User:Giano/Exploding Houses

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Hamilton Palace circa 1880.

The Lost houses of Britain are a collection of, mostly, country houses of varying architectural merit which were demolished during the 20th century, the final chapter in the history of these, often now forgotten, houses has been describes as a cultural tragedy ^[1].

The British aristocracy have been demolishing their country houses since the 15th century, when comfort replaced fortification as essential need. In fact, for many of them, demolishing and rebuilding their country homes became a lifetime interest especially during the 18th century when it became fashionable to take the Grand Tour and return home with new art treasures, supposedly, from the classical civilizations. During the 19th century many houses were enlarged to accommodate increasing armies of servants. This made them often of unmanageable size, just 50 years later, however, during the 20th century something changed. The demolishing accelerated and the rebuilding stopped. The reasons for this are manifold. A combination of politics and changing life-styles caused a wave of destruction to a large part of Britain's national heritage. Since 1900 378 architecturally important country houses have been demolished^[2] in Scotland alone, 200 of these since 1945 ^[3]. This number can be applied pro-rata to both England and Wales. Included in the destruction were works by Robert Adam ^[4] and the monumental Hamilton Palace. One firm, Charles Brand of Dundee, demolished at least 56 country houses in Scotland in the 20 years from 1945 to 1965.^[5]

The destruction which began as a trickle just prior to World War I reached its zenith in 1955, when one house was demolished every five days.^[6]. Following the second world Britain was pervaded by a feeling that socialism would be permanent. Indeed as early as 1944 the trustees of Castle Howard convinced there was no future for Britain's great houses had begun selling the house's contents. ^[7] Increasing taxes, and a shortage of staff were already ensuring that the old way of life had gone for ever. This meant that the wealth and status of the owner provided no protection to the building as even the more wealthy owners became keen to free themselves of not only the expense of a large house but also the trappings of wealth and privilege. Thus it was not only the smaller country of houses of the gentry that disappeared but also the huge ducal palaces Alfred Waterhouse's gothic Eaton Hall, owned by Britain's wealthiest peer was razed to the ground in 1963 replaced by a smaller modern building, sixteen years earlier the Duke of Bedford had reduced Woburn Abbey to half its original size destroying facades and interiors by both Henry Flitcroft and Henry Holland. The Duke of Devonshire saved Hardwick Hall by surrendering it to the treasury in lieu of death duties which were charged at the maximum rate of 80% of the total value of an estate ^[8] but this solution was rarely acceptable to the government.

During the 1960 historians and public bodies began to realise the loss to the nation's heritage of this destruction. However, the process of change was long and it was not until 1984 with the salvation of Calke Abbey that it became obvious that opinion was truly changing if not assured. A large public appeal assured the preservation of Tyntesfield in 200? and as recently as 2007 Dumfries House and its collection were saved. Although by this date demolition had ceased to be a realistic option for listed buildings, an historic house with its contents intact had become recognized as worthy of retention and preservation.

[edit] Impoverished owners and a plethora of Country houses

Northumberland House, London. Demolished 1868

Great Brickhill Manor The Duncombes, members of the gentry, had the house demolished in 1936, retained their estate and moved into a more comfortable but smaller house in the same village

Clumber Park the seat of Dukes of Newcastle was demolished in 1938. The family had sold many of their assets first including the Hope diamond

Destroying buildings of national, or potential national, importance was not an act peculiar to the 20th century in Britain. The demolition of Northumberland House a prime example of the English Renaissance architecture passed without significant comment the late 1860s. Town houses such as Northumberland house were highly visible displays of wealth and political power so consequently more likely to be the victims of changing fashions. What was different in the 20th century was that the acts of demolition were often acts of desperation and last resort a house razed to the ground could not be valued for probate duty, or often a vacant site could be rebuilt upon, filled with numerous small houses and bungalows which would return a quick profit and replenish the depleted family coffers. More unusual still was that the houses destroyed were often not the more impersonal town house but the country house, the ancestral seat strongly entwined with the family's history and identity.

A significant factor which explained the seeming ease with which a British aristocrat could dispose of his ancestral seat, was due to the aristocratic habit of only marrying within the aristocracy and whenever possible to a sole heiress. This meant that by the 20th century many owners of country houses often owned several country mansions. Thus it became a favoured option to select the most conveniently sited (whether for privacy or sporting reason), easily managed, or of greatest sentimental value fill it with the choicest art works from the other properties and then demolish the less favoured. Thus in one solution not only solving any financial problems but also losing an unwanted burden.

The vast majority of the houses demolished were of less architectural importance than the great Baroque, Palladian and Neoclassical mansions by the notable architects. These smaller, but often aesthetically pleasing houses belonged to the gentry rather the aristocracy, in these cases the owners, little more than gentlemen farmers often razed the ancestral home t save costs and thankfully moved into a smaller but more comfortable farmhouse or large village house already existing n their estates.

