Camlet Moat, Trent Park: Part Two

View of the surrounding moat at Camlet Moat, Trent Park.

A busy summer has resulted in a delay in writing my follow up to part one of Trent Park's history. Nonetheless, I felt it still important to bring your attention to an equally fascinating yet somewhat more obscured feature of the park, the Camlet Moat. After exploring Philip Sassoon's house, I wandered down to the lake and into the nearby woodlands. This diversion meant I was fortunate enough to stumble upon the Camlet Moat, which is registered under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act of 1979. According to Historic England, it is a particularly good example of a medieval moated site and therefore is well worth seeking out when you next visit Trent Park. 

The settlement as it appears today.

Sites of this type were largely built between the mid thirteenth and fourteenth century and generally consisted of domestic or religious buildings, often accommodating a prestigious, perhaps aristocratic residence. Rather than serving defensive purposes, the moat itself was often seen as a status symbol. 

Camlet moat is believed to be the site of the original manor, Camlet Manor, which occupied Trent Park, when used as a royal hunting ground. Archaeological surveys made during the twentieth century uncovered evidence of roof tiles, 14th century green glazed tiles and timber dating from 1357. Below is a sketch which is displayed on site giving visitors to the park, some idea of how the moat appeared at the time.

Illustration of the site as it appeared during the medieval period. Courtesy of English Heritage.

It is understood, that in 1440, 'the manor of Camelot' was demolished and the materials were used to pay for repairs to Hertford Castle, indicating that the property was a substantial one. After the fifteenth century the moat and remaining buildings which stood on the site, gradually fell into neglect and have since vanished from view. 

Camlet Moat, Trent Park.

The absence of any further substantial historical evidence about Camlet Moat has resulted in numerous myths and legends. For example, its name 'Camlet' bears association with the Arthurian legend. There have also been reports of buried treasure, black magic, pagan rituals and other mystical qualities of the site. Eighteenth-century Scottish novelist, Sir Walter Scott, even used the moat as a setting for the murder of one of his characters Lord Dalgarno, in The Fortunes of Nigel (1822). 

Frontispiece for Sir Walter Scott, The Fortunes of Nigel (1822-1840) by Edward Finden. British Museum, Prints and Drawings Collection. 

Camlet Moat's ability to have stirred so much in the imagination over the centuries is testament to its uniqueness as well as the mystical qualities of lost histories. Many questions of the site's original purpose and use remain under speculation and arguably this is all part of what intrigues us about these spaces. In spite of historical uncertainties, it remains crucial that we are aware of the importance of the Camlet Moat in order to protect and preserve it as an excellent example of English medieval settlements.

Trent Park, Enfield: Part One

Trent Park

When recently visiting the beautiful Trent Park in Enfield, I was delighted to uncover so many layers of the site's fascinating history. Because there is so much to tell you, I have decided to split this blog into two parts. This entry will address the Georgian and twentieth century history of Trent Park. The second part will focus on the remains of a moat and medieval settlement in the woods of the grounds.

The parks that pepper the English landscape are so often the sites of lost country estates and as suspected upon arrival, Trent Park is indeed one of these sites. My familiarity with the style of architecture and ornaments immediately led me to assume that these were eighteenth century remains but the history of the site is not as straightforward as it seems.

The entrance to Trent Park on Cockfosters Road

Prior to becoming 'Trent Park', the site was better known as Enfield Chase and used as Royal hunting grounds by Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, James I and Charles II. Much of the land was sold off during the civil war to clear arrears in army pay. Although parts of the site were restored following the restoration of King Charles II in 1660, the land was never secure from poachers and unauthorised colonists. In 1777, King George III assigned areas of the Chase into lots and distributed these amongst surrounding parishes and farms. Three of these lots were given to the royal physician Sir Richard Jebb. A year earlier, Jebb had travelled to Trento in northern Italy to attend to the King's brother, Duke of Gloucester, who was critically ill. Jebb restored Gloucester back to full health and so was given the land as a reward. As a sign of his gratitude, he named the site, Trent Park. 

The house Jebb had built, stood on the site of the manor which currently stands and was designed by royal architect, William Chambers. The design was typical of the Palladian villa style that was made popular by Burlington's Chiswick House, and Colen Campbell's Mereworth and Marble Hill. Jebb's villa however, was considerably smaller in scale. In 1787 The Gentleman's Magazine described the house as a 'loggia', 'for such it should be called rather than a house, being hardly calculated for a single man and his servants.' Although the house was significantly remodelled in the early twentieth century, evidence of Humphry Repton's (one of the leading landscape designers of the Georgian period) landscape designs can still be traced today.

