Highcliffe Castle
Highcliffe Castle has been described as arguably the most important surviving house of the Romantic and Picturesque style of architecture, which flourished at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. Its significance is recognised nationally by its Grade 1 status on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural and Historical Interest.
The Castle was built between 1831 and 1836 and is the realisation of one man’s fantasy. That man was Lord Stuart de Rothesay. When he built it he was following in the footsteps of his grandfather the 3rd Earl of Bute, who had built an earlier mansion on the site during the 1770s. A keen botanist, Lord Bute created a scaled-down version of Kew. Perched on the edge of the cliff, on heathland with magnificent views out to sea, this house stood for only 38 years before land springs and sea erosion destabilised it.
Lord Stuart de Rothesay was a distinguished and very successful diplomat, having been honoured with a peerage in 1828. He served two terms as British Ambassador in Paris after the defeat of Napoleon in 1815 and was tasked by Wellington with finding the Embassy a permanent home. He negotiated the purchase of the Hôtel Charôst from Pauline Bhorgese, a sister of Napoleon, on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. This is still the home of the British Embassy today and is often regarded architecturally as the flagship British Embassy abroad.
Over the years the great and the good, the famous and the gifted have visited, and sometimes stayed, at the Castle. Kings, Queens, Princes and Princesses have come as guests. Kaiser Wilhelm most famously, with a ‘numerically formidable retinue’, came in 1907 and stayed for three weeks, in order ‘to live the life of an English gentleman’. William Gladstone, four times Prime Minister, and his wife had “a real comfortable rest” staying with Lady Waterford in 1889. Nancy Mitford the best-selling author and member of the Mitford family described her stays at Highcliffe Castle with aunt Violet Stuart Wortley as “among the truly happy times of my life”. Dame Nellie Melba, the Australian soprano (after whom the dessert Peach Melba is named) was a friend of the family and sang in the Wintergarden when she came to stay.
After it ceased to be a family home, with most of its contents sold or bequeathed, the fortunes of the Castle fluctuated. It was a Children’s Home for a short period in the early 1950s, then for 13 years the Claretian Fathers used the building as a seminary training students for the priesthood. Just before they moved out tragedy struck as fire ripped through the Great Hall. A more devastating fire followed the next year, when the Castle was owned by local businessmen. Then for two decades the Castle was left a neglected ruin, exposed to the weather and vandals. Only a flock of white doves came to stay amid the derelict rooms.
TO CLAIM THIS REWARD
You can reach this cache from the car park (charges apply) or from the beach if you're walking in the area.
To claim this cache all you have to do is find the stone urn at the location specified and take a photo of yourself or your GPS device with the castle in the background. The GZ is a short walk from the beach (and up a 'few' stairs), but is wheelchair & children's buggy accessible if you park (charges apply) in the car park.
Now you're at the Castle, why not spend some time looking around the gardens and castle itself?
There is no need to send any answers or photos through to us, the CO, but add your photo and message in your log to fellow cachers about how far you've travelled to log this cache would be appreciated. Let's see who has made the furthest journey from 'home' to the GZ??
Now we have moved out of the area, it is one location we do visit again and again when we are down seeing friends and family.
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Congrats to 'mbtkz' for the FTF - 23/04/22
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.