Occasionally an aristocrat of the first rank did find himself with dire financial troubles. The severely impoverished Duke Of Marlborough saved Blenheim Palace by marrying an heiress tempted from USA by the lure of an old title in return for vast riches. ^[9] Not all were so fortunate or seemingly eligible. When 2nd Duke of Buckingham found himself bankrupt in 1848 he sold the contents of Stowe House, one of Britain's grandest houses, this left his heirs the 3rd and final Duke of Buckingham and his heirs the Earls Temple with huge financial problems until finally in 1922 anything left that was moveable both internal and external was auctioned off and the house sold - narrowly escaping demolition, it was saved by being transformed into a school. ^[10] less fortunate was Clumber Park the principal home of the Dukes of Newcastle. Selling the Hope diamond and other properties failed to solve the family problems leaving no alternative but the demolition of the huge expensive to maintain house - this was razed to the ground in 1938. Leaving the Duke without a ducal seat ^[11], plans to rebuild a smaller house on the site were never executed. ^[12] Other high ranking members of the peerage were also forced to off-load minor estates and seats the Duke of Northumberland retained Alnwick Castle but sold Stanwick Park to be demolished, leaving him with four other country seats remaining. ^[13] Likewise the Duke of Bedford kept Woburn Abbey while selling other family estates and houses. Whatever the personal choices and reasons for the sales and demolitions the underlying and unifying factor was almost always financial. The root of the problem began long before the 20th century with the gradual introduction of taxes on inherited wealth.

[edit] Direct causes

Before the 19th century the British Upper classes had enjoyed a life relatively, but not completely free, from taxation. Staff was plentiful and cheap and their estates not only provided them with a generous income from tenanted land but also political power. During the 19th century this began to change until by the mid 20th century they had no power and were suffering punitive taxation. The staff had either been killed in two world wars or forsaken a life of servitude for better wages elsewhere. Thus the owners of large country houses dependent on staff and a large income began by necessity to dispose of their material assets. Large houses had become redundant white elephants to be abandoned or demolished. It seemed that in particular regard to the country houses no one was prepared to lift a finger to save them.

There are several reasons which had brought about this situation - Most significantly in the early 20th century there was no legislation to protect what is now considered to be the nation's heritage. Additionally, public opinion did not have the sentiment and interest in national heritage that is evident in Britain today. When the loss of Britain's architectural heritage reached its zenith at the rate of one house every 5 days in 1955 few were particularly interested or bothered. In the immediate aftermath of World War II to the British public still suffering from the deprivations of food rationing and restriction on building work the destruction of these great redundant houses was of little interest, in fact to many they were seen as symbols of repression - places where their parents and grandparents had toiled in the basements for little reward. From 1914 onwards there had been a huge exodus away from a life in domestic service, having experienced the less restricted and better paid life away from the great estates few were anxious to return - this in itself was a further reason that life in the English country house was becoming near impossible to all but the very rich.

Another consideration was education, before the late 1950s and the advent of the stately home business very few working class people has seen the upstairs of these great houses, those that had were there only to only to clean and serve, with an obligation to keep their eyes down, rather than be educated or even to gawp. Thus ignorance of the Nation's heritage was a large contributory factor to the indifference that met the destruction. <Find a ref for all this look in GHQ Vol II and III>

All though cannot be blamed on public indifference successive legislation pertaining the national heritage, often formulated by the aristocracy themselves had deliberately omitted any references to private houses. The reasons that so many British country houses were destroyed in the 20th century can during the second half be fairly attributed to politics and social conditions. During the second world war many large houses were requisitioned, and subsequently for the duration of the war were use for the billeting of military personnel, government operations, hospitals, schools and a myriad of other uses all far removed from the purpose for which they were designed. At the end of the war when handed back to the owners many were in a poor if not ruinous state of repair. During the next two decades restriction applied to building works as Britain was rebuilt, priority being given to replacing what had been lost during the war rather than the oversized home of a seemingly elite family. In addition death duties which had been raised to all time highs by the new Labour Government which swept into power in 1945 hit Britain's aristocracy hard. These factors coupled with a decrease in people available or willing to work as servants left the owners of country houses facing huge dilemmas of how to manage their estates. The most obvious solution was to off-load the the cash eating family mansion. Many were offered for sale suitable for institutional use, those not readily purchased were speedily demolished. In the years immediately after the war the law, even had it wished to, was powerless to stop the demolition of a private house no matter how architecturally important.

Ended in late 1960s/early 1970s by Town and Country Planning Act 1968 and change of attitudes.

Mention Halnaby Hall demolished 1952 - attempts to save ut etc *Byron's honeymoon

• foto of Halnaby

[edit] Loss of income from the estate

The neoclassical Blythswood House, Renfrew designed by James Gillespie Graham. Home of the Lords Blythswood it was demolished in 1935. Five years later the family title became extinct.

