Your favourite old building?

[DaveBrigg]

According to the news, many of us will be swapping our fortnight in Tahiti for a camping weekend in the UK this year. Can we build a list of favourite old buildings that might be worth a visit if someone's in the area?
A favourite with our family is Fountains Abbey near Ripon. I guess that many of you will have already visited, but I like the way that, built in a valley, it is completely cut off from the modern world. When wandering through the ruins there are no cars, gift shops, ice cream stalls (or loos ) and there are lots of hidden corners and small details to reward close inspection.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Dave - if Camping and Abbeys are your thing, then there is nothing finer in my book than Valle Crucis in Llangollen:

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You can camp right next to the Abbey, but I would recommend Wern Isaf Farm just a short walk (uphill) out of Llangollen, under the watchful eye of Dinas Bran castle. Whilst in Llangollen you can visit the Horseshoe Pass and take a trip on the Llangollen steam railway - 8 miles through the beautiful Dee valley to Carrog and back.

On a warm sunny day, there's no finer placein the world. http://www.llangollen.org.uk

And of course, no camping trip of Welsh Abbeys would be complete without going south to majestic Tintern.

.

http://www.castlewales.com/tintern.html

 

[vicky whitworth]

Wish I could do pictures but I lack the technology skills and my Mac isn't always compatible but my favourite old building is... Finch Foundry near Okehampton, Devon. It's NT, has a tea room, and is a working water-driven forge. I love it. Don't miss it if you are in the area or en route to Cornwall.

 

[Ian Bond]

Finch foundry sounds great - I'll put it on my list of NT places to visit.

One of my favourite old buildings is Caerlaverock Castle, near Dumfries. An interesting mix of architectural styles through the ages, now a picturesque ruin.

Has an interesting garden feature too:
http://www.clanmaxwellusa.com/trebuchet.htm

 

[Penners]

One of my favourite old buildings is Caerlaverock Castle, near Dumfries.

What a coincidence, Ian. I was going to post exactly the same thing.

I have another two to add. Lindisfarne Castle is peerless for its peaceful other-worldliness:

And the Roman Pont du Gard aqueduct near Avignon, France, for the breathtaking skill of its design, execution and durability. How many of our modern civil engineering projects will survive for two thousand years?

 

[Ian Bond]

One of my favourite old buildings is Caerlaverock Castle, near Dumfries.

What a coincidence, Ian. I was going to post exactly the same thing.

Sorry about that Penners - it was the first building that popped into my head.

The aqueduct is awe-inspiring, as I'm sure it was meant to be. Looks like they're doing a bit of re-pointing in that picture...

 

[Carol]

One of the nicest (and wackiest) old buildings we have found on our UK holidays is Chillingham Castle in Northumberland. It is being done up by the family who have lived there for generations and clearly do not have the budget of either the NT or EH so it is very much a work in progress. The stewards were cheerfully informative and there is plenty of lime in evidence to cheer your soul. And the gardens are a delight!

http://www.chillingham-castle.com

 

[Penners]

Sorry about that Penners

No apology necessary! I just thought it an amazing coincidence that - of all the fine old buildings once can think of - two of us came up with exactly the same one.

I love the surprises that you get at Caerlaverock. Firstly it's triangular - never saw another castle like that. Secondly, inside what appears to be a medieval castle, you suddenly find a rather grand 17th century residence (remains of).

 

[Flyfisher]

Lindisfarne Castle is peerless for its peaceful other-worldliness:

I would vote for Lindisfarne as well; that and the recollection of getting the car stuck in the sand and having to organise a rescue before the tide returned. Ah, the folly of youth (it was a long time ago).

I also have a soft spot for Someries Castle near Luton. I don't have any photos but there are various references on the web.

Locally, it would have to be Oxburgh Hall - just a few miles away.

 

[Penners]

Ah, if we're going to add a local one, then I'd plump for Kentwell Hall, in Long Melford, Suffolk. It's an absolutely classic Tudor house, complete with moat. It's stunningly beautiful.

Kentwell has been the subject of 38 years of restoration work by the current owners, Patrick and Judith Phillips, who bought it in a shocking state in 1970. They have funded the restoration by staging historical re-creation events. There are short, weekend ones at various times during the year, but the major Tudor Re-Creation lasts for three weeks in June and July annually.

It's a remarkable event. Several hundred people volunteer to participate, and play the parts of house and estate gentry/servants/journeymen/workers. You can see all kinds of ancient crafts and skills being practised, and all participants are required to be completely accurate to their time and their characters - no anachronistic clothing, adornments, tools or even conversation are permitted.

This year they staged 1588, the year of the armada.

If you're ever in East Anglia around late June/early July, I recommend the Kentwell Historical Re-Creation as a really wonderful experience.

http://www.kentwell.co.uk/Re-Creations/Tudor Scroll down the page for a short video.

PS: Just in case I sound like a salesman, I have no personal connection with Kentwell, other than a great enthusiasm for it!

