WOW 65’000 FOLLOWERS , thank you so much everyone. I know people follow me for the houses I visit, but I just wanted to say hello, and say thank you. Here’s a photo of me at Weston Park, just so you can put a face to the name. My name is Christopher Skelton-Davies and I’m basically obsessed with country houses (hence the feed name), not just the beautiful buildings themselves , but everything that comes with them, the art, the gardens, parks, larger estate, general history and the people who lived in them, worked in them, designed them and built them. Palladianism has to be my favourite style of architecture, but I do love them all, big or small, one of my favourites is a Ruin, and it’s been this way since I was very young. I also have the useless skill of being able to identify a house by only seeing a very small part, like a window, which my family and friends regularly test me on whilst watching TV. A lot of people contact me with their personal connections and stories with some of the houses I visit and I love to hear those stories so please DM and share. Also any house owners or managers that want me to feature their house, just DM me, if I can get to you, I will, every house has its own magic. #me#instagood#manor#manorhouse#countryhouse#countryhouses#statelyhome#statelyhomes#statelyhomesofengland#architecture#architecturephotography#architecturalhistory#chateau#historichomes#historichouses#historichouse#hello#thankyou#thanksforthefollow#landscapephotography#landscape#garden#architecturelovers#me#thankyou#westonpark@westonparkofficial
Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, was originally built in 1552 by Sir William Cavendish and his wife Elizabeth (Bess) of Hardwick.
On Bess’s death in 1608, she bequeathed the contents of Chatsworth to her second and favourite son, William, along with a large fortune. Although Chatsworth was inherited by Bess’s eldest son Henry, William later bought out his brother's interest in the house itself in 1609. In 1605, he was created Baron Cavendish of Hardwick, and in 1618 became Earl of Devonshire.
The 4th Earl of Devonshire (later 1st Duke) did not inherit his title until 1684 when he was 43 and by this point Chatsworth had fallen into a bad state of repair. Initially the intention was only to alter the South Front, which was taken down in 1686 and replaced with new family rooms and a magnificent State Apartment. However, the East Front was soon after also rebuilt, including the Painted Hall and a long gallery (now the Library), followed by the West Front and finally the North Front. William Talman was the architect for the South and East Fronts. The West was perhaps designed by the Duke himself, working closely with his masons, and the North, with its bow front, by Thomas Archer. The new Chatsworth was finished just before the Duke died in 1707.
The 4th Duke was the next to make major changes to Chatsworth. The architect James Paine (c.1716-1789) was commissioned to build new stables, and he also designed a new bridge upstream of the house. Lancelot (Capability) Brown (1716-1783) was commissioned to replace the 1st Duke's formal garden and park with the natural, romantic look which he had helped bring into fashion.
The 6th Duke succeeded his father at the age of 21. He engaged the architect Sir Jeffry Wyatville (1766-1840) to build the long North Wing at Chatsworth, which was capped in 1827 by a belvedere storey built to the Duke's own design.
Chatsworth continued in the family and is today the home of Peregrine, 12th Duke of Devonshire and his wife Amanda.
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Mount Stuart House, Isle of Bute, was begun for the 3rd Marquess of Bute (one of the richest men in the world) in 1879, to the designs of Sir Robert Rowand Anderson. This replaced the original house (built 1719) that had been destroyed by fire in December 1877. It is a striking example of ninteenth-century Gothic Revival architecture.
The 3rd Marquess spared no expense on the lavish interior, where the emphasis is on quality and detailed craftsmanship. The Marble Hall is a captivating confection of tiered gothic colonnades built of 20 different types of marble, rising to an 80-foot-high vaulted ceiling decorated with a map of the stars made of glass crystals set into the stone.
Interestingly, despite the clear advocation of mediaeval principles, Mount Stuart was equipped with the very latest conveniences. Not only was it the first house in Scotland to be lit by electricity, but a system of hot water pipes throughout the structure provided central heating. A telephone cable was installed in 1887 and the very latest plumbing system was serviced by a new waterworks built just 2 miles away. The swimming pool was the first ever heated pool to be contained within a house.
The Marquess died in 1900 with Mount Stuart still not complete. In his will he left £100,000 to each of his children, with the exception of his eldest son, who inherited the Bute estates including Cardiff Castle and the family seat, Mount Stuart House, and Dumfries House in Ayrshire.
Mount Stuart was completed by his heir and continued down the male line. Today, it is still owned by the family, although the Mount Stuart Trust has taken care of the house since 1989, maintaining it for the enjoyment of the public.
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