Naked Science Forum
General Discussion & Feedback => Just Chat! => Topic started by: Matthew L on 24/08/2011 09:11:42
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I was wondering if it is possible to visit Lord and Lady Carnarvan 's Highclere Castle. I'll be sojourning around the Hants soon, and would make the visit the highlight of my life. Any help from resident of southern England would be much appreciated. In the United States we have plenty of mansions build by opulant families of the old European architecture. I have visited the Biltmore House which is a Chateauesque-styled mansion near Asheville, North Carolina, built by George Washington Vanderbilt II (November 14, 1862 – March 6, 1914) between 1889 and 1895. I have have this deep feeling that Highclere would be much orgasmic experience of life. I studied English 18th century and would love to visit...
I hope anymore can give me some pointers!
Best
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Matthew - apart from the tie in with Downton Abbey on the telly I wouldnt recommend Highclere. It's an amazing pile - but if your time in the UK is limited, then I would go to places that you couldn't see in America. Highclere is in a style called High Elizabethan - but it is a victorian mockup (a staggering one - but still a new building, my little house is older and so is much of the USA) I would head east to Arundel Castle instead which is properly old.
http://www.arundelcastle.org/_pages/03_visitor_info.htm
And whilst in that part of the world you must do Stonehenge - which is unique and very spooky.
http://www.stately-homes.com/south-east/hampshire-and-isle-of-wight
Here is a website with a selection of places in hampshire.
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-property-searchresults_2.htm?type=region&target=3
And National Trust buildings in Hants, Berks, and Bucks.
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Matthew
Here is site for Highclere - which will have all the info on it. the gardens at highclere are great tho - Capability Brown (what a great name!)
http://www.highclerecastle.co.uk/
Enjoy where ever you go!
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Don't forget that the UK isn't very big. Hampshire is a nice enough place, but it's only about 40 miles across. If you see anywhere in the UK that takes your attention it may be worth putting into your plans.
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I saw on a YouTube video that Lord and Lady Carnarvon have a collection of Egyptian artifacts, brought to the house by the adventurous 5th Earl of Carnarvon in the early 1920s. Egypt is now very nationalistic and it makes me wonder if they'd requested for their stuff back.
I would imagine that his lordship sees that it would be very profitable for him to turn Highclere into a Biltmore like business, being how popular Downton Abbey is. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biltmore_Estate