Philip Sassoon's house as it stands today 

The house underwent a series of building projects by various ownerships during the nineteenth century, however the centre of the house is said to retain its original eighteenth century core. The last owner to carry out architectural work on the house during this period was Francis Bevan who inherited the estate from his father in 1890. In 1908, Bevan sold the house to Sir Edward Sassoon, MP for Hythe and a close friend of Edward VII. The Sassoon family were associated with members of high society such as the Rothschild family and Trent Park was an ideal setting for entertaining. Edward's ownership however, was shortly lived and in 1912 he died from an automobile accident. His son, Philip inherited the estate and was a well known millionaire, socialite and bachelor. Much like his father, Philip carried out lavish entertainments for London's high society on a regular basis. This included the likes of Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin, Bernard Shaw and Rex Whistler.

An eighteenth-century plinth introduced by Sassoon during the twentieth century

Bevan's earlier architectural scheme however, was not to Sassoon's liking. As a result, Sasoon incorporated fragments of eighteenth century architectural fabric from Devonshire House in London which was demolished in 1924. Devonshire House was designed by leading designer of the Georgian period, William Kent and therefore was ideal for Sassoon's redesigning of Trent Park. This included fronting the facade of the house with the rose coloured eighteenth-century brick and stonework. Numerous monuments and sculptures are also visible throughout Trent Park. However these were unlikely to come from the gardens of a London town house and since country house demolitions were all too frequent during the first half of the twentieth century, I suspect they came from a country house where there would have been space for the display of such items.

The 'Dukes Pyramid' from Wrest Park,  located near the Cockfosters road entrance. Purchased in 1934 by Sassoon.

But perhaps the most surprising element of Trent Park's history is its use during the Second World War. Following Philip Sassoon's death in 1939, Trent Park was acquired by the War Office as a camp for prisoners of war and soon became the Combined Services Detailed Interrogation Centre. German prisoners who were suspected of having important knowledge were sent to Trent Park for interrogation. A common technique was carried out by using cooperative prisoners as a way to stimulate conversation, unaware of the hidden microphones within the house. It is thought that the relaxed and peaceful setting of Trent Park further helped to put prisoners at ease and reveal highly classified information.  Discoveries made there included details about German technologies used to assist the accurate bombing raids, German U-boat tactics, war crimes such as the mass killing of jews in concentration camps and the development of the V-2 Rocket.

South side of Trent Park looking out towards the lake and eighteenth-century landscape.

After World War Two, Trent Park was acquired by the Ministry of Education and became Trent Park College. In 1974 it was incorporated into what was then Middlesex Polytechnic. By 1992, this had become Middlesex University. Evidence of the red brick buildings built during this period are within close proximity and sometimes even connected to the house. The university relocated in 2012 but the buildings remain. Access to the house is off limits but you can still peer inside the windows of these buildings to observe the eery remains of empty libraries, lecture rooms, a dance hall and walls displaying various flyers and posters left behind by students.

Middlesex University attached to the wings of Trent Park house.

Gods in the garden and Middlesex University in the nearby distance.

When visiting the site and trying to get a closer look at the house, I was informed by a member of security staff that the house has now been purchased as private property. Whether or not the buildings of Middlesex will survive seems unlikely. I urge you all to go and explore the site this summer before any of the site's histories vanish. My only hope is that Trent Park's new owners will preserve the layers of its history and continue to allow access for us all to enjoy all the elements of this fascinating and beautiful site. 

One of the many abandoned buildings of Middlesex University

Further reading:

Much of this blog was written with the aid of The Friends of Trent Park website from which you can download the full history of the site. For more information and to find out how you can get involved visit: www.friendsoftrentcountrypark.org.uk 

Patrick Campbell, Trent Park: a history, (London: Middlesex University Press, 1997).

Stanley Jackson, The Sassoons, (London: William Heineman Ltd, 1989).

Helen Fry, The M Room: Secret Listeners who Bugged the Nazis, (Create Space Independent Publishing, 2012).

John Harris, Moving Rooms: The Trade in Architectural Salvages, (London & New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007).

Leicester House, The Strand

Nicholas Hilliard, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester , watercolour on vellum (1576) National Portrait Gallery

                                             

Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester is perhaps one of the most famous of Queen Elizabeth's courtiers . This is mostly because of his imitate relationship with the queen throughout her reign. As I know little of Elizabethan history I won't speculate too closely on the relationship between the two, but Elizabeth is understood to have given Leicester hopes of a potential marriage and his secret marriage to Lettice, Countess of Dowager in 1578 caused scandal. It also had a dramatic effect upon Leicester's relationship with the queen. As juicy as all this, my focus is not on the in's and out's of this turbulent relationship, but instead about the site of Leicester's London residence which many of you may unknowingly pass during your London wanderings. 

Attributed to Marcus Gheeraerts, Queen Elizabeth dancing la volta with Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, c.1580 Penhurst Palace, Kent

As a nobleman and courtier. Leicester required regular access to the city of London, Westminster and of course, the royal palaces situated on the outskirts of London in Greenwich, Richmond and Hampton Court. Dudley therefore was the owner of three properties. Kenliworth Castle, Wanstead Manor and in 1570, Paget Place, which was quickly renamed, Leicester House for obvious reasons. 

