What happened to England's abandoned mansions

For once I agree with you, it is very sad that such gorgeous architecture has fallen into decay, but as you say, the decline of the British aristocracy/old money has been instrumental in these events. Not sure what is more depressing, that or the ones in this story [sorry DM link] This road is a couple of miles away from me and has/had many huge and beautiful houses. Several have been bulldozed to make way for modern and just imo, vulgar 'mansions' Too many of those that haven't are still owned by mega rich foreign nationals and have been allowed to pretty much crumble. I admit the photographer in me would love to get into a few of them with a camera, but that particular road has more security than Buckingham Palace.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...taircases-street-mansions-stood-25-years.html
 
I agree also they'd make fantastic photo projects but its a sad one. Near me, the Charles Rennie Mackintosh place Hill House is operated by the national trust. It's a shame perhaps the national trust couldn't get their hands on these.

_DSC0789 by SFTPhotography, on Flickr

Planning permission laws make it too easy to demolish good old houses to put up new ones. I am all for modern architecture but houses of this calibre need saved. Even if you "flat" them its better that, than this ruination of great housing.

The interior shots of the DM links are very depressing. So long as the houses are in a good state of repair, their ownership/usage doesn't upset me, much. However, seeing this old houses in that state is very sad.
 
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Who owns doesn't worry me too much, the annoying part is that the majority of those in disrepair are owned by people that can afford to keep them in a good state of repair and simply don't. I know it's easy to argue 'their house they can do what they want with it' and I suppose in the grand scheme of things that is true, but it still grates on me. Having said that, many houses on that road are rarely occupied, even the newer builds, they have a skeleton staff to keep them going but the owners might pop by for a night or two every couple of years, quite literally. I know this frustrates homeless charities hugely and I can sort of see why, but we are probably talking about 20 houses, albeit quite large ones, which is a tiny percentage of London real estate.

Hill House is on my list of places to visit when I get chance btw.
 
I was only thinking of visiting Witley Court today when I saw this article.

I've visited Woodchester Mansion a few times. When the workmen downed tools in 1870, it looks as though they left last week, it's remarkable for being so unfinished. A few years ago my son was in a youth drama group performing in a play staged in various rooms throughout the mansion. They were re-enacting the history of the house and in one scene bats were literally flying around the room. It's famous too for it's bat colonies, they do well there at Halloween! The House is maintained in it's current state and is a centre for studying stonemasonry I believe.

Interesting article.
 
I'm just along the road from Hill House, PM me when you decide to go.

Upper Helensburgh isn't quite Billionaires row, but there's a lot of decent houses, sadly one of the iconic William Lieper houses has fallen into state of disrepair after being a nursing home

http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotla...sburgh-hell-house-conservation-plan-1-2866915

Its a shame, and if renovated would make a belting family home or even split luxury flats/appartments or B&B's.

The homeless charities whilst it must grate need to realise that homeless people would never be living in homes like that anyway and direct their wrath at the lower end of the market and the prices in which properties like that are headed (a two bed house in Harsleden London is worth over half a million and its not a great area).

It galls me though in the DM links the houses aren't in a better state of repair, A Saudi royals house, or any house like that should be tip top. If someone here had that as their main family home, it would be better.
 
This is another one, Croome Court nr Worcester. It used to be the 'country seat' of the Earls of Coventry. When the 6th Earl inherited it in about 1750 he employed 'Capability Brown' to redesign it. It fell into serious decline and was for years the home of the Hare Krishna community. The NT have got their hands on it now and are restoring it. That's some serious scaffolding!


Croome Court: Southern façade. by all you need is light, on Flickr
 
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I have always said that should I ever get one of those big lottery wins [20mill+] I would buy a medium size country pile and restore it. There is a story behind this desire. When I was 21 and rented my first house with the then fiancé [since married, kids, long since divorced] the house was on a small gravelled road in Cheadle. A cottage terrace with lots of character, but my favourite part was actually not the cottage, it was the house at the end of the track. A beautiful Georgian detached house, double fronted with a pretty much square footprint, grand hall/staircase, gardens that completely surrounded the house. I absolutely loved it and despite having been empty for many years, had not actually started crumbling too badly. Nor had vandals paid it much attention either, maybe because it was so out of the way, but you could get into the garden, look through still intact windows and see it still had most of its original features. Just after we moved it was sold and knocked down and land used to extend an industrial area. I was truly gutted at the time and swore that if opportunity ever came my way, I would try and save something similar. Of course sine then the interest in restoring old houses has rocketed thanks to the plethora of DIY programs, so it's fair to say I have enlarged my grand scheme to a lottery win and a much bigger pile :D
 
As Yvonne mentioned Steve, it's the story of the decline of the British aristocracy. The last Earl was killed in action in 1940 and it's been downhill since then, all the money gone and the estate going to ruin until the NT stepped in nearly twenty years ago.

Probably a bit dated now, but the old TV series 'Brideshead revisited' an Evelyn Waugh book I think, provides an excellent account of the decline of the aristocracy set at Castle Howard.
 
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To add to this thread, following on from the BBC article yesterday it prompted me to visit Witley Court for the first time, which is situated ten miles or so NW of Worcester. As the article describes it's just a shell having suffered a devastating fire in 1937 and then suffering complete neglect and being stripped of anything at all of value by antique dealers etc.

English Heritage maintain the property on behalf of the current owners. They have restored the gardens, the one major fountain and the fabric of the remaining buildings. The scale and opulence of the place can still be appreciated today and the state of the house gives an insight into how it was built. At it's peak in 1890, (it was owned by the 2nd Earl of Dudley whose family were industrialists having made their money initially through Birmingham coal) the house had a basic staff of at least 100, many more when Royal visits were paid. The heating system used 30 tons of coal per day!

The weather ended up being very grey unfortunately, so not great for pictures, but here's three, the first one is one of a handful of keepers, the other two are to illustrate what the place is like.

1. Witley Court, the Flora Fountain, damaged and missing the main statue when they tried to move it apparently.

Witley Court: The Flora Fountain by all you need is light, on Flickr

2. An overall view of the house, S. front and the huge fountain, one of the biggest in Europe, now restored to full working order.

View attachment 25906

3. The main hall. This would have been very grand at one time with staircases at the end and a first floor balcony arrangement.

View attachment 25907
 
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PS: I discovered Procol Harum used Witley Court as a location for a video for 'Whiter Shade of Pale' in 1967, it was in a much worse state then it can be seen.

 
Been to Witley Court a couple of years ago on the way to Ironbridge. An enjoyable, though bittersweet experience thinking how it must have looked before the fire. On the day we went, it was boiling hot and I remember sitting on the edge of that fountain baking.
Well worth a visit.
 
The only way you'd have got in before the fire was round the back with a doff of the cap , thank e kindly sir

On the antiques roadshow a few weeks ago they were at a stately home, a guy in his 60s was talking to one of the presenters, he spent all of his childhood at the house but that was the closest he'd ever been to the front door
 
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