Today our rented Volvo is pointed towards two stately homes not too far from our cottage. First stop Burghley, the home of Willian Cecile, confidant and head of the Treasurery for Queen Elizabeth I. I remember him from the movie Elizabeth I, where she refers to him as "Pigmy" due to his short stature. No recollection of this from the guides we spoke to. Regardless of his size he obviously amassed a great amount of wealth in his position which passed down through successive generations until Estate taxes made it no longer feasible for the family to afford the expense of the home. As in other houses we visited, the current family occupies a floor of upper rooms and allows the public to tour the facility which supports the upkeep.
I've noticed a curious cultural difference between the English and us that is exemplified when sitting on a bench. As I take a rest while Julie surveys the gift shop I have sat on benches only to have a "older gent" sit beside me. When this happens there is no acknowledgement of each other regardless how close you are sitting to each other. In my gregarious American way after a few moments I'll say "So where are you from". Having broken the ice a flood gate of conversation begins. I've had several of these conversations now and I would place the conversations in two categories. A) Those who comment on the house, love the beautiful art and surrounds and have a fond affection for Royalty. And B) Those who go into a rant about the wealth, how it was made on the backs of the working man, a detest for the Royalty and that they only came to the house because their wife drug them. I've never had this strong reaction when visiting the palatial homes of the barons such as Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Hearst, in America. There is an acknowledgement of the excesses of wealth however a sort of envy that someone attained this wealth through their resourcefulness. I don't hear of too many people in America ranting about the evil Bill Gates who made his money on the backs of the programmers. Having said this the homes we are seeing and the obvious excessive accumulation of wealth at the time of such poverty outside the estates would lead to the social upheaval of the post Victorian period.
William Cecile
Lovely lunch at the Cafe at Burghley in the Orangey.
Our next stop at Grimsthorpe Castle, Home of the Willoughby's.
The home we are visiting, at the end of our day is still occupied by the owners who have opened several rooms to the public to support the upkeep of the Castle. Like many of these places they have been added to over the years and the original castle style has been modified. Pictures are not allowed so we can not share the rooms with you, an enticement to buy the book in the gift shop.
The family who lives here includes Dukes who have served as the leader of the house of Lords, a position which is only ceremonial today. Most recent Royal visiters to the house have been Prince Charles and Camila. The resident family has a prominent ancestor named Breese, who was a New York socialite who married the Duke in the early 1900's. She provided her wealth to restore the Castle and infuse an influx of cash into the estate. This "Downton Abbey theme" seems to have been prominent at the time as American's wealthy daughters wished to attain titles. In our local area we know of the story of Mirador's, Lady Astor.
Well that's enough about historic homes. Tomorrow were off to unite with Juie's Cousins and then up to our last stop in York. I'm looking forward to Easter Sunday service at York Cathedral.
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