This edited article about Hughenden Manor originally appeared in Look and Learn issue number 705 published on 19 July 1975.

Hughenden Manor

Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield, bought Hughenden in 1847. The manor is really Georgian in style but was altered to its present Tudor appearance to satisfy the romantic passion for English tradition of the young Disraeli.

Hughenden has an incomparable position, standing high among the Chiltern Hills, overlooking a lovely park in which stands the church where Disraeli is buried.

With its contemporary decoration, the house is a typical example of a Victorian gentleman’s country seat and contains many relics of the statesman.

There are portraits of his friends, letters from Queen Victoria and some of the manuscripts of his novels. His study is arranged exactly as he left it at the time of his death.

The statesman’s son, Major Coningsby Disraeli, lived at Hughenden until 1936, When Mr. W. H. Abbey generously purchased the house, contents and the park for preservation. It was opened to the public in 1949, and is now run by the National Trust.

During World War II, the house became a storehouse of target maps which were used by the Allied air forces.

This edited article about protecting and conserving Britain’s heritage originally appeared in Look and Learn issue number 705 published on 19 July 1975.

Londinium as the Romans built it, by Ralph Bruce

The occupant of an earth-satellite poised in space over Britain at the right altitude, would be able to see almost at a glance, if he knew what to look out for, evidence of man’s existence here during more than 5,000 years. This would be the record of his way of life, at first agricultural and then industrial, from the time when he originally established himself and laid his ‘signature’ upon the land. From Muckle Flugga at the tip of Shetland to the granite crags of Land’s End, history and prehistory would be spread out beneath his gaze. This is what we call our heritage.

His eye would be caught by the greatest prehistoric monument within our shores, Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain, the masterpiece of Stone Age Man which may have taken 1,000 years to build and was completed perhaps 3,500 years ago. Its true purpose is still not known. Not far from it, he would see the Avebury Stone Circle, the largest of its kind in all Europe, and the avenue of giant stones leading to Silbury Hill, the largest man-made mound in Europe. He would see, too, the hundreds of round and oval burial-mounds, especially in Wiltshire, marking the last resting-places of chieftains who died over 3,000 years ago.

All these are impressive relics of Stone Age and Bronze Age Man, the earliest inhabitants of Britain. The hills and ridges of Berkshire, Dorset, Derbyshire and elsewhere carry the relics of their successors. These are the great earth ramparts and ditches of the hill-forts established by Iron Age Man. They may be seen from the air, but you can see and explore them on foot. All are prehistoric sites. All were there when, in the last years B.C., the Romans arrived in Britain.

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This edited article about Castle Ashby originally appeared in Look and Learn issue number 704 published on 12 July 1975.

The Long Gallery at Castle Ashby with its early Palladian design. Photograph by Charles Latham

Castle Ashby is a sight worth seeing. It lies in a great landscape park built by the noted landscape gardener, Lancelot Brown, better known as “Capability” Brown. He received his nickname from his favourite saying that a site had “capabilities.”

Although the park was laid out in 1765, the bulk of this quadrangular mansion is regional Jacobean and dates from approximately 1624. An unusual aspect of the building is that it presents the most complete example of a balustrade spelling out an inscription. In this case, it is the verse Nisi Dominus.

The side containing the entrance to the courtyard was built in the style of Inigo Jones, but the date and designer are unknown.

The Great Chamber with Elizabethan and Charles II features, has a ceiling typifying the transition in style from the Jacobean to the Palladian vogue of the sixteenth century.

There is a richly carved oak staircase and the State rooms, hung with expensive Brussels and other tapestries, were decorated in 1675 by the third Earl of Northampton to repair Civil War damage.

Castle Ashby is owned by the Marquess of Northampton.

This edited article about David Low originally appeared in Look and Learn issue number 704 published on 12 July 1975.

King Street, Covent Garden

Before he turned to curing corns, David Low had been a hairdresser and a hotelier. Not just a hotelier let it be stressed but the very first hotelier. His historic invention happened in 1774, and before readers reach for their pens and ask: “What about inns?”, they should remember that the grand old British inn/tavern is a place for drinking first and sleeping in overnight second. Mr. Low reversed the process.

He selected a house in Covent Garden, London, that had been occupied by a peer of the realm. Lord Russell, whose idea of interior decoration was to have a home looking like below decks in a man-of-war. The exact spot where this odd aristocrat lived was 43, King Street and it was here that David Low opened his Grand Hotel in January 1774.

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This edited article about Hatfield House originally appeared in Look and Learn issue number 702 published on 28 June 1975.

A picture history of Hatfield House

Only 21 miles from London, is this celebrated Jacobean house which stands in its own great park. It was built between 1607-12 by Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury and Prime Minister to James I. It has been the family home of the Cecils ever since.

The accounts show that the design is due to Robert Lyminge and supervised by Simon Basil, the predecessor to Inigo Jones as Surveyor of the King’s Works.

The plan is unusual in that it was among the earliest to combine domestic comfort with provision for State visitors or as we would call them now, V.I.P’s. The centre is devoted to State rooms with a separate dining room with kitchen adjacent.

The staircase is exquisitely designed and decorated and the beautiful stained glass in the chapel is original. Adjoining is Hatfield Old Palace where Queen Elizabeth I was confined during her sister Mary’s reign.

The Staterooms contain famous paintings, fine furniture, rare tapestries and historic armour. Hatfield House is one of the most completely adorned and preserved of mansions.

This edited article about Pompeii originally appeared in Look and Learn issue number 702 published on 28 June 1975.