The boundary marking entry to the City of London on the embankment

Leicester House was situated between the City of London and Westminster, on the Strand opposite Sir Christopher Wren's chuch, St Clement Danes, which still stands today. 

The site of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester's residence, Leicester House

The boundaries of Leicester House lie between the George pub and Milford Lane. Essex Street was introduced in the late seventeenth century and runs directly through what was Leicester's garden. A view of Leicester's garden is visible in a map dating from 1572. The map illustrates a neat knotted garden which led down from the house towards the Thames. It was common for Thames side mansions to have their principle entrances on the river front because important guests were more likely to travel by boat rather than road. This map shows detail of a path running alongside the north bank which provided access into the mansions. 

Detail from Joris Hoefnagel's Civitates Orbis Terrarum, 1572, Private collection; photograph by Paula Henderson and taken from E.Goldring, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester and the World of Elizabethan Art, (London and New Haven: Yale University Press, 2014) p.215

Historian Elizabeth Goldring's recent publication Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester and the World of Elizabethan Art provides a detailed insight into Leicester's extensive art collection including commissioned pieces by Nicholas Hilliard, Paolo Veronese and Federico Zucarro. This book helps to build an understanding of how Leicester House was furnished and the status of the works displayed.

Goldring's study also discusses the relationship between Leicester House and Dudley's suburban residence Wanstead Manor, which likewise has been lost. According to Leicester, it was possible to leave London in the morning to visit Wanstead and be back at Leicester House that night. This highlights the benefits of owning a suburban residence. By riding to Wanstead, Leicester could retreat from his busy urban life whilst maintaining links with the city and returning easily when necessary.

Johann Kip and Leonard Knyff, View of Wanstead Estate, c. 1715, Eighteenth Century Collections Online. This view depicts the Elizabethan manor which belonged to Leicester prior to the rebuilding of Wanstead House by Colen Campbell in the early eighteenth century.

The view from the South Bank which once looked towards Leicester House.

Although the physical structure of Leicester House has vanished we can still gain a historical understanding of how the house appeared by tracing the objects which were once displayed there and by considering the effects of the ownership of such a property had upon status. This helps us to see through the layers of London that have since developed and begin to imagine how the site of Leicester House appeared and was experienced for someone like Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. 

Further Reading:

E. Goldring, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester and the World of Elizabethan Art, (London and New Haven: Yale University Press, 2014).

S. Adams, Household Accounts and Disbursement Books of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996).

S.Adams, (1532/3–1588)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/8160, accessed 11 May 2015]

Bruce Castle, Tottenham

As a Tottenham resident, I thought it was time I dedicated a Missing Storeys entry to my local area. Passing the seventeenth century, grade one listed, manor house, Bruce Castle on Lordship Lane has lead me to repeatedly wonder about the history of my surroundings. Today the house serves as the Bruce Castle Museum and the archival centre for Harringey council and so to describe this as a 'missing storey' would be erroneous. Instead, the house is perhaps best understood as a fragmented history, as the property changed hands a number of times from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century and subsequently is representative of various transformations.

View of Bruce Castle from Lordship Lane

The site acquired its current name 'Bruce Castle' in 1667 when Henry Hare 2nd Baron Colermain wanted to highlight his newly acquired property's association with the royal Scottish House of Bruce. Prior to this, the house was known as Tottenham Manor. In the 15th century, the site consisted of three smaller manors but in 1427, John Gedney, a draper and later, the mayor of London, purchased the four sub properties to form one whole estate. Evidence from surviving accounts for the manor between 1443 and 1449 indicate that the rents acquired from the estate during this period were lucrative.

The house which stands today however, is that which was originally built by Sir William Compton, squire of the bedchamber to Henry VIII. Although the most significant modifications to the house were carried out by Rowland Hill, the inventor of the Penny Post who opened a boys school on the site in 1827, evidence of Bruce Castle's fragmented history can be found throughout.

T. S Claxton, Bruce Castle, south view, c.1850, Bruce Castle Musuem

You can reach Bruce Castle by travelling to either Seven Sisters or Turnpike Lane underground station and catching a bus.  Even closer however, is Bruce Grove overground station, which provides services to and from Liverpool Street every twenty minutes. Arriving at the gates of Bruce Castle appears much like the view by T.S Claxton c.1850. To the left of this view, and still visible today, stands a cylindrical tower covered in ivy. Although evidence of medieval chalk markings indicate that a house had been on the site earlier, this is the earliest surviving architectural fragment and dates from the Tudor period. Archaeological research carried out in 2006 by the Museum of London has found that the tower continues beneath ground level, however its original purpose remains unclear. Daniel Lyon's 1792 account of the manor, proposes that the tower was constructed by the Compton family who owned the manor in the Tudor and Elizabethan periods. Evidence of this can be noted in Henry VIII's meeting with his sister Queen Margaret at 'Maister Compton's house besids Tottenham' and Queen Elizabeth's visit to Compton's grandson, Henry in May 1558.