Before the 1870s estates, often several thousand acres - divided into a home farm and vast kitchen gardens which supplied the mansion itself with meat, milk, fruit and vegetables, and several other farms let to paying tenants - were profitable enough to maintain the mansion and provide a partial, if not complete, income to the estate's owner. The agricultural depression of the 1870s was to change the profitability of the estate in general. Previously it had at least yielded enough money to service loans on the large debts and mortgages which many owners of country estates had always regarded as the norm ^[14] to fund a lavish lifestyle, which often was spent not only in the country but also maintain a large house in London. As a consequence of the agricultural depression by the 1880 some owners of country estates were already experiencing a financial shortfall between maintaining the estate and the income it provided. Many owners had other incomes from banking and trade, or as in the case of the severely impoverished Duke Of Marlborough married an heiress tempted from USA by the lure of an old title in return for vast riches. ^[15]

[edit] Loss of Political Power

The country houses have been described as "power houses" ^[16] from which their owners controlled not only the vast estates surrounding them but also the people living in the locality of those estates by their political influence. In political elections held in public before 1872 which were only open to a limited section of the community many of whom were the landowner's friends, tradesmen with whom he dealt, senior employees or tenants, hence if the local landowner who not only often owned an elector's house but was also his employer it would not be a wise move to be to be seen voting against him in public.

The Third Reform Act of 1885 widened the number of males eligible to vote considerably to 60% of the population. Males paying an annual rental of £10, or all holding land valued at £10 or over were now eligible to vote. The other factor was the reorganization of constituency boundaries, thus a candidate who for years had been returned unopposed suddenly found part of his electorate was from an area outside of his influence. Thus the national power of the landed aristocrats and gentry was slowly diminished. The Ruling class was slowly ceasing to rule. In 1888 the creation of local elected authorities eroded their immediate local power too. The final blow the reform of the house of Lords in 1911 proved to be the final factor of the beginning of the end for the country house lifestyle which had been enjoyed in a similar way for generations of the upper classes.

Land prices and incomes continued to fall, the great London palaces were the first casualties, the peer no longer needed to use his London house as a display of his might and power, its site was often more valuable empty than with the anachronistic palace in situ selling them was the for redevelopment was the obvious first choice to raise dome fast cash ^[17]. The second choice was sell part of the landed estate, especially if had been purchased in order to expand political territory. In fact, the buying of land, before the reforms of 1885, to expand political territory had earlier too had a detrimental effect on country houses. Often when a second estate was purchased to expand another, the purchased estate too had a country house. However, if the land (and its subsequent local influence) was the only requirement its house would then be let or neglected, often both. This was certainly the case at Tong Castle (see below) and many other houses. A huge unwanted country house unsupported by land quickly becomes a liability.

[edit] Loss of wealth through taxation

• Income Tax

Income tax was first introduced in Great Britain in 1799 as a means of subsidising wars defending against Napoleon ^[18] While not imposed in Ireland the rate of rate of 10% on the total income, with reductions only possible in incomes below £200 it immediately hit the better off. The tax was repealed for a brief period in 1802 during a cessation in hostilities with the French but its reintroduction 1803 was to set the pattern for all future taxation in Britain. ^[19] While the tax was again repealed following the victory at Waterloo, the advantages of such taxation were now obvious. In 1841 following the election victory of Sir Robert Peel the exchequer was so depleted that the tax made surprise return on incomes above £150 while still known as a "temporary tax" ^[20] it was never again to be repealed. During the remainder of the century and the first decade of the 20th century all attempts to tax the rich harder were successfully fought (rephrase this) In 1907, Herbert Asquith introduced ‘differentiation’ a tax designed to be more punitive to those with investments rather than an earned income. This directly hit the aristocracy and gentry. Two years later Lloyd George in his People’s Budget of 1909 announced plans for a super-tax for the rich. The bill introducing the tax was defeated in the House of Lords. Any respite this defeat gave the owners of large country houses, many of them members of the House of Lords was to be brief and ultimately self-defeating. The bill's defeat led to the 1911 Parliament Act which removed the Lords’ power of veto. ^[21]

Death duties are the taxes most commonly associated with the decline of the British country house. These are, in fact, not a phenomenon in Britain peculiar to the 20th century, they had first been introduced 1796. Known as "Legacy Duty", it was a tax payable on money bequeathed from a personal estate. Next of kin inheriting were exempt from payment, but anyone other than wives and children of the deceased had to pay on a increasing scale depending on the distance of the relationship from the deceased.

The taxes gradually increased not only on the amount percentage of the estate that had to be paid, but also to include closer heirs liable to payment. By 1815 tax was liable to all except the spouse of the deceased.

