tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post3523499653072694417..comments2023-11-12T17:03:39.127+00:00Comments on Step into Ashdown's Story: Who designed Ashdown House? - A three hundred and fifty year old historical mystery!Nicola Cornickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-57657577642776378892016-08-04T17:44:15.386+01:002016-08-04T17:44:15.386+01:00Many thanks for your comments, Steven. Yes, there&...Many thanks for your comments, Steven. Yes, there's no doubt that the design of Coleshill had a strong influence on Ashdown one way and another although I still wonder whether Winde saw Coleshill and copied the design or whether Pratt was actively involved in the design of Ashdown. There IS a corridor at Ashdown despite the small size of the building.Nicola Cornickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-84925404308828643632016-08-04T13:16:00.238+01:002016-08-04T13:16:00.238+01:00As soon as I saw the chimneys on the two detached ...As soon as I saw the chimneys on the two detached wings I thought 'Coleshill - Roger Pratt'.<br /><br />There's one factors that might also help here. Does Ashdown have a corridor? The first corridor was installed by Pratt at Coleshill and if there's one here (although given the proportions I see little need for one) then it may be persuasive to the Pratt/Pierce cause.Steven Rhodeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04150917096478732224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-73295302267227578872009-09-24T16:10:54.405+01:002009-09-24T16:10:54.405+01:00Thank you to everyone for the emails and comments ...Thank you to everyone for the emails and comments I have also had on this topic off the blog. It's nice to know that others share my fascination with historical mysteries like this!Nicola Cornickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-41496159871646964392009-09-17T17:58:18.643+01:002009-09-17T17:58:18.643+01:00That's a fascinating thought, Carla. Webb and ...That's a fascinating thought, Carla. Webb and Pratt certainly did know one another as they were both followers of Inigo Jones and there must be something to back up the original attribution of Ashdown to Webb. As far as I know, Pratt's architectural diaries don't record him working on Ashdown but that might simply be because he was not the prime architect. Perhaps he was in more of a "consultant" role. <br /><br />Actually that made me think of something else, which is that Edward Pierce, master carver, was the man who worked on the internal decoration of Coleshill House and also worked for Lord Craven. Perhaps he re-used one of his designs on Ashdown that he had previously employed at Coleshill.<br /><br />Certainly Gerbier seemed to die too early to have taken much of a hand in the work. Lord Craven's estates were only restored to him in 1660, the trees for the roof beams were felled in 1661/62 and Gerbier died that year. He'd been busy with Hamstead Marshall anyway. And Winde was so young, and doing other things with his life at that stage... It's all so intriguing.Nicola Cornickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12916076219284821820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5025003688816329142.post-58410664380585724002009-09-17T17:31:33.781+01:002009-09-17T17:31:33.781+01:00It is possible that Webb and Pratt knew each other...It is possible that Webb and Pratt knew each other and worked together. We can't discount the 'attribution to Webb' but we also can't discount the doorway design of Pratt. My guess would be that both were working on the house in some way. I don't think any of the other men are viable even the one that built a house similar to the outside.CARLA GOODLOEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05270908443590401399noreply@blogger.com