The Tudor tower, Bruce Castle Park

Detail of the 1619 Earl of Dorset's Survey of Tottenham

The earliest depiction of a house on this site is in the Earl of Dorset's survey of Tottenham, made in 1619. In this survey a house marked 'The Lordship House, Sir T.Peniston' is depicted on the site of where Bruce Castle stands today. Evidence that this is indeed the same site, is supported by the depiction of All Hallows Church, the 12th century church which also remains in situ.

During this period, the house was owned by Hugh Hare, 1st Baron Coleraine, a royalist nobleman, who in 1620,  had inherited £30,000 from his uncle and purchased Lordship house from Richard Sackville, Earl of Dorset. Sackville had inherited Knole House as his principle residence, which still stands today and remains home to the Sackville family. (Virginnia Woolf fans may indeed be familiar with Knole as it was home to author and poet, Vita Sackville, Virginia's lover.) Sackville however struggled to maintain the property in Tottenham due to a significant accumulation of debt and was forced to sell. Here he is pictured below in some incredible shoes, lets hope he didn't have to sell those also!

William Larkin, Richard Sackville, 3rd Earl of Dorset, c.1613 Kenwood House, English Heritage

Hare, followed his uncle and father into the inner temple. When his father died his mother remarried Sir Henry Montague, lord chief justice of the Kings bench and later, the 1st earl of Manchester. This match significantly enhanced Hare's social standing within court circles. It also led to the marriage of Hare to Montague's second daughter by his first wife, Lucy. As a result, Hare advanced quickly in royal favour and was made Baron Coleraine in 1625. Ownership of the manor on the Bruce Castle site was therefore an important asset which provided Hare with a noble residence within close proximity to the city. This allowed Hare to not only attend parliament and court but also entertain guests and demonstrate his own hospitality in order to strengthen social ties. 

Attributed to Worlridge, Bruce Castle, 1686, Bruce Castle Museum. 

Hatfield House

Following his death in 1667, Bruce Castle was inherited by his son, Sir Henry Hare, second baron Coleraine. Upon acquiring the property, Henry Hare carried out a significant amount of architectural improvements, adding a two-storey porch and a clock tower cupola as seen in Worlridge's view dated 1686 and much like that which was executed at Hatfield House for Robert Cecil, first Earl of Salisbury in 1611. A close inspection of this painting reveals that the south front was a facade to an internal court. This was a common architectural technique during the seventeenth century, providing a gateway into the house. This allowed for the easy passing of guests who would be greeted in the courtyard upon their arrival prior to entering the more private (or public depending on the purpose of their visit) realms of the household. 

According to biographer Nicholas Doggett, Hare was greatly influenced by the antiquarian principles that had long been of interest to him whilst carrying out work at Bruce Castle. In his 1705 publication The History and Antiquities of the Town and Church of Tottenham, Hare noted how 'in respect to its great antiquity more than conveniency I keep the old brick tower (of the earlier house) in good repair.' 

Hare died at Bruce Castle in 1708 and the estate was subsequently inherited by his son Henry Hare, third baron Coleraine and also a man of great antiquarian interest.  Henry made two Grand Tours in Italy in which he accumulated an impressive collection of prints, drawings, paintings of antiquities and buildings. It was only during the period between these tours that Henry was resident at Bruce Castle. Despite his absence, the house still underwent architectural modifications which included an extra range of rooms to be added to the north of the house. The family coat of arms were also incorporated into the north facing side of the house. This was a feature designed to be an indication of the family's status and intended to be noted by those arriving in the courtyard. It was also perhaps an attempt to reflect Hare's presence and control over the property despite long periods of absence due to his long sojourns in Italy. The coat of arms is still visible today when standing in Bruce Castle Park. 

Bruce Castle, north facing side of the house displaying the Coleraine coat of arms

Hare died in 1749, leaving Bruce Castle to his only child, four year old Henrietta, the child borne from his love affair with a French woman Rosa Duplessis, the daughter of a French clergyman. The claim was rejected however on account of Henrietta's French nationality and was only granted after much legal dispute once Henrietta married James Townsend in 1763. Under Townsend's ownership, the house was once again remodelled and the entrance was moved to the east side of the house and designed in the typical Georgian style. Evidence of these modifications are still visible today. 

Bruce Castle, east facing side of the house, constructed in the late eighteenth century and made the entrance of the residence

These amendments perhaps mark the final phase of Bruce Castle's development. Henry Hare Townsend, James and Henrietta's son had little interest in the local area and did not care for the status of landowner. Instead, the property was leased to various tenants. During the early nineteenth century, the west wing was demolished, leaving what is now a skewed building. During the nineteenth century the property was home to the Hill School for boys and subsequently no further developments were made. I however, am grateful no further architectural changes were carried out. The combination of architectural styles which survive on the site range from Tudor, Jacobean and Georgian and thus provide visitors with an invaluable insight into the types of architectural styles that were adopted for an important suburban manor. 