By 1853 a new tax was introduced "Succession Duty" resulted in tax being liable on all forms of inheritance. In 1881 "Probate Duty" became liable on all personal property bequeathed at death. The wording personal property meant that for the first time not only the house and its estate were taxed but also the contents of the house and jewellery - these often were of greater value than the estate itself. By 1884 Estate Duty taxed property of any manner bequeathed at death.</ref>Facts in this section from "Find My Past"</ref> but even when the Liberal government in 1894 reformed and tidied the complicated system at 8% on properties valued at over one million pounds they were not exorbitant. Death duties were though to slowly increase and become a serious problem to the country estate through out the first half of the 20th century reaching its zenith when assisting in the funding of of World war II. This proved to be the final straw for many families in 1940 death duties were raised from 50% to 65% following the cessation of hostilities they were raised a further twice between 1946 and 1949. Some families suffered a double blow, some estate owner's had given their properties to their heirs in advance of their own deaths to escape duties, when subsequently the heir was killed fighting death duties became immediately payable, the estate would then pass back to the elderly former owner who in turn would die before the first death duties had been paid, in this way some estates were bankrupted. (is this true? - check it out)

[edit] Lack of legislation

Trentham Hall demolished in 1911. The Italianate Trentham was so grand that the Shah of Persia in 1873 remarked to the future King Edward VII, of their host "too grand for a subject, you'll have to have his head off when you come to the throne." ^[22]

The Ancient Monuments Consolidation Act of 1913 which was a list of important ancient monuments considered of value to the national heritage had deliberately excluded inhabited houses^[23] This oversight which lead to the destruction of so much can be attributed to the prevailing attitude of the aristocracy themselves. When in 1911 the immensely wealthy Duke of Sutherland acting in a whim wished to dispose of Trentham Hall, a vast Italianate palace on Staffordshire, he first offered it to the County Council, when not settlement to be reached he decided to demolish it. The smallest public resistance to this plan caused the Duke of Rutland to write an irate letter to the times accusing the objectors of "impudence" and going to say "....fancy my not being allowed to make a necessary alteration to Haddon without first obtaining the leave of some inspector" ^{[24] [25]} Thus despite money being no problem for its owner ^[26] Trentham Hall was completely obliterated from its park, which the Duke retained and then opened to the public.

[edit] Other factors

The owners themselves - quote CPF

During the 20th century Northern Irish country houses suffered a two pronged attack. Not only were their owners, often members of the Anglo-Irish aristocracy and gentry subject to the same taxation and circumstances as their counterparts in mainland Britain,which resulted in similar demolitions but also the political conflicts and struggle peculiar to Ireland known collectively as The Troubles.

Seen often as symbols of British oppression from the moment of their construction, during the 1920s many country houses in both Southern and Nothern Ireland became a target for attack. ^[27] Especially if owned by absentee English landlords or members of the Judiciary. Numerous houses of great architectural merit were during this period razed to the ground by fire, the years between 1919 and 1923 containing the worst losses. ^[28] These included many examples of Ireland's varied architecture from the Gothic Tynan Abbey to the very unique and Irish Palladianism and neoclassical styles. However as in mainland Britain many were simply destroyed for being surplus to requirement, too expensive to maintain.

[edit] Fire

Fire has always been the traditional enemy of country houses and has been single greatest cause of their loss.

[edit] Evaluation and cause of individual architectural losses

This whole section and following has got to be chopped and incorporated elsewhere.

[edit] Medieval

Beaupre Hall. Demolished 1966. Shortly before its demolition it was photographed with an army of small bungalows sited within metres of its walls

The true loss of medieval architecture cannot be accurately discerned, by the 20th century most inhabited medieval houses had been vastly altered to suit changing tastes. many houses appearing outwardly of a later date were in fact at least partly constructed on medieval foundations. Of the house demolished that appeared of an early date many in fact of the Gothic revival period. There were, however, some notable exceptions.

Beaupre Hall, famously photographed in a ruinous state just before its demolition with small box-like bungalows clustered within metres of its ancient walls, was a larger early Tudor mansion constructed circa 1500.

[edit] Renaissance

[edit] Restoration

Restoration House needed - c'mon Wetman any suggestions? [Coleshill, Berkshire - fire 1952?]

