops, head plates
(the crests of the Craven family on the upper quarter panels), snake head body
loops and beautiful decorative terminations to the plated pin beads. It also
has the silver-plated coats of arms of the family on the hammer cloth. The
interior is beautifully lined in a bright, very rich shade of blue damask.<br />
<br />It is called a chariot because of the shape of the body. A coach seats four
inside the body, and therefore has<br />
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a seat ahead of the doors and one behind
them. A chariot only seats two on a seat behind the doors. This chariot was
built for the Earl of Craven between 1831 and 1836. State carriages were only
owned by the nobility and used on very important occasions such as the State
Opening of Parliament, society weddings and grand receptions. This very limited
use has kept it, and other vehicles like it, in excellent condition."<br />
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I had a good look inside the chariot and it was much smaller than I had imagined, positively cosy! The blue damask is very opulent. It was also great to get a good look at the carriage steps. These folded down and were covered in leather. The windows could be lowered and were covered by blinds for privacy. I loved the lamps, which were much bigger than I had imagined, were silver-plated and adorned with the Earl's coronet!<br />
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The carriage was made for William, 2nd Earl of the 2nd creation and would have been kept in the mews at his London address at Grosvenor Crescent.<br />
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<br />Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-35529976510691980172013-05-10T14:01:00.001+01:002013-05-10T14:01:59.681+01:00The Ashdown Kitchen Garden<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5qRFj7U9UN4TYj7no-7HxJ55WnTpGw0CVRB5Fn3XnFZsXeQsGCcbgVIil8RnX17Q_jvjE-Jm4tiRa7xJ9DiI92epkFDbWfiRDZTXd9XzMBU6hxs-wbwJB6uANFJZYtEUy2izpbvFFg_iz/s1600/kay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5qRFj7U9UN4TYj7no-7HxJ55WnTpGw0CVRB5Fn3XnFZsXeQsGCcbgVIil8RnX17Q_jvjE-Jm4tiRa7xJ9DiI92epkFDbWfiRDZTXd9XzMBU6hxs-wbwJB6uANFJZYtEUy2izpbvFFg_iz/s200/kay.jpg" width="200" /></a>In Victorian times it was usual for large country houses to
have a working walled kitchen garden producing food, herbs and flowers for the
family, staff and guests. Great houses were largely self-sustaining in terms of food, especially a hunting lodge that provided its own game and meat.</div>
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After the Second World War with reductions in the workforce
and increasing availability of cheap, imported food, kitchen gardens largely
became neglected and many were destroyed. In Ashdown’s case the decline of the
kitchen garden dates from the mid-1920s after Evelyn, Countess of Craven died
and the house was let.</div>
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The Ashdown kitchen gardens were laid out some time after
1850. An old map reveals that the kitchen garden was situated on the west side
of Ashdown village. We do not have a record of the layout and design of the
beds but we do know that these lay behind the high sarsen wall that is still
visible today (pictured). The area of the kitchen garden is now a paddock. In front of the
sarsen wall, between the wall and the road, were potting sheds, a mushroom
house and greenhouses that could be heated. These were built up against the
sarsen wall and the outline of the fireplace and flue is still visible today. What we do not know is where the water would have come from for the gardens, a fascinating mystery.</div>
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The hothouses would have contained grapevines and other
fruit that would be trained to grow up against the</div>
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walls. There may also have been pineapples, which were very fashionable, figs, melons, peaches, apples and pears, gooseberries, rhubarb, raspberries and
redcurrants grown inside soft fruit cages. Vegetables in the Victorian kitchen garden included asparagus,
broad and runner beans, onions, turnips, spinach, cabbages, potatoes,
cauliflower, kale, beetroot, carrots, lettuce and Jerusalem artichokes. Salad vegetables, tomatoes and cucumbers, were also grown, alongside herb beds. It is likely that the greenhouses would also contain flowers that could be cut and used for decoration in the house.<br />
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According to the census returns there were six gardeners at
Ashdown during the later Victorian era but there may have been others who came
in to work from the local villages. In addition to the kitchen gardens they
also had to keep the formal gardens and parterre looking good.</div>
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At Knightshayes House in Devon and a number of other National
Trust properties there are existing or restored kitchen gardens and I’m
grateful to the information provided by Knightshayes that gives us an insight
into the sort of fruit and vegetables that would have been grown at Ashdown. You can read more about National Trust kitchen gardens <a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/article-1356400533375/" target="_blank"><b>here</b>.</a></div>
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Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-51738607462466479942013-04-23T16:02:00.001+01:002013-04-23T16:02:20.561+01:00Is The White Horse Really a Dragon?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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To celebrate St George's Day I am posting up an updated blog piece from a couple of years ago. I hope you enjoy it!<br />
