Tuesday 26 February 2013

GONE WEST

Knightshayes Court

Here we go again, heading into the South West. Up North they think it's soft down there, but, like everywhere else in the UK, it is a place of contrasts, of haves and have nots.


The Knightshayes estate overlooks Tiverton. In 1816 John Heathcoat, an innovative lace manufacturer, was in this town looking over an unoccupied mill which he had recently acquired, when his lace factory in Leicestershire suffered a Luddite attack. His machines were destroyed, probably through the connivance of the lace-makers of Nottingham, anxious that his clever new machines would destroy their livelihoods - so he upped and moved his business to the South West. As a visitor said on the day we were there, "You can't stop progress."
By the late 19th century his family owned most of the land and manufacturing around Tiverton. His grandson, Sir John Heathcoat-Amory built Knightshayes Court in the 1870s. He was a man who loved hunting and shooting, a taste reflected in the topiary here. Go fox go!



Sir John employed the architect and eccentric artistic genius William Burges to design the house, but, as Simon Jenkins says, "Why such a man should have hired as an architect an opium-addicted batchelor Gothicist, who dressed in medieval costume, is a mystery." Inevitably Sir John fell out with Burges before the work was completed and the interiors were finished by J.G. Crace. Burges may have been decidedly odd but it is hard for me to resist a man who designed interiors like this...


...who liked dressing up as a jester...
                                                         

...and about whom Dante Gabriel Rossetti wrote this limerick;

"There's a babyish party called Burges,
Who from childhood hardly emerges.
If you hadn't been told,
He's disgracefully old,
You would offer a bull's-eye to Burges."

Most men I know are like that.


Moving on from Tiverton, this short trip gave us many, varied experiences.


Brixham, never visited before, wasn't quite what we expected.



Charmouth charmed us as usual; then, on Saturday, we descended on picturesque Ashburton's antiques emporia. The South West has always been full of dissenters and non-conformists so we weren't at all surprised to hear politely raised voices as elegantly dressed ladies and gents protested against the closure of their local hospital, with the help of a be-sheeted dragon.



We were reminded of the six honest farm workers in 19th century Dorset, the Tolpuddle Martyrs, who were transported for the "crime" of forming a Friendly Society in their fight to preserve a living wage. (They were pardoned after three years and returned home.) The protests continue - a few days ago local hero Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall was marching for Fish Fight, campaigning for the future of marine conservation.


"Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves."
Henry David Thoreau

Field at Ashburton

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18 comments:

  1. if you make it as far as us in Dorset Nilly, you must come and visit- I'll bake a cake and scones and little cucumber sarnies with the crusts removed, and drink tea from bone china (as we ALWAYS do in the Soft South!) and we can visit KIngston Lacy House which is "our" big house...

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    1. That is so kind Elaine - I'll have to overcome my shyness. I just love to hide behind my blog persona, rather than reveal the batty old bat that is the real me!

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    1. Never mind, the lining's going & I'm looking for a "new" one.

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  3. Another interesting and informative post nilly. Your images are fantastic and give a real flavour to your post. I love the interior, and the image of Burges in his jester's costume! Did you buy any junk or tat? Jayne x

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    1. We did buy some lovely things at the Shepton Mallet fleamarket - and I wouldn't call it junk OR tat!

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  4. ~ Always a lovely trip out with you, Nilly and I haven't even left my own chair! Great post and interesting...hehe......Burges looks a character, but aren't we all? ~ Hope the sun is shinning on your Wednesday! Love Maria x

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  5. Glad you had a good time down here with us softies! We love Charmouth and often visit the interesting little shops in Ashburton too. Never been to Knightshayes Court though - it looks beautiful.

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    1. It was good to explore a house with such amazing style. There's a new book out about William Burges & I'm dropping heavy hints to Mr N...

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  6. Thank you once again for a brilliant, witty & informative post. Sorry we didn't get to chat on Sunday. Hope you bought some goodies..I was attached - almost surgically - to my stand all day as very busy (hoorah!) day. Lizzie xx

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    1. So glad to hear you did well. We bought some lovely bits - Mr N presented me with a beautiful Victorian watercolour portrait of a little girl & her dog, so I was very happy!

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  7. A lovely and varied visit, Nilly. I love Ashburton. Knightshayes is on my 'list'. 'Done' Charmouth and fossil hunting (no landslips, I hope) and yes, Brixham, always unexpected.

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    1. Knighthayes doesn't disappoint. We visited Coleton Fishacre too and were a little disappointed at its resemblance to a great aunt's suburban semi - but it could just have been the freezing weather that made us curmudgeonly!

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  8. As ever, some wonderful photos, charming and rather eccentric facts to digest and some glimpses of the England I am quite sad to have left behind. You always manage to make me feel just a tad more homesick than I thought I was! But I thank you, Nilly, for some wonderful glimpses of eclectic life. Axxx

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    1. Always happy to bring back the old memories, though I suspect you are creating some wonderful new ones in Spain.

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  9. Your posts are always so interesting. Thank you for telling me that my picture is of Dante, all these years I have never known and now will be able to address him by his official name rather than all the silly ones we have called him over the years! The link to my Pinterest board is http://pinterest.com/ohsovintage/fabulous-older-style/. Actually I wasn't far behind you as my son was born when I was 35. I always remember my mother saying to me 'It's one thing having a baby at 35 but quite another looking after a small child in your 40s'!!
    Ruth x

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    1. My father said to me, "I think that's enough now, don't you dear?" I loved having a late baby and I'm pleased to say he gets on well with his older brothers - and nieces & nephews. He was an uncle at 7!

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