[edit] Baroque

Wingerworth Hall photographed six years before its demolition in 1927

Wingerworth Hall demolished 1927 was the ancestral home of the Hunloke family, built on an elevated site and completed in 1724 by an unknown architect, the house was in the rare style of understated Baroque peculiar to England. The rectangular building was on three floors raised above a semi-basement. Thus causing to the principal rooms to be on a piano nobile reached from a broad straight external staircase. The principal facade was of three bays with the central entrance bay projecting. The ornament was chaste alleviated by only by the architrave of the central entrance which supported a broken pediment, quoining at the extremities of the building and massive key stones above each window. The roof was hidden by a balustrade decorated by urns alternating with stone spheres. This format of design was typical of the rare late English Baroque, and can be seen in a less sophisticated form at Sherborne House in Dorset and in its full fruitation at Chatsworth and Easton Neston. The interior of Wingerworth was arranged arownd a central double height hall described as "a model of English Baroque" ^[29]

By the end of the 19th century the Hunloke's fortune was severely depleted and the house was let to tennants. In 1920 ot was offered for sale, failing to find a purchaser wishing to reside in the house the Hunloke family sold it to a demolition contractor, the interiors were stripped and sold. One of the rooms is today is displayed in the Saint Louis Art Museum, Missouri. ^[30]

[6]

[edit] Palladian

Nuthall Temple photographed in 1906. The house was demolished in 1929. The rotunda proved indestructable, at the time, and remained untill dynamited in the 1950s to make way for a motorway

Nuthall Temple in Nottinghamshire was one of only four houses built in Britain generally said to have been inspired by Palladio's Villa Capra in Vicenza ^[31]. The remaining three Mereworth Castle (completed 1723), Chiswick House ^[32] (completed 1729)) and [I can't remember its bloody name]] [Foots Cray Place - built 1754, fire 1949, demolished 1950] are today all listed as Grade 1 national monuments. Nuthall Temple was completed in 1757 towards the end of the Palladian fashion in England. Nuthall Temple ^[33] does not follow the imitation of Villa Capra as closely as its earlier prototypes but the homage to Palladio's concepts is strongly pronounced. In fact the house bears a stronger resemblance to Villa Pisani ^[34] by Vincenzo Scamozzi ^[35] This similarity makes the architecture of Nuthall extremely interesting as Villa Pisani (completed in 1578), like Nuthall, has a recessed portico rather than prostyle inserted within the facade. This was to become a strong feature of the neoclassical architecture ^[36] which was to follow Palladianism in Britain which makes Nuthall avant guarde in in its late Palladianism.

Designed by Thomas Wright ^[37] for a country land owner Sir Charles Sedley, the house way designed around a 58 ft ^[38] high hall beneath the central dome. The hall was decorated with rococo plaster-work of a standard easily equal to that at Claydon House. In 1817 the house passed to the Holden family who due to the burden of death duties ^[39]. The house was sold to a demolition firm and demolished. Today the M1 motorway passes directly over its site.

[edit] Neoclassical

Balbardie House photographed in 1910, it was demolished in 1954

Balbardie House was a country house in West Lothian, Scotland near to the town of Bathgate. Designed by Robert Adam this great neoclassical mansion was demolished in two stages in 1954 and in 1975 ^[40]

The seat since 1624 of the Marjoribanks family^[41] The house was constructed at the end of the 18th century and situated within a park of 100 acres. ^[42] One of Adam's final designs, it is doubtful he saw the completed project as the plans are signed and dated 1792 ^[43] shortly before his death the house is typical of his neoclassical style the corps de logis having similarities with another of Adam's great houses Kedleston Hall except at Balbardie Adam used in a single small pediment at the centre rather than fully suggesting the Arch of Constantine as he did at Kedleston. Another common Adam feature highly defined, but in an unusual setting at Balbarbie are the recessed apses behind screening columns in the low wings connecting the three bayed pavilions to the corps de logis ^[44]. This was a feature Adam often used internally but seldom externally. That Adam was not present during the final stages of drawing and completion of the house is evident by the prominence of the chimneys at Kedleston and elsewhere so carefully disguised, the pitch of the roofs suggests a nothern Baroque such as the Nymphenburg (where the chimneys are equally visible). However, these features ar part of the charactor of the house and should not be seen as detracting from its architectural importance.

The glory of Balbarbie as one of Scotlanh's grandest private houses was to be short lived - barely sixt years, in 1861 it was purchased by the trustees of a hospital, later it was converted into apartments for miners. The house with the exception of one of the pavilions was demolished in 1954, the remaining pavilion was demolished in 1975. The author Ian Gow described the demolition thus: "the dilapidation and staged demolition of Balbardie.....due to a lack of funding, diminished the heritage of the work of one of Scotland's most celebrated architects, Robert Adam" ^[45]

Following the demolition of 1975 the Bathgate Leisure Centre was erected on the site. ^[46]

[edit] Italianate

[edit] Gothic revival

Tong Castle demolished 1954

Tong Castle was a very large mostly Gothic country house in Shropshire, set within a park landscaped by Capability Brown. ^[47] While there was originally a 12th century castle on the site this was demolished in 1765 after the estate had been purchases by George Durant ^[48] who built the house illustrated. The building has been described both: as an "architectural mongrel" ^[49], and more flatteringly as "the first real gothic building in Shropshire" ^[50] while at first glance there appear some anomalies of design, such as the ogee domes which though Gothic in shape are more redolent of the English Reniassance style, the house was actually in the Strawberry Hill Gothic popularized by Horace Walpole.

