User:Ka of Catherine de Burgh/Scrotum Towers
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I have noticed that many of pages, here and on the internet, covering buildings in Europe and the USA are full of POV, peacock terms and reliance on the guidebook published by the building's owner as a reference. Often the pages lack a basic factual description of the building, which anyone can describe. Many building are given the wrong architectural style attribution – or are attributed to a style their owner would prefer them to be in. Literature published by a building's owner whether it be the Duchess of Devonshire, the Countess of Rosebery (both ladies have written up their husband's "stately piles") or the National Trust is invaluable when writing a page, however, it is rarely the only source and needs, regarding an encyclopedia, to be treated with caution and used in conjunction with other sources. With the intention of pointing out some of the pitfalls of writing an architectural page, my noble and celebratic aunt, The Lady Catherine de Burgh, has kindly and most graciously agreed to share her knowledge of her own "stately home" with us. Like all people of high and noble birth, Her Ladyship has no need of footnotes – if she says something: it's an acknowledged fact. Therefore, knowing that she will not read them, I have added a few notes, which should be of interest to the future writer of such pages. Giacomo 13:13, 29 August 2010 (UTC)
Scrotum Towers, the seat of Lady Catherine de Burgh, is a country house, in Northamptonshire, England. The estate was granted to Roger de Bonquebustiere, 1st Baron Broadmoor, in 1067 by William the Conqueror. Originally a hall house built in the dark ages, it was rebuilt in the 17th century by Sir Christopher Wren. In 1870, the house was again redesigned in the Mausoleum Gothic revival style by its owner, Nauseus, 13th Earl of Scrotum a descendant of the 1st Baron Broadmoor.
The architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner has described the edifice as "truly remarkable"[1] while Queen Victoria, a great advocate of revivalist architecture, on seeing the former Wren mansion for the first time in 1875, could only gasp to its architect and owner: "Lord Scrotum, this can never be repeated."[2]
Following the cessation of the Earldom of Scrotum in 1965, when Archibald, 15th Earl of Scrotum, suddenly collapsed and died at his sister's dining table, the house, its art collection and estate passed to his grieving sister the Late Catherine de Burgh. Lady Catherine oversaw not only a program of restoration, but also added to the collection with treasures acquired while on her grand tour of Europe between 1939 and 1945.[3]
Today, owned by a private trust, the house is open to selected members of the public who are able to view artworks bequeathed to the nation for the requisite numbers of days necessary to avoid tax. It remains a much loved and very private family home, but is available for hire for weddings, wakes and filming from the Cayman Islands based de Burgh Family Trust (all major credit cards accepted).[4]
Early history and the Bonquebustieres[edit]
The earliest history of the de Bonquebustiere family is shrouded in the mists of time, from 1067 until the 17th century the family appears to have lived quietly on it's Northamptonshire estates. In 1660, Handball, 12 Baron Broadmoor married the celebrated heiress Dame Diptheria Treponema-Pallidum. Upon his marriage, the 12th Baron immediately set about the rebuilding of the ancestral home, employing Sir Christopher Wren to build what was regarded as one of Britain's finest houses. Following the rebuilding, the family, being natural aristocrats, then enjoyed the remainder of the Treponema-Pallidum fortune for almost a century, until the family coffers were depleted.
However, in 1759, Phimosis, 18th Baron Broadmoor, set out to become a missionary in Africa and restore the family fortunes. A great Christian and philanthropist, he made it his life's work to assist African natives to a new and exiting life in the Americas, affording them free passage on his many sailing vessels. The money pressed upon him by these grateful people allowed him to return to England in 1790 possessed pf a great fortune.[6] A great loyalist, he proved keen to support all government and royal causes with his untold wealth, consequently he was elevated to an earldom in 1792 as the 1st Earl of Scrotum with the subsidiary titles Viscount Broadmoor and Baron Rampton.[7]
A devotee of Palladio, the 1st Earl celebrated his elevation by adding the neoclassical rotunda to Wren's mundane facade, this was to be the first of many handsome additions to Wren's plain and monotonous features. Palladio never actually thought to design a rotunda in this fashion, but the foresighted earl was able to foresee what Palladio would have designed had he not died.[8]
Location[edit]
The mansion and village of Scrotum are located in the rolling and undulating Northamptonshire countryside, and ideally placed for easy access to the M1 motorway, that great British concrete artery used by all as they travel from London to the North. In fact, so convenient is the access, guests often amuse themselves by counting trucks as they pass the drawing room windows.
