One of the many highlights of my Attingham Summer School experience was the rooftop tour of the Royal Pavilion at Brighton. Rooftop is a bit misleading, however, as we not only went up to the roof, we went inside the roof. Coming from the US, I am always amazed at things I can do in…
Robert Adam (1728-92) is my favorite architect. To be fair, my admiration for Adam is a recent development as I had never heard of him before I took up residence in the Chancognie House. The Buildings of Charleston described the house as having “Adamesque” detailing, so after reading that, I started to study Adam’s work…
Raby Castle has weathered tumultuous times during a history that spans more than 600 years, and this is reflected in the building itself. Built by the powerful Nevill family in the 14th century, most of the exterior dates to this period. After a series of changes in ownership due to political turmoil, the Castle was…
People often ask me when work at the Chancognie House will be finished. (For the record, my parents stopped asking this question years ago.) I answer that question with a smile and say, “Probably never.” There is work involved with owning any home, no matter the age. Historic homes are a special undertaking, especially if…
During the Attingham Summer School, I was fortunate to visit Bolsover Castle which is a fascinating site. It features Terrace Range, the ruins of a grand house, Little Castle, a miniature version of a grand house and the oldest riding school in England to survive intact. Located in Derbyshire, Bolsover has a long and illustrious…
I recently had the privilege and pleasure of attending the Attingham Trust Summer School, an intensive study course of the British country house. The Summer School started in 1952 as a way to educate American curators about the complexities of British country houses since many of them had country house materials in their museums. It…
There were many highlights of my trip to London, but one in particular was my visit to Kenwood House. Located on the edge of Hampstead Heath, it is a striking neoclassical villa that was designed in large part by one of my favorite architects, Robert Adam. Born in Scotland in 1728, Adam was the son…
For those of you who follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you have likely seen posts that I have done from the archaeological dig here on the property. We have found and continue to find a lot of fascinating artifacts, but what you may not know is that the impetus for the dig was not…
When I took up residence at the Chancognie House, I must admit that I did not know much about it other than what was on the historical marker on the wall – Simon Jude Chancognie House, c. 1816. Only half of that turns out to be correct, but more about that later. In my search…
The Accidental Preservationist 