Showing posts with label Historic Gems. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Historic Gems. Show all posts

>A TRIP TO HAMPTON COURT PALACE

A perfect historical day out!
Richmond - Surrey
31 May 09

The magnificent Tudor frontage of Hampton Court Palace

www.hrp.org.uk


Cardinal Wolsey started it, Henry VIII made it his Tudor Palace and William III turned it into a Baroque masterpiece, two Royal Palaces for the price of one! ...and we loved it!

 We have just returned from a fab day out at Hampton Court. The sun was out and so were the history-hungry tourists! With over 500 years of Royal history, Hampton Court Palace has something to offer visitors of all ages, from the magnificent State Apartments to the domestic reality of the Tudor Kitchens. Costumed guides and audio tours bring the many rooms and artifacts to life and provide an insight into how life in the Royal house-hold would have been during the reins of Henry VIII and William III. If you have any energy left after roaming the inside of the Palace, a stroll around the 60 acres of enchanting gardens and water features is a must - you could even try your luck in the world famous maze!



Wren's Baroque extension


Grinling Gibbons (1648-1721) - master carver extraordinaire
While at High School - I would spend many a happy lunch break in the Library, usually with my nose in a good art reference book. It was during one such session that I first stumbled across the carvings by Grinling Gibbons. I marveled at how anyone could create studies in wood that looked so fragile and airy. His trademark cascades of fruit, leaves, flowers, foliage, fish, and birds were carved from lime wood and looked as if the slightest breeze would rustle and quiver each delicate leaf and petal. Sir Christopher Wren commissioned Gibbons to create many such compositions for his new extension of Hampton Court - what a joy it was to see these pieces during our visit!


The amazing work of Grinling Gibbons


Hampton Court is just 35 minutes south of Waterloo by train. It's history, architecture, amazing gardens and beautiful craftsmanship make for a really interesting culture-laden day out... Brilliant!


9 out of 10

>LULLINGSTONE ROMAN VILLA

Near Eynsford, Kent
11 October 08


www.english-heritage.org.uk

Lullingstone Roman Villa was discovered in 1939 and is considered to be one of the best preserved and most exciting archaeological finds in the country?

Excavations commenced after the war in 1949, and in 1958 the site was taken into the guardianship of the 'Ministry of Works and Ancient Monuments'. Once excavated Lullingstone Roman Villa was preserved by the erection of a protective building, and was opened to the public in 1963. Between 2006-08 a much needed £1.8m renovation and redisplay project was carried out. You can now enjoy a very well produced audio-visual presentation and interactive light show that really helps to bring the history of this site to life.

The Lullingstone Villa was positioned to overlook the river Darenth and was surrounded by outbuildings and gardens. It stood at the the centre of a farm totalling at least 200 acres. The construction date of the original Villa is believed to be around AD75, originally using timber and daub, being reconstructed of stone in the 2nd century. As is often the case with buildings that survive several centuries, the Villa underwent many improvements during its lifetime.

The central spectacle of this Villa has to be the Mosaic floor in the dining room which has two main sections. In the apse, there is a scene depicting the 'Rape of Europa by Jupiter', and in the main area another shows 'Bellerophon riding Pegasus killing the Chimaera', a fire breathing lion-like monster. These have been wonderfully preserved and are still so vivid! Another interesting aspects of Lullingstone is that for a while at least Christian and Pagan worship were practiced concurrently on different floors in the same building.

...Dave and I stumbled across this English Heritage gem whilst enjoying a fabulous walk in the Kent countryside. The sun was out - the sky was blue, what more could you wish for?

8 out of 10

>A NOSE AROUND BUCK HOUSE!

Buckingham Palace
London. 6 September 08

Apparently... Buckingham Palace serves as both the office and London residence of Her Majesty The Queen, as well as the administrative headquarters of the Royal Household. It is one of the few working royal palaces remaining in the world today.

A Royal Day Out... We took advantage of this special ticket option that allowed us to explore the State Rooms, the Royal Mews + the Queen's Gallery and Buckingham Palace + grounds!

...Betty and the kids like to hang out at Balmoral during August and September which conveniently leaves Buck House at the mercy of the great British public and hoards of global tourists... How nice!

Joking aside, Buckingham Palace truly is one of our National Treasures! The 19 State rooms form the heart of the 'working Palace' and hold some truly breathtaking treasures! The beautiful naturally lit Picture Gallery contains paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Poussin Holbein and Canaletto. Here you can also view beautiful examples of early French furniture, sculpture by Canova and exquisite Porcelain.

...We were also lucky to view the grand Ballroom set up for a state banquet, this would have been the Queen's 98th if for real! The first Banquet was held to celebrate the birthday of George III in 1811. On your immediate left as you enter the Ballroom you can't help but notice the impressive Organ! It has entertained many guests since it was moved from the music room at Brighton Pavilion in 1848!

