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Althorp : The Story of an English House by Charles Spencer
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Reviews of Althorp : The Story of an English House by Charles Spencer
Amazon.com
This account of Althorp, his family seat, by Charles, the ninth earl
Spencer, only scratches the surface of its 500-year history. Nevertheless,
whether he is describing the sleepless nights of his childhood, the ticking
of clocks "always ... too subtle a sound, getting absorbed in the oak of
the floorboards and the fabric of the tapestries," or appraising the
forbidding character of his grandfather, the "Curator Earl," Spencer casts
a candid, evocative light on his subject.
Indeed, Spencer's own efforts on the estate have been considerable. First
comes the business of repairing the predations of his "short-termist
stepmother," Raine, the countess of Dartmouth, who has laid down
wall-to-wall oatmeal carpet in a 115-foot-long Tudor picture gallery.
Now comes the death and burial on the estate of his sister, Diana, the
princess of Wales. That Charles must now curate the family home as a
site of global mourning is a trial quite the equal of anything the estate
has
ever faced.
Subtitled "The Story of an English House," the book has a structure,
dividing the subject into buildings, grounds, family history, and collections,
that is entirely conventional. Yet Spencer surprises by packing in many
details about the social and political vicissitudes that shaped his family's
wealth and taste. In doing so, he eschews his grandfather's regrettable
elitism, while losing none of the old man's dedication to the family's
heritage. Like all good introductions, this book suggests a world and time
far exceeding its little compass. --Simon Ings
Book Description
of Althorp The Story of an English House by Charles Spencer
The great house and grounds of Althorp in Northamptonshire have been
home to the Spencer family for nearly 500 years. They first leased farm
land in the area of grazing in 1486, and in 1508 Sir John Spencer
acquired the 300-acre estate on which he built the first house. Since then,
Spencers have lived and died at Althorp for twenty generations, and the
Park has now taken on an added significance as the burial place of the
most loved princess of the twentieth century.
Charles Spencer, who became the ninth Earl in 1992, has a deep love
and knowledge of the house, reflected in the fact that he acted as a guide
there when he was just twelve years old and in the tremendous
redocorative work he has undertaken in recent years to restore it to its
former glories. In 1998 there was further major work with the adapting
of
the quite beautiful Stable Block--once home to 100 horses and forty
grooms--into a center for visitors incorporating an exhibition celebrating
the life of Diana.
Earl Spencer has written a fascinating account of the house that combines
the details of art and architecture (Althorp has one of the greatest private
art collections in the country, including paintings by Van Dyck, Rubens,
Reynolds, Stubbs and Gainsborough) with a personal appreciation of all
its qualities. He also provides a first-hand description of the many
changes that have occurred in recent years. With splendid photography,
some of it from Althorp's archives and some of it specially commissioned,
this new book offers the perfect guide to one of England's greatest
houses.
Buy the charles spencer book althorp, the story of an english house at amazon by clicking here
Synopsis of Althorp : The Story of an English House by Charles Spencer
Princess Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, offers an intimate look at the
family's home--Althorp--where she first met Prince Charles. Full-color
photos.
About the Author of Althorp : The Story of an English House, Charles
Spencer
Charles, Viscount Althorp, became the ninth Earl Spencer on the death
of his father in 1992. Since then he has undertaken extensive
refurbishment of Althorp and supervised the changes made to
accommodate the many thousands of people who wish to visit the home
and grounds since the death of his sister. He was educated at Eton
College and obtained his degree in Modern History at Magdalen College,
Oxford.
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