It is this broken, fragmented history of Bruce Castle which makes it an important historical site in London and whilst it is not overlooked by local residents it seems lost to many other Londoners unfamiliar with the area. I encourage any historian to pay a visit and enjoy the grounds where the great five hundred year old Oak tree stands overlooking the house, serving as a reminder of all that has passed on the grounds of Bruce Castle.

The Oak tree in Bruce Castle Park

The Roman Amphitheatre, Guildhall Art Gallery

Guildhall in the City of London

As a child, I was once given a book for Christmas entitled, A Slice Through a City. The book illustrated the history of London by depicting the city through the ages, page by page. As I leafed through, I saw the city I live in grow, scenes of Saxon London eventually becoming buried under new streets and buildings. For those of you unfamiliar with the capital, what we call the City of London applies the area which was first settled in by the Romans in the 1st century and now serves as a major business and financial area. It is perhaps, the most important place to visit if you want to find examples of London throughout the ages. From fragments of the Roman London Wall, medieval churches, the Guilds, the Barbican and recent developments such as the Lloyds Tower and the Gherkin. 

The Guildhall Art Gallery

The Guildhall Art Gallery which stands today, first opened in 1999, but there has been a gallery at the site to house the City of London Cooperation's art collection since 1885. The collection largely consists of nineteenth century art and is worth visiting particularly for works on display by Rossetti, Millais and Holman Hunt.

John Everett Millais - My First Sermon (1863)

Given the lengthy amount of time that London was under Roman rule, it seems unsurprising perhaps that there once stood an amphitheatre in the city. It was not until 1988, when building began for the Guildhall Art Gallery, that the amphitheatre was discovered. As a result, designs for the gallery were reconsidered to make way for the display of this important London relic. Before you enter into the Guildhall Art Gallery, take a look around and will notice a large circular outline marked out on the courtyard. This marks how far the amphitheatre beneath your feet extended, which is thought to have measured 100 metres by 85 metres.

The Roman amphitheatre beneath Guildhall Art Gallery

You can reach the amphitheatre by following the signs leading to the basement level in Guildhall Art Gallery. When entering the space, you will find yourself standing in what was the entrance for the fighters about to enter the arena. The ruins of the brick walls which flanked either side of this entrance are visible and still standing within the original layer of sand, showing the contemporary Roman ground surface. This brickwork dates from the 2^nd century AD, when the amphitheatre was enlarged and transformed from its original timber structure built in 70 AD.

2nd century brick wall and evidence of the original Roman ground surface

Running in between the remains of these two walls is the original timber drain which was designed to remove excess water from the Thames and a box trap which collected other wastes that would block the drain, our guide informed us that this could, on occasion include body parts lost in the numerous fights against animals which took place in the arena. Although amphitheatres could be used for theatrical performances or religious ceremonies, there is evidence to indicate that animals were used for entertainment in the amphitheatre. The outlines of chambers can be seen, one of which shows evidence of a groove carved into the stone to allow a rolling mechanism to release a trap door. Gladiatorial fights however, would have been more costly and it is not likely that these were a frequent occurrence in the London amphitheatre.

Evidence of the groove required for a trap door

One of the amphitheatre chambers thought to have housed animals prior to their release into the arena

The London amphitheatre reportedly fell out of use by the 4^th century, some time before Roman rule ended. As you may have noticed, my knowledge of Roman history is poor to say the least. Therefore, if you are interested in finding out more, I recommend you look into booking a place on the tours of Roman remains offered by the Museum of London or their amazing Londinium app available to download. Writer and historian Peter Ackroyd once advised his readers to tread carefully on the pavements of London for we are treading on skin. Nowhere is this more at the forefront of my mind, than when walking through the city of London and experiencing sights like the Roman amphitheatre buried beneath.

Breathless Beauty, Broken Beauty - Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Forty years ago, architectural historians John Harris, Marcus Binney, Peter Thornton curated the exhibition 'Destruction of the Country House' at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The aim of the exhibition was to raise awareness of the significant architectural losses that had and were rapidly taking place. In twentieth century Britain, the country estate, lost much of its relevance and the financial costs required to maintain such sites made it increasingly difficult to preserve them. While this troubled the owners, this was of little concern in post war Britain. The 1974 exhibition, 'Destruction of the Country House', painted a bleak future but fortunately these expectations have not been fully realised and there is still hope for what survives. Today, Country Houses are popular destinations and regarded as national treasures. The phenomenon of productions such as Brideshead Revisted and more recently, Downton Abbey represent a new era of heritage television, which create a romantic nostalgia for an idealised past.