Our tour continues at a leisurely pace along a well planned and rigidly marshaled route. We take in the lavish details of the Throne Room, the Picture Gallery, the State Dining Room, Blue Drawing Room, the beautiful Music Room, the White Drawing Room, Marble Hall, and finally the Bow Room which allows us to pass from Palace to 'back garden'! This 40 acre 'park' is rather disappointing in appearance... Described as a 'walled oasis in the middle of London', the Palace's garden is home to thirty different species of bird and more than 350 different wild flowers, some extremely rare. We end our tour with a walk along the south side of the garden, and stop to take in the splendid views of the west front of the Palace and the famous lake. We also take a quick sashay around the very good gift shop! Fantastic quality items including limited edition china and glass sit alongside ya usual 'glitzy' fake crowns, branded bubbly and smellies. Lovely! All in all a right Royal day out!



The splendid gold State Coach, The opulent Throne Room, The marvelous John Nash Grand Staircase and just some of the lovely sparkly bits available from the well stocked gift shop!

8 out of 10

>ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL

London
7 June 08


www.stpauls.co.ukOne of the world's most spectacular buildings!

Whether you live in London, or you're just passing through, a visit to St. Paul's is a must! £10 gets you a ticket allowing complete freedom to explore from the Crypt up!

There has been a church on Ludgate Hill dedicated to St. Paul, London's patron saint, since 604. The Normans began building another cathedral on this site in 1087. By the 17th century it was in a state of decay and in 1634 Inigo Jones was employed to restore it to its former glory.

On 2nd September, 1666, the Great Fire of London destroyed a huge area of the city including St. Paul's Cathedral. Sir Christopher Wren was given the task of designing and rebuilding St. Paul's - it took him thirty-five years to complete, and when he died in 1723 he became the first person to be buried in the Cathedral. The most magnificent aspect of St. Paul's is its great dome. It is the second largest dome ever built, after St. Peter's in Rome. Both domes are based on the one in the Pantheon, also in Rome.

The main body of the Cathedral houses the Nave, Transepts, Quire, Organ and High Alter. 257 steps up you find the impressive Whispering Gallery, here you get a wonderful view of the Alter and Pulpit. Climb another 119 steps and you reach a small door taking you outside to the Stone Gallery, do stop to enjoy the views over the City! A further 152 steps, via the fantastic spiral staircase between the two domes, and you are rewarded with the Golden Gallery (85 metres above the Cathedral floor)... The panoramic views will indeed take your breath away - that's if you have any left!

The Crypt is now the final resting place for an impressive list of famous names including: Admiral Lord Nelson, Florence Nightingale, The Duke of Wellington, Sir Alexander Fleming, Sir Henry Moore, Sir Joshua Reynolds, William Blake and Sir Christoper Wren. A Cafe, toilets and well stocked shop can also be found down here!

9 out of 10

>SIR JOHN SOANE'S MUSEUM

Lincoln's Inn Fields, London
7 June 08

www.soane.org
An eclectic labyrinth of Architectural wonders!

The former residence of neo-classical architect Sir John Soane, The Soane Museum is an eclectic tribute to the man and his collections of paintings, drawings and antiquities. There are over 30,000 pieces in the museum. Most are on show but some are ingeniously stored on folding screens, making them even more exciting once you find them! A priceless collection of artwork is also housed here, Hogarth's eight Rake's Progress canvasses, three major Canaletto views of Venice, numerous etchings and vintage photographic prints.

Today, this wonderful legacy is one of London's most treasured 'hidden' museums, and remains a free 'Academy of Architecture', just as Soan's intended on his death bed!

Sir John Soane (1753-1837) was a successful architect known for his love of the Neo-classical style! His architectural works are distinguished by their clean lines, decisive detailing, careful proportions and skillful use of light sources. The influence of his work, coming at the end of the Georgian era, was swamped by the revival styles of the 19th century. It was not until the late 19th century that the influence of Soan's architecture was widely felt. He designed many beautiful structures including the Dulwich Picture gallery, the Royal Hospital in Chelsea and the mighty Bank of England!

It is impossible to sum up just how fascinating and important this museum is! try to imagine a 'pocket sized' British museum and National Gallery, (a very rough indication of just how diverse and culturally rich this little gem is).

A 'must see' treat! (Check website for details. Remember, it can get busy at weekends)

9 out of 10

>THE CHARLES DICKENS MUSEUM

48 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2LX
17 May 08


www.dickensmuseum.com
Birth place of The Pickwick Papers, Nicholas Nichleby and the mighty Oliver Twist!

Dickens and his family lived at No. 48 between April 1837 and December 1839. The Dickens Fellowship bought the property in 1924 and opened it to the public in 1925. Set in a beautiful Georgian terrace, it contains a priceless archive of 'Dickensian' treasures! Rooms are brought to life with interesting exhibits and just the right amount of information. The basement now houses over 250 feet of shelving containing a library of Dickens's published works. Translations, adaptions and different editions are all present.

The Kitchen, Wine cellar, morning room, dinning room, drawing room, study and bedrooms are all open and ready to explore, each containing original artifacts, photos, paintings and memorabilia.

Do make time to explore this great little museum, allow between 1-2 hours to really get to know Mr Dickens and soak up the atmosphere.

Just one of the many Blue plaque properties in London worth exploring!

7 out of 10

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