This place is so well known - by people with far ranging interests, I cannot understand this silly need for secrecy. People have been wandering about here for years.
According to reliable documentation, the Musker family sold this place in the late 80's and Sotheby's auctioned off the interior fixtures and fittings in 1992. Judging by the size of the present owner's bank balance, there are more than enough 'readies' to completely restore the whole Estate, never mind the main buildings. My feelings are that the owner's intended plans were / have been scuppered by a less than sympathetic County Council Conservation Officer. Listing can be a very two edged sword - yes it has saved countless very ordinary looking, but highly significant buildings from the chop, but when it comes to these huge mansion complexes which do not have time on their side, the actual listing process nearly always leads to further decay and eventual huge extra expense. We seem to want to conserve these places in a time warp of a certain era in their history. This completely pushes aside the fact, that most of these buildings are still standing because they have been altered and adapted through time to meet the demands of particular eras.
If things had not moved on; all the residents of the row of weaver's cottages I live in would still be crapping in the outside earth closet, bathing in a tin bath in the downstairs living room and unrolling a mattress on the floor space around the two looms, that occupied the first floor and open roof space, in order to sleep - first floor ceiling was the underside of the roofing tiles. My deeds show that in 1820 a family of eight - 6 kids and parents lived, worked and slept in our small cottage.
According to reliable documentation, the Musker family sold this place in the late 80's and Sotheby's auctioned off the interior fixtures and fittings in 1992. Judging by the size of the present owner's bank balance, there are more than enough 'readies' to completely restore the whole Estate, never mind the main buildings. My feelings are that the owner's intended plans were / have been scuppered by a less than sympathetic County Council Conservation Officer. Listing can be a very two edged sword - yes it has saved countless very ordinary looking, but highly significant buildings from the chop, but when it comes to these huge mansion complexes which do not have time on their side, the actual listing process nearly always leads to further decay and eventual huge extra expense. We seem to want to conserve these places in a time warp of a certain era in their history. This completely pushes aside the fact, that most of these buildings are still standing because they have been altered and adapted through time to meet the demands of particular eras.
If things had not moved on; all the residents of the row of weaver's cottages I live in would still be crapping in the outside earth closet, bathing in a tin bath in the downstairs living room and unrolling a mattress on the floor space around the two looms, that occupied the first floor and open roof space, in order to sleep - first floor ceiling was the underside of the roofing tiles. My deeds show that in 1820 a family of eight - 6 kids and parents lived, worked and slept in our small cottage.