It is important to reconsider historical interpretation. Much too often a visit to a country house fails to communicate how these spaces were used and the implications of the ownership of such sites. Even the label we apply, is misleading - these structures were far from the notion of home that we understand today. The use of the term 'country seat', is perhaps more appropriate, considering that these places were temporary sites of residence, built purely for the purpose of display and public engagement.

I believe there is much more to be challenged about how we understand these spaces and their role in British history. If approached critically, these houses can unlock knowledge of architectural, design and landscape history as well as social, political and economic history. In a country which somewhat lagged behind its European counterparts, these estates remain one the finest examples of British design and art.

A display of the houses exhibited in the 1974 exhibition which have been rescued and preserved.

This year, as part of the London Design Festival, the Victoria and Albert Museum exhibited a display entitled Breathless Beauty, Broken Beauty. This exhibit celebrated how far conservation for these estates has come, how this has been done and how our attitudes towards them has changed over the past forty years. I was ashamedly late in visiting this display and am grateful I managed to see it before it was taken down. So if you did miss it, you can find more about the project and the artist here.

Vanessa Jane Hall's sculptural installation in the British Galleries at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Breathless Beauty, Broken Beauty is a 4k film video art installation by artist film maker Vanessa Jane Hall. Viewers are invited inside the Palladian like structure (echoing so many eighteenth century country seats) to view Hall's film as it is played out on three surrounding walls. The three walls work as a triptych, depicting stills of the various houses she visited across the country. The houses which feature in this film and remain intact are Chatsworth House, Castle Howard, Houghton Hall and Holkham.

The film is narrated by Catherine McGoohan and Neil Dickson and takes the viewer on a journey. It begins with images of neglect and decay and gradually transports the viewer into the restored interiors of today's surviving estates. Where previously forlorn and empty, in the revitalised house we see fantastical apparitions who embody our new love affair with an exotic and imagined past.

Houghton Hall, Norfolk 

The ceiling of Castle Howard's stone hall.

Castle Howard, Yorkshire 

The use of the triptych in the film helps to create a feeling of movement through the houses and gives the viewer a sense of being enclosed within all four walls. When describing her experience of filming in these locations, Hall writes;

'The country houses of faded grandeur were shot in varying ways, sometimes fully lit, sometimes with little lighting. The quirks of working in faded grandeur environments are many, there isn’t always be a piece of floor where you need to put a light,  so you have to take each house as it comes, and work with it.'

As the film draws to a close, we are taken away from these glittering interiors and into the broken, neglected spaces of country houses which have not been as fortunate to have been saved by heritage funding and restoration.

Among the lost houses Hall filmed, only Poltimore House in Devon is named. You can find out more about their restoration work and how to get involved here. The images depicting 'Broken Beauty' were of great interest and a poignant reminder of the current state of some of these significant sites.

Interior scene, Image by Vanessa Jane Hall, Breathless Beauty, Broken Beauty

Interior scene, Image by Vanessa Jane Hall, Breathless Beauty, Broken Beauty

Interior scene, Image by Vanessa Jane Hall, Breathless Beauty, Broken Beauty

Of course it is not possible to save every building that once stood. These estates demand enormous financial support. What to save and why is a matter of debate. I enjoyed Hall's installation and was left wondering whether the film was a plea for further restoration of other country estates or whether it was more concerned with dramatising how country houses can be cherished or neglected depending on the time and context. 

Interior scene, Image by Vanessa Jane Hall, Breathless Beauty, Broken Beauty

Further Reading:

R. Strong, M.Binney, J.Harris ed., Destruction of the Country House: 1875-1975, (London: Thames & Hudson, 1974). 

G. Worsley, England's Lost Houses: From the Archives of Country Life, (Arum Press Ltd, 2011).

J. Harris, Moving Rooms: The Trade in Architectural Salvages, (London & New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007). 

www.breathlessbeauty.co.uk

Painshill Park, Surrey

A view of the serpentine lake in Painshill Park from the Gothic Temple

An entry on Painshill Park is perhaps a slight cheat in some ways on the general 'Missing Storeys' concept. The aim of this blog is to shed light on histories that have been lost. Painshill however, is an example of the amazing restoration work that can be achieved to revive a lost history and thus seemed worthy of commentary. Painshill is an eighteenth century park landscaped by Charles Hamilton between 1738 and 1773. Hamilton was the the fourteenth child and youngest of the nine sons of James Hamilton, 6th earl of Abercorn (c.1661-1734) and his wife, Elizabeth (1667/8–1754), daughter of Sir Robert Reading, first baronet, of Dublin.  

Although he was born into an aristocratic family, the number of siblings meant he did not benefit significantly from his fathers fortune and thus did not acquire the income necessary to secure the acquisition of a country estate. When his father died in 1734, Hamilton was in need of money and through his sister Lady Archibald Hamilton, the prince's mistress, gained a position in the household of Frederick, prince of Wales. When he was dismissed three years later, his friend Henry Fox (later first Baron Holland) provided him with a secret pension of £1200 a year as compensation.

