Broughton Castle

Hi,
WE went to see Broughton Castle over the last bank holiday,  we went with Vernon's sister Dee and I must say this was a lovely day, not only was the weather good but this is the most fascinating place to visit.
I brought a book on the place so some of this is from the book "In about 1300 Sir John de Broughton built his manor house in a sheltered site at the junction of three streams and surrounded it with a substantial moat" Originally it was just a hall which you can see in the pictures,
The history of this place is vast and too much to write on here,  "William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester and Chancellor of England bought the house in 1377 and has been in continuous ownership of the same family"   "In 1554 Richard Fiennes completed major reconstruction and raised the roof to accommodate two floors above the great hall"

 At the top of these steps was a chapel and the stain glass window which is in the next picture,  the chapel is a rare example of a 14th century private chapel which they don't allow anyone to walk on the floor as its so old.

I saw this beautiful piece of needlework I am sorry its not as clear as I would have liked but it was a beautiful piece of work.

The Bury Lodge Room,  this wallpaper is by Zuber of Alsace and dates from 1840.

The Kings Chamber,  the wallpaper is hand painted and dates back to 1800,   "The bed is constructed in Oak and was made specifically for this room in 1992 by Robin Furlong"

The kings chamber Over mantel,   this plaster work represents a scene from Ovid's Metamorphoses Book VIII.  the image is the same s that found on a drawing "Dance of the Dryads" executed in 1551.  It is known that chimney pieces of a similar style were made for Henry VIII at Nonsuch Palace.  ( Nonsuch Place does not exist any more I grow up near to where the palace would have been,  in recent year Time Team did find the palace,  it would have been a very grand place situated near Epsom, Surrey)

 Another picture of the wallpaper

 This fan was beautiful it has not come out as well as I would have like but the embroidery and work making it is beautiful a true master piece

The gardens from the upper room called the Council chamber  it is believed to be the room in 1629 -1642 gathered to plan their opposition to the kings government,  this room is at the top of the building and any thing said in there cannot be heard anywhere in the palace.

The gardens, in 1900 they had 114 gardeners today they have one.

The black swan on the moat

T

   one side of the moat,

Another side of the moat with the landscape fields and Long Horn cattle grazing.

Close up of the cattle



I hope you enjoy the tour around the Castle,  although its called a castle is more like a manor house,  well worth a visit but do check the times of opening as they do not open every day.

"Ride a Cock Horse the local legend has it that the famous nursery rhyme "Ride a cock horse to Banbury cross to see a Fiennes lady ride on a white horse" as opposed to see a fine lady"

The Explorer and Author Sit Randolph Finnes and his brother Ralph are direct descendants from family,
It has been used as a film location in productions of Shakespeare in Love 1998,   The Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show with Diana Rigg 1975,  The Scarlet Pimpernel 1982.  Three men and a Little Lady 1990,The madness of King George 1994,  and most recent Jane Eyre 2011
I hope you enjoyed this post,  if you get a chance to visit do, its is a fascinating place
                                             Hugs
                                         Margaret