An autumn view of West Wycombe Park, an early 18th century English Palladian mansion in the Chiltern Hills, north-west of London. The house was built by Sir Francis Dashwood, sometime Chancellor of the Exchequer and founder of the Dilettante Society and slightly more notorious Hellfire Club. The caves where the latter Club held meetings are nearby and make an interesting visit.
The house is still in the family:the 12th Baronet Edward Dashwood currently enjoys the modest 5000-acre estate, albeit shared with visitors as the property is run by the National Trust.
Nearly West Wycombe village dates from the 16th century and is also looked after by the National Trust. The pubs and jettied shops on the old coaching road feel in a different age to dreary High Wycombe up the road.
The peace of this area of the Chilterns is now threatened by the High Speed 2 train project.
Photo: the author.
01 December, 2010
West Wycombe Park
29 September, 2010
Lost Rivers of London: What Lies Beneath
The prolific Diamond Geezer blog is running a series on The Lost Rivers of London.
And I thought Stamford Brook was mainly a bus garage....
The Londonist has also run interesting posts on London's lost rivers from above., and explains what the Tyburn Angling Society is up to.
These guys hope their torch batteries don't run out...
Frank Jacobs' Strangemaps has ...... a map.
Wikipedia has a general article.
photo: Fleet River Tour by Tom Bolton, on Strange Attractor's London leg of Obscura Day, 20 March 2010 (photo credit: Mark Pilkington)
04 August, 2010
The Lutenist
A reenactor plays the Lute in the Great Hall at Hampton Court.
[Photo copyright the author]
The Lute Society of America has a useful selection of clips on YouTube "illustrating the use of the lute and vihuela in various styles of music". (will open in new window)
- Asteria performing fifteenth century music.
- Paul O’Dette performing sixteenth century lute music.
- Hopkinson Smith performing sixteenth century vihuela music.
- Nigel North performing John Dowland (written ca. 1600).
- Robert Barto performing eighteenth century lute music by Silvius Leopold Weiss.
- Robert Barto – an Allegro movement from a Weiss Sonata.
- Ronn McFarlane performing two of his own contemporary compositions.