Unable to acquire an estate, Hamilton began to acquire land that was considered desolate and near the River Mole. Horace Walpole described the site as a 'cursed hill'. However, Hamilton seems to have been undeterred by the lands condition and set about carrying out extensive landscaping to create a park to match those of the great country seats.

View from the grotto island towards the Gothic Temple

An eighteenth century visitor to Painshill could be forgiven for thinking they were on the grounds of an impressive country house like Houghton, Holkham or Blenheim. Hamilton's landscape possessed all the necessary qualities expected from such a landscape. By 1737, the  geometric garden designs which had been imitated from the Gardens of Versailles and proven so popular in the early eighteenth century had fallen out of favour. These gardens were considered to be unnatural and prohibiting nature from flourishing in its true form and beauty. Landscape designers such as William Kent and Charles Bridgman encouraged the notion of what was considered more natural gardens, less geometrical and with an emphasis on variety which stimulated the imagination and senses. The range of garden features at Painshill indicate that Hamilton too, perceived this to be of the utmost importance and thus introduced a Gothic Temple, a ruined abbey, a temple to Bacchus, god of wine, the Turkish tent, a Chinese bridge and the Crystal Grotto.

In 1773, Hamilton was faced with having to repay a large loan from Henry Fox, payment of which was settled through the sale of the magnificent park he had created. Painshill subsequently passed through various ownerships until the Second World War after which the land was sold off in pieces to pay for taxes. The grounds fell into decay and the architectural structures were subject to vandalism and neglect.

Restoration of these features and the landscape has been ongoing since 1981, when the Painshill Park Trust was formed. A year earlier, the local council had managed to purchase 158 acres of the 250 acre landscape and when the trust was set up, further grants of £25,000 from Surrey County Council and £45,000 from the Countryside Commission were obtained and the ambitious restoration work was able to begin. For copyright reasons, I am unable to share before and after views, however you can find detailed information and see images on the Parks & Gardens UK website.

The Gothic Temple

Visitors to Painshill are provided with a map which marks out the route designed by Hamilton for visitors to follow during the eighteenth century. The first architectural feature you come across when following these historic footsteps, is the Gothic Temple. Although it looks like stone from a distance, the Gothic temple was in fact constructed of timber with five sides paneled to direct the visitors gaze towards the serpentine lake below (see first image) and the Sabine statue.

                               

The interior timber paneling of the Gothic Temple

View of the Gothic Temple from the Sabine statue

The Sabine statue

Other restored works on the site include the Ruined Abbey, the Five Arch Bridge and the Turkish Tent, a site designed by Hamilton to allow visitors to rest, overlook the serpentine lake and contemplate the landscape they had seen. This notion was one which was imperative to the more natural landscapes that were adopted later in the eighteenth century. Reflecting on a landscape was perceived to be a noble pursuit which meant that an individual was well educated and understood the mythological and symbolic qualities of the landscape and its architecture.

The Turkish Tent

View of the Serpentine lake and the five arch bridge from the Turkish tent

Beyond the Turkish Tent, lies the site of where Hamilton's Temple of Bacchus, once stood. This was perhaps a celebration of the vineyards Hamilton had planted at Painshill, near the Gothic Temple, and which were described by the French Ambassador as comparable to "un vrai Champagne". In 1754, Richard Pocock also commented on Hamilton's vineyards stating; 'There are ten acres of vineyard here in two places, the grape gently press'd makes an excellent champaign, and pressed out, and left on the husk, produces a very good Burgundy; five or six hogsheads have been made in a year, and it sells at the inns here at 7s 6d a bottle.' Restoration work has yet to be carried out on the Bacchus Temple but no doubt it will be a significant addition to the revived eighteenth-century landscape. 

The site where the Temple of Bacchus once stood. Watch this space!

The ruined Abbey

All the features in the park deserve detailed commentary but I have chosen to focus on the Crystal Grotto which was reopened to the public in June 2013. This decision has been made based on my own personal preference and desire to not make too long winded a blog entry, and secondly, because my current research work is trying to reconstruct an understanding of how the grotto at Wanstead may have appeared. Painshill's crystal grotto is so far, the closest physical example I have found.

You can reach the grotto by proceeding down the winding path from the Gothic Temple. The path leads you through a garden, over the Chinese bridge and onto an island in the serpentine lake. Grottoes were designed as intermediate structures in a landscape. Given the rise of more natural landscapes, it seemed appropriate to introduce structures in the landscape that encapsulated the union of man made art and nature. These ideas were expressed as early as 1709, in the 3rd Earl Shaftsbury's essay in The Moralists in which he states that "the rude rocks, the mossy caverns, the irregular unwrought grottos and broken falls of water, with all the horrid graces of the wilderness itself" as more representative of nature than "the formal mockery of princely gardens". The design of the grotto was intended to appear as if it had risen from the ground and it certainly feels that way as you walk along the winding path and approach the grotto. 