Walpole's Gothic house at Strawberry Hill was begun in 1749, expanded in 1760, and completed in 1776. Thus the comparatively early date of 1765 for Tong castle to be erected in this fairly rare style would today have made Tong of the highest architectural grading class. The battlemented towers and pediments coupled with the paned, rather than traditional Gothic leaded, windows crowned by Ogee curves are typical of this style, as too are the generous bay windows with circular windows and cruciform motifs in the upper levels. The later 19th century Gothic tended to be more ecclesiastical and sombre in mood, with dark rooms lit by lancet windows while the earlier Gothic had larger windows and a "joie de vivre" of design not found in later versions of the style

The house assed from the Durant family in 1854 to the Earl of Bradford, the Earl had no wish to live at Tong but expand his estate in the area and let the house ^[51]. In 1911 the house was damaged by fire and remained unrestored until demolished in 1954 ^[52] to make way for the M54 motorway.

[edit] Country house revival

The President of SAVE Britain's Heritage, Marcus Binney's high profile campaign to save Mentmore failed; but the subsequent departure from Britain of many important works of art from Mentmore caused public opinion to slowly change

The unprecedented demolitions of the 20th century did not however see the demise of the country house, but a consolidation of thos that were most favoured by their owners. Many were the ubject of vast alteration and rearrangements of the interior, to facilitate the new way of life less depemdent on vast armmies of servants. Separate sivice wings were often demolished or allowed to crumble as was the case at West Wycombe Park.

During the late 1970s the demolition of great country houses began to slow. However while the dissapearance of the houses eased the dispersal of the contents of many of these near redundant museums of social history did not. A fact highlighted in the early 1970s by the disperal sale of Mentmore. The eminent architectural historian and President of SAVE Britain's Heritage, Marcus Binney's high profile campaign to save the mid Victorian mansion failed; and the subsequeny departure from Britain of many important works of art from Mentmore caused public opinion to slowly change. The house had in fact been offerd to the nation by its owners in lieu of death duties, but the Labour Governent of James Callaghan with a general election in sight did not wish to be seen saving the ancestral home of an heriditory nobleman thus rejected the offer. by 1984 public and Government opinion has so changed that a campaign to save Calke Abbey was successful rewrite this para retaining facts

Ulster Architectural Heritage Society was founded "to promote the appreciation and enjoyment of architecture from the prehistoric to the present in the nine counties of Ulster, and to encourage its preservation and conservation" ^[53]

The Society was founded in 1967 to counter threats to the survival of Northern Ireland's historic architecture. The Society strongly advocated and strongly fought for the introduction of Listed building legislation of in Northern Ireland, a campaign which was ultimately successful in 1972. This system saw the introduction grants for repairs and whole areas being designates for conservation.

Folowing a prolonged campaign between 1982 and 1984 Calke Abbey was saved as a result of increased public awareness and interest in Btritan's heritage

• Harewood Park demolished 1959 [7] [8]

• Castle Howard gutted by fire November 1940 - now partially restored

• Agecroft Hall transported to USA and rebuilt in Richmond [9]

• Calke Abbey use facts from here.

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Find out who said this
2. ^ Binney
3. ^ Gow
4. ^ Balbardie
5. ^ RCAHMS.
6. ^ V&A.[1]
7. ^ Worsley, p 95
8. ^ Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire, p 60.
9. ^ Stuart, p. 135
10. ^ The history of Stowe
11. ^ much later during the the 1950s the 9th Duke moved to Wiltshire making Boyton, a former Fane estate, the family's principal home.
12. ^ Biography of Henry Francis Hope Pelham-Clinton-Hope
13. ^ Worsley, p.9
14. ^ Worsley p 11
15. ^ Stuart, p. 135
16. ^ Girouard find the page number
17. ^ Worsley p 12
18. ^ [2]
19. ^ H M Revenue and Customs
20. ^ [3]
21. ^ [4]
22. ^ Clay, p 56
23. ^ Worsley, p. 9
24. ^ Worsley, p 9
25. ^ In fairness to the Duke of Rutland, it should be pointed out that his restoration work at Haddon Hall had saved the medieval mansion from ruin
26. ^ Worsley, p 9
27. ^ Independence of Ireland
28. ^ this needs to be reffed
29. ^ Worsley, p 35
30. ^ St Louis Art Museum
31. ^ Both Holden and Broxtowe make this claim
32. ^ Chiswick House, one of the most notable of England's Palladian houses was partially demolished in the 20th century, only the "corps de logis" remains today
33. ^ The appellation given to many British country houses has often no relevance to the issue, and often in the case of castles and abbeys refers to former buildings on the site - in Nuthall's case the term "temple" undoubtedly refers to building "temple-like appearance
34. ^ This villa at Lonigo, Vicenza is also known as "La Rocca" "Rocca Pisani" or "Vettor Pisani Villa" should not be confused with other Villas such as the Villa Pisani also in the Veneto
35. ^ Dal Lago, illustration 30 shows principal facade of Villa Pisani appearing almost identical to Nuthall Temple.
36. ^ Dal Lago, p 74.
37. ^ Vitruvius Britannicus 1767 edition
38. ^ Holden
39. ^ Broxtowe
40. ^ Scotland in Sunday
41. ^ The Marjoribanks Journal
42. ^ British History Online
43. ^ King, p 153
44. ^ King, p 153
45. ^ Gow
46. ^ The Marjoribanks Journal
47. ^ Wolverhampton's Listed Buildings
48. ^ George Durant 1734-1780, the son of a country rector was in interesting character who was shipped abroad following an affair with Lady Lyttelton, of Hagley Hall - while away from England in the West Indies he made his fortune in the slave trade - returning a wealthy man, he subsequently build Tong castle. Ref:BBC.CO.UK
49. ^ Wolverhampton's Listed Buildings
50. ^ BBC.CO.UK
51. ^ Tong Castle's Decline and Fall
52. ^ Worsley, somewhere near the beginining!
53. ^ UAHSretrieved 08 October 2007

