Wednesday - August 05, 2009

were I as rich as gates, I wouldn’t think 2wice but would spend the money to save this place.

But then, that’s me and I’m totally awed by these old places and their beauty. I love architecture and especially when it’s dated.

Bill Gates donates zillions to charity and causes that are money holes. Bah.  I don’t care a damn about the starving in Africa.  I care about saving buildings like this.  I can’t understand how the family over the years have allowed this to happen. Damn shame. 
I’m assuming the present Earl of Carnarvon just doesn’t have the money any more.

I don’t expect lots to agree with me or share my passions.

Catch the link for more but mostly for some very disturbing photos.

Can Highclere Castle be saved? Historic home is verging on ruin as Lord Carnarvon reveals £12m repair bill

By Paul Harris
Last updated at 10:08 AM on 05th August 2009

From a distance it looks like a classic fairytale castle.

Its majestic architecture and stunning setting have allowed it to play host through the centuries to royalty, nobility and celebrity. But the studded wooden doors of Highclere Castle conceal a depressingly modern reality.

Large parts of the historic stately home are verging on ruin. And the head of a family which once funded the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb is facing a multi-million pound repair bill to safeguard its future.

Now the Earl of Carnarvon, whose great grandfather is said to have been struck by the curse of the Pharaohs for his part in disturbing the Egyptian king’s burial site, claims to be having sleepless nights over how - or if - it can be saved.

For despite a facade of luxury and magnificence - and the patronage of a string of supposed celebrity weddings - the castle has been ravaged by damp and rot.

Seeping water has caused stonework to crumble and ceilings to collapse. At least 50 rooms are uninhabitable.

Its proud stone turrets - designed by the same architect who created the Houses of Parliament - are said to be in danger of decaying beyond repair unless urgent restoration work is carried out.

Only the ground floor, with a great oak staircase at its heart, and the first floor, which is used for bridal parties, remain useable.

Even these have racked up a repair bill running into hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The contrast is dramatically illustrated by the opulence of the rococo style drawing room… and the squalor of stinking damp walls and swarms of flies elsewhere.

The 52-year-old Earl declared: ‘Worrying about how I am going to keep it all going does give me sleepless nights. It is a wonderful responsibility and a great privilege to live at Highclere Castle, which is part of the most beautiful landscape in Southern England.

SOURCE AND LOTS OF PHOTOS HERE

Posted by peiper     on 08/05/2009 at 05:51 AM   
Filed Under: • Architecture • History • UK •  
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