 

[Ian Bond]

One of the nicest (and wackiest) old buildings we have found on our UK holidays is Chillingham Castle in Northumberland. It is being done up by the family who have lived there for generations and clearly do not have the budget of either the NT or EH so it is very much a work in progress. The stewards were cheerfully informative and there is plenty of lime in evidence to cheer your soul. And the gardens are a delight!

http://www.chillingham-castle.com

Sounds fascinating Carol - those are among the most interesting types of old building IMHO! A refreshing change from the NT, although to be fair Calke Abbey is a real jewel of a property, left 'as found' - they do a good job. I'm going to have to plan a trip around all of these lovely places...

On that theme, just remembered some visits to Layer Marney, when we lived in Essex...

http://www.layermarneytower.co.uk/

I think that they only ever got round to building part of it, but what an impressive part it is

You can feed the animals in their little farm, and take a precipitous trip up the winding stairs of their tower for a great view.

Good on yer for starting this thread, DaveBrigg

 

[Moo]

Brodsworth Hall near Doncaster would be on my list, largely because English Heritage have, I'm assured, retained the gentle decrepitude in which the late Sylvia Grant-Dalton lived. They've restored the gardens to their high Victorian grandeur (follies, grottoes and all that), but merely arrested the decay.

 

[Penners]

Good on yer for starting this thread, DaveBrigg

Hear, hear!

English Heritage have, I'm assured, retained the gentle decrepitude

Well, if that's your criterion, come and visit me. I rate high on decrepitude scale (if somewhat less on the gentle...).

 

[Penners]

On the sheer grandeur scale, there's nowhere that rates more highly than Stowe House, 3 miles from the town of Buckingham. The ancestral home of the Dukes of Buckingham, it is IMO probably the finest grand house in England. Its approx 1000-acre grounds are National Trust, laid out by good old Lancelot Brown in the 1740's, are stuffed with lakes, vistas, temples, monuments - follies of all kinds. Probably more than you can comfortably walk round in a day. The gardens are open on a National Trust timetable: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-stowegardens/

The house itself is a school, but can be visited at certain times. See http://www.stowe.co.uk/SH-Opening-Times.aspx. It's a huge, breathtaking building that has, in recent years, had millions spent on an enormous restoration project.

Stowe is one of those places that you should see at least once in your life.

The South Front

The Palladian Bridge and The Gothic Temple

The Temple of British Worthies...

...and so on.

Having connections with Stowe, I should declare an interest, but as it's a charity I hope my "commercial" doesn't break any forum rules!

 

[Ian Bond]

Brodsworth Hall near Doncaster would be on my list, largely because English Heritage have, I'm assured, retained the gentle decrepitude in which the late Sylvia Grant-Dalton lived. They've restored the gardens to their high Victorian grandeur (follies, grottoes and all that), but merely arrested the decay.

Another good one Moo - I've visited a couple of times and that description is spot on.

In fact, we're debating whether to carry on with the work on the windows, or pop over to Brodsworth for the Jelly Festival :!:

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.17406

I'm torn - so much to be done, but I love a jelly.

 

[Penners]

Oh, for goodness sake, Ian. It's no contest.

You can fiddle around with your windows any time, but how often do you get to visit a jelly festival? If only I were closer!

Or, to make the very best use of your time, you could stay at home and play Jelly Battle!

 

[plumbers mate]

Apart from my poor old terraced house, my favourite old building has got to be the Lit and Phil Library followed by Plas Tan y Bwlch, Maentwrog, North Wales. The Lit and Phil is gorgeous and overflowing with old books but Plas Tan y Bwlch is on my list because it's the study centre for the Snowdonia National Park and my first stay there 35 years ago led me to a great love of the area and its industries, especially slate mining and the Festiniog Railway (yes, legally it has only one "F" in its name though in Welsh, y Rheilffordd Ffestiniog, has 2). It was a life changing visit.

http://www.eryri-npa.co.uk
http://www.festrail.co.uk
http://www.litandphil.org.uk

 

[jocelyn plummer]

How funny you have all mentioned some of my best loved buildings, so, I will add Blickling Hall, nr Aylesham Norfolk, and I dare you to find this one: Battlesdon Church nr Woburn. Sorry I do not have any pics at the mo, but will try to find one.

Away up North I always head for Glamis, I absolutely love it.

My regret with Blickling is that the NT seem to have removed much of the family atmosphere. I first went to there in the early '70's and it was still very much untouched, but recently things have been re-arranged and other items brought in.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Do you mean this one Jocelyn?:



Spelt with an "e", not an "o" as in your post, but surely there can't be two such named churches in Bedfordshire?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlesden.

Rather a small parish - at just 38 residents...

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Yes, that's the one. Amazingly old, very peaceful, somewhat weather damaged inside and set in a very green part of Bedfordshire. I did not 'feel, or see' the ghostly Monk that is supposed to be around.!