[edit] References

• RCHAMS retrieved 17 March 2007

• Clay, Catrine (2006). King, Kaiser, Tsar. London: John Murray. ISBN 13-978-0-7195-6536-7. 

• Devonshire, Deborah, Duchess of. Chatsworth. Derbyshire Countryside Ltd. ISBN 085100 118 1. 

• Gow, Ian (2006). Scotland's Lost Houses. Trafalgar Square. ISBN 1845130510. 

• Binney, Marcus (2006). Lost Houses of Scotland. Save Britain's Heritage. ISBN 0-905978-05-6. 

• Moore, Victor (2005). A Practical Approach to Planning Law. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0 19 927299 4. 

• Worsley, Giles (2002). England's lost Houses. London: Aurum Press. ISBN 1 85410 820 4. 

• King, David (2001). The Complete Works of Robert and James Adam. Architectural Press. ISBN 0750644680. 

• Find my past retreived 22 march 2007

• St Louis Art Museumretrieved 22 march 2007

• Broxtow Borough retrieved 23 March 2007

• Nuthall Temple by Mrs Holden retrieved 23 March 2007

• Wolverhampton's Listed Buildings retrieved 23 March 2007

• BBC.CO.UK retrieved 23 March 2007

• British History Online retrieved 25 March 2007

• The Marjoribanks Journal retrieved 25 March 2007

• Scotland in Sunday, Sun 5 Nov 2006 retrieved 25 March 2007

• Independence of Ireland retrieved 25 March 2007

• The archaeology of the Great Famine

• Researching Strong(e)s and Strang(e)s in Britain and Ireland

• Stuart, Amanda Mackenzie, Consuelo and Alva Vanderbilt: The Story of a Daughter and Mother in the Gilded Age, Harper Perennial, 2005, ISBN 978-0-06-093825-3

• The history of Stowe retrieved 09 October 2007

• Biography of Henry Francis Hope Pelham-Clinton-Hope, 8th Duke (1866-1941) retrieved 10. October 2007

[edit] PAGE ENDS HERE

[edit] Useful memo things for me

• Scotland's Lost Houses

• Exhibitions at the V&A
  • "The Destruction of the Country House", 1974
  • "SAVE Britain’s Heritage 1975-2005: 30 Years of Campaigning", 3 November 2005 – 12 February 2006 [10]

• [11]

• Scotland's Lost Country Houses

• Save Britain's Heritage

• Garendon Hall which was demolished in 1964

Description from here of the explosion of a house: [12]

Tis is a direct quote: "Then, on 18th July 1954, a large crowd gathered to watch this historic event. The operation was conducted by the 213 Field Squadron Royal Engineers (T.A.). 208 boreholes were placed around the building, using 136 lbs of plastic explosive, and 75lbs of amatol. The Church windows were opened to cope with the blast. At 2.30 p.m. Lord Newport fired the charges.”

Clumber Park demolished 1938.	Eaton Hall demolished 1963.	Great Brickhill Manor demolished 1936 - I've a hunch - same architect [5] check?	Trentham Hall demolished 1911
Bowood House, the main block to the right was demolished in 1956	St Leonards Hill in ruins.