The building of the motorway through the Scrotum parkland has been rightly described as "a deliberate and most disgusting act of class warfare and spite of greater magnitude than the open cast mining surrounding that other important country house, Wentworth Woodhouse."[10]
However, for the Royal Family, there was to be a silver lining, as a consequence of the proximity all members of the British Royal family avail themselves of Lady Catherine's gracious hospitality and bathrooms as they pass through Northamptonshire. At such times, they are most impressed by the fine architecture and Victorian plumbing. When it was suggested in Parliament that Lady Catherine quite rightly be promoted to Duchess in recognition of her hospitality, the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, with his well known wit, quipped "What is she running that place as a house as well?" since that occasion, Lady Catherine has sadly not been "at home" when the Duke passes through the county and he now has to avail himself of the large oak tree, just off Junction 15. Suggestions in the subsequent Cash-for-questions affair that Lady Catherine had financially solicited the proposal that she be so elevated – have been strongly denied. Lady Catherine has no wish to be a duchess.[11]
The house is approached through large gate piers, surmounted by treble headed pelicans, the heraldic beast of the Bonquebustieres, dominating the lazy peaceful village street of thatched cottages; the only sounds are the calling doves, humming bees and gurgling babies parked in their perambulators in the golden sunshine.[12] As the church clock, in the honey coloured stone tower, strikes ten to three, one passes through the gates and enters a world of wonder, majesty and enchantment as the vista (possibly by Capability Brown working in partnership with Humphrey Repton) opens up before one.[13] Splendid, ancient oaks dot the green swarded parkland as the winding carriage drive leads one to the Gothic bridge over the meandering river and cascade. Upon the lake one espies the native pink flamingos while at the water's edge gazelle, water buffalo and zebra gently sip the pure waters, in the hinterground wildebeest roam amongst the trees, while over the tree tops one can see the spires and pinnacles of the beautiful house itself.[14] When Her Ladyship is in residence, from the highest tower flies the depletive Scrotum standard.[15] The composition is one of English tranquility and loveliness at its finest.[16] As the drive passes under the Brutalist bridge carrying the motorway, one gazes in sorrow at the thousands of drivers passing unknowingly at the rate of several thousand per minute who will never know such beauty.[17] Then one sees it, Scrotum Towers looms into view. Like Piazza San Marco, the first sight has been known to take one's breath away – an unbelievable site of jostling towers and turrets each competing with the other in beauty and ornament.[18]
The most famed of all the Scrotum tourist traps is undoubtedly the moat. Of unknown and immeasurable depth, the Scrotum moat is believed[by whom?] to have been home since at least the days of William the Conqueror to two prehistoric monsters which rival Nessie in ancient mystery. They are affectionately referred to by the family—whose fortunes they have substantially augmented—as Tiktaalik and Bishie.
The rebuilding of 1668[edit]
In 1668, the architect Sir Christopher Wren rebuilt the medieval house in a Baroque style. A provincial architect, of litle talent, Wren in his use of style and ornament failed to grasp the power and might of the family who were destined to dwell within. His simple lines and chaste ornament failed to reflect the ambitions and glories of that great family, the Bonquebustieres.[20]
The present edifice[edit]
Nauseus, 13th Earl of Scrotum "The architect Earl"[edit]
It was Nauseus, 12th Earl of Scrotum in 1875[21] who created the beautiful edifice we see today. We are indebted to his descendant, Lady Catherine de Burgh for the vast amount of knowledge concerning the earl in the public domain today.
In her well written and informative booklet "A guide to Scrotum Towers",(£5.50 + 99p postage and packing from the Estate Office) Lady Catherine de Burgh tells us of the 13th Earl's great service to both the British Empire and his family. As Lady Catherine relates "had he not been so nobly born, he would have undoubtedly have become an architect of greater stature than Pugin and Waterhouse." Had the Earl not suffered from sea-sickness preventing foreign travel, he would have been Viceroy of India and Governor General of Australia, as it was, he contented himself with designing houses for his friends, family and himself. It is an architectural tragedy that so many of these plans were never materialised due to the brick shortages of the 19th century.[22]
The interior[edit]
The glorious interiors of Scrotum Towers are best described by the reaction of the late Queen Mary, visiting Scrotum on a journey northwards. The Queen was known for her penchant, verging on cleptomania, of taking small souvenirs of artistic and monetary value from each house she visited.[23] When offered her pick of the Scrotum collection, Her late Majesty, who was hurrying back to her car, replied in her beautiful voice with shoulders heaving with emotion: "No, really, I could not, to take a single item from this house would be a tragedy."[24] With these few simple words, Her Majesty summed up the uniqueness and perfection of the Scrotum art treasures.[25]
The State rooms[edit]
In a wing of the house unaltered during the improvements of the 19th century, the five state rooms are just one of the many glories of Scrotum Towers. On the south side of the house, they face over the parterre with its tinkling fountains and classical statuary. Dating from the mid 17th century, the apartments are believed to have been the inspiration for the state rooms at Versailles. The central saloon is flanked on either side by a drawing room (the Orange and the Purple) which in turn are followed by former bedchambers, now the Roulette Room and the Blackjack Room. The enfilade of rooms are freqently the setting for Lady Catherine's glittering receptions attended by the "beau monde" of Europe. The walls are lined with canvases attributed to the schools of the finest Renaissance painters. In pride of place, over the saloon mantelpiece hangs a portrait of Her Ladyship's dog "Crippen" painted in the style of Landseer. While on the opposite wall hangs Her Ladyship herself dressed as a simple shepherdess. This portrait was painted while Her Ladyship was having her brief dalliance with Augustus John, who would no doubt have painted it himself, were he not too busy.