Grotto Island

Construction of the crystal grotto began in 1760 and took over several years. It was built by Joseph Lane to a design by Hamilton. Grottoes were inspired by the Italian Renaissance Gardens which Englishmen visited whilst on the Grand Tour. Hamilton, made two Grand Tours, the first in 1725-27 in which he traveled to Rome, Padua, Venice and Verona. The second tour was made between 1732 and 1735. The influence of these tours is explicit throughout the Painshill landscape. Grottoes were designed much like cabinets of curiosity, and were full of minerals, crystals, shells and petrified rocks. But from the outside they were structures of intrigue intended to encourage the eighteenth century visitor to explore, to stimulate their imagination and awaken their senses. The grotto sprawls out across two islands in the lake and whilst it may have looked like a natural form, it was in fact structured with brick walls and covered with oolite limestone. 

Approaching the grotto entrance, my niece already exploring inside!

Hamilton designed two entrances and exits for his grotto. One was for the use of mortals, and the other for the ancient gods and goddesses. We of course, entered via the mortal entrance, a discreet and narrow opening by the lake. 

Beneath the grotto bridge, facing the opposite island

Entrance tunnel of the crystal grotto

The entrance takes you into a dark, narrow chamber covered in crystal , calcite, gypsum, quartz, fluorite and other minerals and stones. Passing through this passage you reach the main chamber. The roof of the main chamber collapsed in the 1950's and thus the grotto interior was subject to significant damage. Restoration of the grotto began during the 1980's when it was cleared of vegetation, surveyed and excavated. In 1988, conservation work began on the entrance tunnel (pictured below), the rock bridge (pictured above) and the main chamber. The roof of the main chamber was reconstructed in 1992 using steel frames to support the brick work. It was not until the Heritage Lottery Fund provided Painshill Trust with a grant in 2011 that restoration of the crystal interior began. 

The main chamber of the crystal grotto

William Gilpin's description in 1765 of the grotto as a 'whimsical little object, procured at great expense', seems to poorly represent the impressive design of the grotto's main chamber. Standing in the main chamber today, it is hard to be critical of Hamilton's design and the extensive restoration work that has been carried out . Reference to visitor descriptions by the likes of Arthur Young and the illustrations made by Elias Martin in 1777 have proved essential in reconstructing the grotto. It is often the case with lost histories, that whilst the physical structure may be missing or damaged, one can frequently find a wealth of evidence in the form of contemporary accounts, newspaper articles and artworks to piece together what once stood on the site. The restoration of the crystal grotto at Painshill demonstrates just how fruitful the results of such research can be. 

The main chamber

In order to restore the stalactites which hang from the ceiling, wooden cones were constructed. These were then covered in limestone mortor and then emblazoned with crystal fragments. The openings of the grotto which allow the natural daylight to enter hit these crystal stalactites and give a glittering effect, making it the magical environment Hamilton envisioned. In each corner of the main chamber are small fountains. Prior to advanced hydraulic engineering, Hamilton employed a gardener who, when aware that Hamilton and his guests were approaching the grotto would have to pump the water into the grotto to create the effect of a natural stream running through the chamber.

The restored crystal stalactites which adorn the grotto ceiling

Exiting from the grotto is via the God's entrance to the grotto. This leads you back outside onto a view of the Serpentine lake. I found the visit to Painshill grotto inspiring and wondered if such restoration work could ever be achieved on the grotto at Wanstead. Even if this may not ever be possible, the Painshill grotto gave me a valuable insight into how these popular structures were likely to have appeared to eighteenth century visitors. The restoration work carried out by the Painshill Trust has effectively demonstrated that some lost histories can indeed be restored to their original glory and I sincerely hope that such work inspires others to consider the possibilities of similar revivals.

View of Painshill Park at dusk.

You can find out more about the Herritage Lottery Fund restoration work at Painshill here.

See here for further information about the park and its visiting hours.

Further reading:

John Dixon Hunt, The Italian Renaissance Garden in the English Imagination: 1600-1750, (London, 1986).

Diana Balmori, ‘Architecture, Landscape and the Intermediate Structure: Eighteenth Century Experiments in Mediation’, Journal of Society of Architectural Historians, Vol 50, No.1, (Mar., 1991), pp. 38-56.

Alison Hodges, 'Painshill, Cobham, Surrey: The Grotto', Garden History, Vol.3, No.2, (Spring, 1975), pp.23-28.

Alison Hodges, 'Painshill Park, Cobham, Surrey (1700-1800): Notes for a History of the Landscape Garden of Charles Hamilton', Garden History, Vol.2, No.1 (Autumn, 1973), pp.39-68.

Max Nicholson, 'Hamilton, Charles (bap. 1704, d.1786)', rev. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http:www.oxforddnd.com/view/article/37504, accessed 5 Nov 2014].