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Dragon Hill near Uffington in Oxfordshire is in local folklore the place where St George, the patron saint of England (and many other countries), slew the dragon. As "proof" of this deed there is a patch of chalk on the top of the hill where the grass never grows because it is said this was where the dragon's blood was spilt. It's a wonderful legend and a fabulously atmospheric site with the ramparts of Uffington Iron Age Castle looming above and the sweep of the Manger below. It is said that on the night of the seventh moon the ancient chalk figure of the Uffington White Horse comes alive and goes down to the manger to graze.<br />
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According to one legend, St George was a soldier in the Roman army who killed the dragon to save a princess in true fairy tale fashion. However as is often the case with legend St George has many incarnations and his story many different interpretations. You can read more about St George <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_George" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a>.<br />
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Some people believe that the figure of the White Horse is actually a representation of a dragon in homage to<br />
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the legend of St George. Another intriguing possibility is that Dragon Hill takes its name from being the burial place of a Pendragon, an early chieftain of Britain. Legend links King Arthur Pendragon to the village of Baydon, which is only a few miles distant. The intriguing connections of myth and legend weave a powerful web around this part of the country.<br />
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You can walk to the Uffington White Horse and Dragon Hill from Ashdown House, or vice versa. It is only a few miles along the ancient track of the Ridgeway, past the long barrow at Waylands Smithy. White Horse Hill was this week named by the organisation VisitEngland as one of the top places to visit in the UK. A walk in this historic landscape is a mystical and atmospheric experience.Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-31908896715138660202013-04-19T17:19:00.001+01:002013-04-19T17:19:44.743+01:00Jane Austen and King James II<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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At J in the A-Z of Ashdown House is the Austen family of Jane's fame. I've blogged about Jane's connection to the Cravens and to Ashdown House before and you can see the article <a href="http://ashdownhouse.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/jane-austen-william-craven-harriette.html" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a>. Louisa, Countess of Craven, was a big fan of Jane's writing, declaring in 1816 that Pride and Prejudice was her favourite of Jane Austen's books, in preference to Emma which she still considered to be very fine. We are very pleased that we have a lovely exhibition board this season which gives some information on the links between the Craven and Austen families.<br />
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Meanwhile at J we also have King James II, a friend of the First Earl of<br />
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Craven who like his brother Charles and cousin Prince Rupert came to Ashdown for the sport and for other entertainment, no doubt. (Ashdown does has a very impressive wine cellar!) In my research I came across a curious story of how the house at Russley Park, which lies a mile or two away across the downs, was extended especially for a visit from James during the 1680s. Curious because with Ashdown only a few miles distant, why would William Craven entertain the King at Russley?<br />
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In a further fascinating twist, there is a legend that a secret tunnel cut through the chalk hillside connects Ashdown with Russley Park. If this is true then it's location is lost today but it does raise the question of what it's purpose could have been. Intriguing!<br />
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<br />Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-27619280638378153922013-04-10T09:44:00.000+01:002013-04-10T09:44:20.092+01:00Ashdown House and the Heidelberg Connection<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last week we had the pleasure of a visit from Nichola Hayton, the President of the <a href="http://www.deutsch-britische-gesellschaft-heidelberg.de/home" target="_blank"><b>German-English Society in Heidelberg</b></a>, who had come to Ashdown to view the splendid portrait collection bequeathed to William Craven by Elizabeth, the Winter Queen. During this 400th anniversary year of the marriage of Elizabeth and Frederick, the Elector Palatine, there is a series of celebratory events taking place in Heidelberg. The programme can be found <b><a href="http://www.deutsch-britische-gesellschaft-heidelberg.de/elizabeth-frederick-the-400th-anniversary" target="_blank">here</a>. </b>The Queen is a patron of the festival and the British Ambassador commented that it "is a special expression of the friendship between our two nations." It was a great pleasure to talk to Nichola about the festival and Elizabeth's often overlooked role in 17th century European history.<br />
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Here at Ashdown House we are privileged to have a small part<br />
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of Elizabeth Stuart's portrait collection on display. It includes some very fine paintings from the 1620s and 1630s from the studios of several Dutch artists as well as the wonderful group portrait by William Dobson of Prince Rupert, Colonel Murray and Colonel Russell. We'd like to encourage art lovers to view this fascinating collection for themselves at Ashdown as part of the anniversary celebrations!Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.com0