It was in the Orange Drawing Room that Mrs Simpson (a close, personal friend of Her Ladyship) proposed to King Edward VIII during a particularly rumbustuos game of sardines. Can any other house have witnessed such momentous history?
The Private apartments[edit]
If the state rooms are examples of perfection in taste, then surely the private rooms are sublime. Here in this small suite of just 27 rooms, Lady Catherine lives, with touching modesty, as though she were an ordinary human being rather than the exalted personage that she is. Just as at Blenheim Palace and Woburn Abbey Her Ladyship graciously allows (for a small extra fee) the paying public to view the private apartments. Here the fortunate tourist may view the trappings of an elegant life, including Lady Catherine's large collections of porcelain, commemorative chess sets and lifelike figurines of members of the British Royal family – many rare limited editions acquired at vast expense, but in easy installments from the Franklin Mint.
Notes[edit]
- ^ All quotes must be referenced.
- ^ Ambiguity and distorting facts, taking quotes out of context.
- ^ Not telling the whole truth – giving a false impression.
- ^ Advertising is a big no-no!
- ^ Is this page about Lady Catherine or Scrotum Towers? Try to stay on subject.
- ^ The aristocracy have not been reliant on agricultural estates for their wealth since the 17th century. Slave trading and coal mining have both been popular sources of revenue – these are described in guidebooks as "Made his fortune in the Indies" and "possessed of estates in Nottinghamshire."
- ^ Titles have been regularly bought, check out exactly why the title bestowed.
- ^ Drawing a conclusion with no grounds or references to support
- ^ Beware of obvious hoaxes.
- ^ Such terms usually indicate a biased source – don't include without an explanation and reference.
- ^ Strong assertions must always be referenced.
- ^ Never use sentimental descriptive terms – stay factual.
- ^ "Peacock" adjectives and the word "probably". Never assert or attribute without very good references explaining why an acknowledged expert is asserting.
- ^ This should read: The park has a river and is home to flamingo and zebra..." You are not writing a travel guide.
- ^ Never refer to people by forms of address. After the first full named reference in a paragraph, use surnames or area titles only, unless a royal, with no commonly used surname.
- ^ Peacock terms: you can say that Pevsner has described as "tranquility and lovely" but must give a reference.
- ^ You have no idea what these people will ever know, so don't say it.
- ^ It is possible for Piazza San Marco to literally take breath away – it happened to me the first time, but its not really encyclopedia, so avoid such terms. Secondly, it is physically impossible for a tower to jostle or even compete for anything – avoid such terms.
- ^ Describe a building's features factually – "beautiful" and/or "ugly" are both POV.
- ^ Seriously false information about Wren. Even with a reference "failed to reflect the ambitions and glories of that great family" is someones' POV, so best avoided.
- ^ Huge numeric change in number of earls. has there been a rush of tragic deaths since the creation of the title 78 years earlier? Explain what could be a typo or vandalism.
- ^ It's inevitable that when writing a page on a lesser known house, one has to rely heavily on the guidebook. Usually written by or for the owner, these books are often less candied than they should be. Remember they are selling the house to you, the house and its contents will be given greater merit than they probably deserve. E.g.: The guidebook of Hughenden Manor quite understandably makes no mention that Pevsner describes the house as "excruciating." No owner will ever tell you that the architecture is unremarkable and the contents mediocre. Always try to find other sources and view the guidebook with caution.
- ^ This is true, but it's a bold assertion and fact so should be referenced.
- ^ Quoting out of context, explain what the Queen really meant and reference it.
- ^ This is the author's POV.