[edit] The results and progress of acts designed to protect

Gathering of some thoughts and sense for final article (very dull - please no-one watching edit - it will all eventually be swept away:

[edit] Early acts pertaining to planning

British planning laws developed in a slow way from the public health acts of the 19th century more concerned with sanitation than asthetics. These acts began with various reforms of limited power during the 1840s. However, it was the 1875 public health which brought various local byelaw and acts together under one strong law. The 1875 Act was the first to consider accomadation and room sizes. Local authorities were given the powers to ensure that developers, anxious to cram as many buildings as possible into the smallest space, provided proper sewage systems and ensure room sizes were of a reasonable standard. Local authorities were also empowered to regulate not only the width of streets but also their construction. This led to sewers being placed under and an adequatly wide and paved road, making the narrow alleys flowing with excrement a thing of the past. The result was the the streets of long back to back terraces of housing synonemous with the Victorian housing . The 1875 act also provided provision for the enforced clearence of slum dwellings.

1888 saw the establishment of County Councils, adminastrative bodies desighned to oversea law, and to a limited extent create their own over each designated county. The County Council's replaced what had previously been known as the local Boards of Health - this was to provide an important change in emphasis from public health in housing to planning in general.

The begining of the 20th century saw further changes, not only in law, but in attitude by many employers. Employers realised the health of their workers could be directly related to productivity, and their employers health was often regulated by their housing. These enlightened employers began to construct ideal villages such as Bournville and Port Sunlight. The social reformer Ebenezer Howard published his book "Garden Cities of Tomorrow". This has been described as the book which was the starting point of the "New Towns Movement" first exemplified by Letchworth in 1903.

[edit] The Housing and Town Planning Act 1909

Was the first attempt in Britain to regulate what a land ownere could or could not do with his own property. Before this date a landowner could develop any area of land anywhere he liked. Tha act was not far reaching and chiefly concerned the social problems caused by bad housing in towns and cities. It made no attempt to regulate for or protect historic properties.

[edit] Ancient monument and Amendment Acts of 1882, 1900 and 1913

These acts were designed to cataloge the ancient monuments of Britain, but specifically omited to include any inhabited residence. Worsley claims one of the inspirations for the 1913 act was the proposal to transport Tattershall Castle to the USA. In the event it was purchased by Lord Curzon and the export of Lord Cromwell's castle was prevented. ^[1]

[edit] Town and Country Planning Act 1932

Was the first act of parliament designed to allow local authorities to prepare a long term development plan for an area. This was important to the owners of country estates as it allowed land for the first time to be zoned as suitable for large scale development in the future. As a strategy this was to prove a mistake ^[2] as it meant that the owner of a country estate could be payed advance for the land (if he so demanded), the authority then finding several years later they did not wish to build the large scale project initially envisage would then allow, and often encourage, small scale more haphazzardly planned development in order to recuperate their financial losses, thus many country estates which together made the English landscape as a whole began to loose the Constable quality they had retained.

[edit] Town and Country Planning (Interim Development) Act, 1943

Chiefly concerned with the redevelop,emt of war damaged areas, which took precedence over conservation and areas of historical importance

[edit] Town and Country Planning Act 1944

This act gave authorities the power to designate bombed land for development with the powers to compulasory purchase. Known as "Declatory areas" the local autority did not heve to develop themselves after compulasy purchase but could contract or sell to other developers ^[3]

The Act aslo made provision for a new miisterial department Ministry of Town and Country Planning they were charged with drawing up a list of buildings of architectural importance, and most importantly for the first time including inhabited buildings ^[4]

[edit] Town and Country Planning Act 1947

The the Town and Country Planning Act of 1947 went one step further regarding historical properties, this act required owners to notify the authorities of any intended alterations or significantly, demolitions. If necessary the authority was then enpowered to impose a preservation order. The Duke of bedford was in fact fined under this law for demolishing half of Woburn Abbey. However when in 1956 Lord Lansdowne notified the "Ministry of Housing and Government" of his intention to demolish the greater part and corps de logis of Bowood designed by Robert Adam, with the exception of James Lees-Milne, the noted biographer and historian of the English country house) no preservation society of historical group raised an objection and the demolition went ahead unchallenged. The mid 1950s, when country houses were reputed to be disapearing at the rate of obe every five days, were to prove the most catastrophic period of the 20th century for the British country house.

[edit] Town and Country Planning Act 1962

Listing suggested - but not acted upon

[edit] Town and Country Planning Act 1968

somehow need to bring in the fires immediatly before the act - see Inner Temple Library

[edit] Town and Country Planning Act 1971

Emphasize begining of the end of the malestrom

[edit] Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990

[edit] Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997

Need to find out how tgis differs from England

Use this site

fotos of some Scotish houses that may ne useful

Blythswood House photographed by Thomas Annan in 1870. The house stood on the former Ranfield (or Renfield) estate, west of Braehead, nestled at the junction of the River Cart and the River Clyde. James Gillespie Graham built 1821 for Archibald Campbelldemolished in 1935."

[edit] Houses still at risk

Ireland