Hawarden Castle

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Hawarden Castle

Hawarden Castle is a manor house in Flintshire , Wales . The building, classified as a Grade I cultural monument, is located on the south-eastern edge of the city of Hawarden . It is known as the country house of William Gladstone , a 19th century British Prime Minister .

history

About 200 m east of the medieval Hawarden Castle , the Ravenscroft family built a new mansion called Broadlane Hall in the 16th century . Around the mid-18th century, Sir John Glynne, 6th Baronet , who also owned Hawarden Castle, now in ruins, acquired Broadlane Hall through his marriage to Honora Conwy, heir to the Ravencroft family. He had the old mansion torn down and from 1752 to 1757 based on designs by Samuel Turner the Elder. Ä. build a new mansion out of Whitchurch . Joseph Turner , who was probably a nephew of Samuel Turner and later became known as an architect , also worked on the construction of the house .

From 1809 to 1810 Stephen Glynne, 8th Baronet, had the building designed by the London architect Thomas Cundy the Elder. Ä. completely remodel in neo-Gothic style . After the death of the 9th Baronet, Catherine Glynne, daughter of the 8th Baronet, inherited the property in 1852. She was married to the politician and later Prime Minister William Gladstone, who used the property as a country estate from 1854 and died there in 1898. Under Gladstone, some renovations of the building took place, which has not changed significantly since then. It is still inhabited by his descendants today, only the park can be visited occasionally.

investment

Exterior

Despite the renovations, the manor house, originally built in the Georgian style , is clearly recognizable as the core of the property. The three-storey brick building has a protruding middle section. Since the neo-Gothic renovation, it has been veneered with sandstone slabs and provided with two diagonally offset round towers at the corners, plus a two-storey window bay on the south side. The low roofs are hidden by a crenellated wreath. In the 19th century the building was expanded to include a two-story west wing containing the library and a low east wing with utility rooms. As a result of the renovations, the main entrance was moved from the south side to the north side, and an entrance porch was added in 1889.

The manor is surrounded by a landscaped park , which includes the ruins of the medieval castle. A formal garden is located south of the manor house.

Interior

Despite the neo-Gothic renovation, the main house still has elaborate wood paneling and stucco ceilings in rococo and chinoiserie styles from the 18th century, which were probably modeled by Thomas Oliver . The library and other rooms are in the same state as Prime Minister Gladstone used them.

Web links

Commons : Hawarden Castle  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 53 ° 10 ′ 53 "  N , 3 ° 0 ′ 53.6"  W.