The Portland Wanderer

To travel around the world! Or wherever takes your fancy really.

The Portland Wander, named after my house at Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College, (Portland, 1 of 5 houses at Welbeck: Portland, Alanbrooke, Nelson, Trenchard and Stirling) is the first Travel bug to be set loose by a current Welbexian as far as I know!

The Portland story is that of a peerage, in which fidelity, heroism, chivalry and romance are blended and interwoven in the annals of the noble families of England. Welbeck Abbey, that magnificent palace in the heart of Sherwood Forest, with its legends of Robin Hood and his merry men, with its stately oaks and undulating woodlands was the home of the Dukes of Portland ; but there have been times when its history has been shrouded in tragic mystery, and even to-day there is the Druce family claim to give piquancy to its story.

The family springs from the alliance of the Bentincks and the Cavendishes. Theirs is a telling motto: Dominus providebit (The Lord will provide) this was on the crest of the Bentincks; Craignez honte (Fear disgrace) was another motto of the family, and the fear of dishonour has been a characteristic trait from the time when the first Bentinck set foot in England, till today.

The story of the transformation of Welbeck enters upon a new stage with the succession, in 1854, of the Marquis of Titchfield (William John Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck) as fifth Duke, born in 1800. He it was who designed and had constructed the mysterious underground apartments and tunnels for which the Abbey and its environs are famous.

The vast fortune of the House of Portland has been built up in a remarkably short space of time, a little over 200 years, and no other great family has received so many honours and acquired such wealth in the same period

Portland house is named after the Dukes of Portland; the last being Victor Frederick William Cavendish-Bentinck, 9th Duke of Portland (1897 - 1990), he was a British Diplomat holding the post of Ambassador to Poland.


The Tag's object is there to give a slight Military feel to the Travel Bug, as this is after all a Military College!



Have fun People,
McD1