The last days of Pompeii by Graham Coton

In Pompeii, the morning of August 24th, in the year A.D. 79, had dawned as bright and clear as it normally did at that time of the year. Peasants were now working busily among the vines and olive groves on the slopes beneath the shadow of slumbering Mount Vesuvius, which had not spewed lava from its volcanic depths for centuries. The farmers who had risen particularly early, were already wheeling their two-wheeled carts piled with fruits and vegetables towards the market. There they would find more than enough buyers from among the wealthy Romans who used the fashionable resort of Pompeii as a pleasant refuge from the sultry heat of the Roman summers. In the streets, people were discussing the forthcoming elections and laying wagers on the gladiators who were due to fight in the amphitheatre before an audience of some ten thousand people. At the bottom of the steep street that led down to the harbour, men were busily unloading a cargo of wine and oil.

As the morning progressed, the city became more busy than ever. Slaves scurried among the crowds, shopping for their mistresses and masters, and as usual, the public baths were full of wealthy men of all ages who used them as a club where they could discuss the latest tit-bits of gossip that had been brought from Rome by some of the more recent arrivals. For the children, it was a particularly happy time because they were not at school. Noisily, they ran around the rooms and courtyards of their villas, playing hide-and-seek with their friends, or else they trundled their hoops through the streets, keeping a wary eye out for the charioteers who frequently came clattering along the rough roadways. In short, that August morning was very much like any other summer morning for the carefree population of Pompeii.

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This edited article about Brighton Pavilion originally appeared in Look and Learn issue number 701 published on 21 June 1975.

The Prince Regent visiting Brighton Pavilion by C L Doughty

Even when he was Regent, the pleasure-loving Prince could visualize himself as the monarch of an impossibly beautiful Eastern palace. His gaze fell upon this building first built by Henry Holland in 1787 as a simple classical villa. At once, he decided that he would erect a seaside palace in his favourite town, Brighton.

John Nash, the celebrated architect, was given the commission. He laboured loyally from 1815-1820 to transform and rebuild this modest villa into a Royal Pavilion in the then popular “Indian” style. In the process, he and his royal master between them, spent what was then a small fortune.

Now, it is generally accepted as being one of the most exotically beautiful buildings in the British Isles. The Oriental flavour was carried on into the interior which was decorated in the fashionable “Chinese” style. Once more, huge sums were spent to ensure that the interior was carried to unique heights of splendour.

This edited article about the Great Fire of London originally appeared in Look and Learn issue number 701 published on 21 June 1975.

The Great Fire of London by Peter Jackson

It was between one and two a.m. in the morning of September 2, 1666, when the fire broke out which was to lay London in ashes. It occurred in a baker’s shop in Pudding Lane, in the City, and at first it was not taken seriously, least of all by the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Thomas Bludworth. He was annoyed at being summoned from his bed on so slight a matter. “A woman might put it out,” he exclaimed scornfully. It was this “small” fire which was to destroy 13,200 houses in four days, and render some 200,000 citizens homeless.
When the fire began, a strong north-east wind was blowing, and before daybreak, the flames had spread to the adjacent streets, consuming the ancient buildings like paper. As street after street were engulfed, the panic of the population mounted to hysterical proportions. Rich people dug pits in their gardens to store their plate or jewels. Others went out into the streets to offer huge sums for the removal of their goods by horse and cart, before joining in the mad rush for the Thames which was soon covered with boats and barges laden with people and furniture. The booksellers who were then congregated in Paternoster Row rushed their volumes, valued at £150,000 in all, into the crypt of St. Paul’s, where in a few hours they were buried beneath thousands of tons of burning ashes.

By daybreak, the fire had reached the river quays, where the conflagration spread because of the large stocks of oil, tallow, timber, spirits and other highly inflammable goods. After this, the flames drove westward along the river bank. Thousands of people had now fled to the heights of Hampstead and Highgate, from where they watched the fire consume their city.

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This edited article about Powis Castle originally appeared in Look and Learn issue number 699 published on 7 June 1975.

Powis Castle

Powis Castle, commonly called the Castle Coch or “Red Castle” owes its name to the lofty ridge of red limestone upon which it is built. It has remained continuously occupied since the time of Edward I, although over the years It has been altered and adapted to the needs of its many owners.

Because of their adherence to the cause of James I, the Powis family were sent into exile. Tenancy of the castle was granted to William III’s cousin, the Earl of Rochford who was responsible for the design and laying out of the superb terraced gardens.

The Powis family returned in 1722 and have since added to and elaborated their family home. The castle is situated on a crest overhanging the upper reaches of the River Severn.

It contains much notable furniture, tapestries, fine plasterwork, murals and paintings. It is notable for many interesting relics of “Clive of India” (1725-74), to whose son the castle and title passed. The castle was bequeathed to the National Trust by the late Earl of Powis in 1952.

This edited article about Penshurst originally appeared in Look and Learn issue number 698 published on 31 May 1975.

Sir Philp Sidney, the great Elizabethan soldier-poet, was born at Penshurst, by Dan Escott

Penshurst was granted by Edward VI to Sir William Sidney, whose son, Sir Henry, a great Lord-deputy of Ireland and President of Wales, became brother-in-law of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester and was father of Sir Philip Sidney. This famous Elizabethan courtier-poet-soldier, was born here in 1554.

Although its chief associations are with the Sidney family, the core of Penshurst is the Great Hall which was built in 1340 and has been perfectly preserved. The still older vaulted crypt is now an armoury while the fine state rooms and long gallery contain china, silver and portraits of rare interest.

Although they were never wealthy, the Sidneys added and adapted to Penshurst which has remained a notable and picturesque medieval mansion. The 1st Lord De L’Isle and Dudley, their descendant, reconstructed parts in 1834 and his son did much to preserve the fabric and restore the gardens to their Jacobean form.

This “noble pile” as the poet Ben Jonson described it, stands in its own park of 350 acres.